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XIX International AIDS Conference • Washington DC • July 2012

Empowerment of Young People in Sex Trades, While Recognizing the Complexity of Situations, as Best Practice for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment. XIX International AIDS Conference • Washington DC • July 2012. Introduction. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA )

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XIX International AIDS Conference • Washington DC • July 2012

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  1. Empowerment of Young People in Sex Trades, While Recognizing the Complexity of Situations, as Best Practice for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment XIX International AIDS Conference • Washington DC • July 2012

  2. Introduction • Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) • US citizen/lawful permanent resident + • Under age of 18 + • Trading sex = Domestic minor victim of sex trafficking • No need for force, fraud or coercion • No need for third party involvement

  3. Introduction • Brief historical overview • Late 19th century charitable organizations • From White Slavery to Human Trafficking • Mann Act, 1910 • Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation Act, 1977

  4. Introduction The FBI knew of no known “studies to date that specifically and primarily address juvenile prostitution” - testimony of assistant director for Criminal Investigation Division of FBI during Congressional hearing in 2005

  5. Introduction • Moving past victim/villain dichotomy to develop and implement effective policies and programs • Acknowledge diversity of young people involved • Examine structural factors that socially marginalize young people • Use critical lens to examine current policies

  6. Where we’re going • Overview of the literature • Experiences of peer led organizations • Exploration of local and federal policies • Impacts of policy on service delivery and program development • Examples of peer led best practices • Question & answer at end

  7. Towards a more nuanced understanding of young people’s involvement in sex trades in the United States Alexandra Lutnick

  8. Objectives • The numbers game • How many? • Age of first entry? • Does age matter • Demographics • Routes & Reasons • Problematizing victim discourse • Final thoughts

  9. The Numbers Game: How many? Scientifically credible estimates of the number of young people who trade sex do NOT exist. • “Woozle effect”: 100-300,000 • AdHealth Study: 2% of sample of 8th-12th graders • Arrest statistics: 791 in 2009

  10. The Numbers Game: Age of 1st entry? It all depends upon the eligibility criteria for the study. • Studies of young people: 13-17 • Studies of adults: 20-22 Therefore: • Not all people start when they are younger • Not all young people continue past the age of 18

  11. The Numbers Game: Does age matter? Raphael & Shapiro (2002): Early starters (<15 yrs old) = worse outcomes • More likely: • Run away from home • Greater health problems as adults • Less likely graduate high school

  12. The Numbers Game: Does age matter? Highlights the need to move beyond looking at young people as a unified category AND Target programs, policies, & prevention efforts to experiences that precede involvement

  13. Demographics • All classes, races, genders, sexualities • Diversity of behaviors and settings • Diversity of clients

  14. Routes &Reasons • No one factor in and of itself facilitates initiation into trading sex • It is a rarity for involvement to occur overnight and result from the use of overt force by a third party.

  15. Routes &Reasons • Who’s a pimp? • Arranges clients for someone trading sex And/or • Benefits financially from someone else’s sexual services - More times than not: peers and friends facilitate entry into trading sex and connections to clients

  16. Routes &Reasons • Factors that are associated with initiation • Economic necessity: • Poverty, Homelessness, Unemployment • Fulfill emotional needs • Acquire luxury items • Drawn to perceived excitement • Homophobia and transphobia: • Live their gender and sexuality • Laws: • govern young people’s ability to work • place restrictions on legal age at which person can enter into a contract

  17. Problematizing Victim Discourse • Voices of young people: • Rarely think of themselves as victims • Do not identify trauma focused services as most pressing need • View involvement as solution to issues of employment and economic needs • Creating sexual solutions to non-sexual problems • Using sexual capital to get their needs met

  18. Concluding thoughts • Classifying all as victims reduces a complex issue to simple story of victim and villain • A one-size fits all approach will not work • Focus attention on causes of involvement • Examine structural factors that influence decision to trade sex • Look for points of overlap with other marginalized groups of young people (i.e. homeless, child welfare involved, etc.)

  19. Thank you • Alexandra Lutnick • alutnick@rti.org

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