Victims of sex trafficking are often misidentified as criminals engaging in prostitution. This presentation makes an evidence-based argument for starting with the assumption of innocence when encountering individuals engaging in prostitution. Participants will learn techniques for screening for force, fraud, and coercion, best practices for conducting interviews with victims of complex trauma, and the elements of a victim-centered approach. The attendees will understand how trauma impacts the brain, be able to recognize trauma response behaviors, and have basic skills for interactions with victims. Attendees will learn and be able to understand traditional vs. modern approaches to human trafficking and vice (prostitution) related crime, why creating a paradigm shift is so important, and how to recognize and handle PTSD and trauma bonding in a victim. Attendees will also learn the elements of, and how to utilize, the Special Victims Methodology in terms of conducting an interview with a human trafficking victim.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the traditional and modern roles of law enforcement in trafficking and prostitution investigations.
Understand the idea of why a paradigm shift is needed.
Understand the four goals of law enforcement in these types of investigations.
Understand the Special Victims Methodology interview strategy.
Understand why these types of approaches work much better than traditional law enforcement approaches.
