Boundaries and Vulnerability - The Egg and I

I love to use analogies when I am talking about the various effects of exposure to trauma.  These analogies will pop up at odd times throughout my day when I am not thinking about my work and when I am occupied with something that doesn’t require a lot of thought.  This is just another example of how allowing your mind to rest can help it be more creative.

The other day I was peeling hard boiled eggs for salad and I started thinking about boundaries.  Sometimes I take the egg and lightly tap it against the counter and a small break will occur where I can start peeling away the shell.  Other times I may be in a bit of a mood and I strike it harder against the side of the sink, resulting in a larger break in the shell and the pieces falling off faster.  If the egg is fresh it may be more difficult to peel but there may be more damage to the egg white as pieces of it come off with the shell.

When the egg shell is removed from the egg, the egg becomes vulnerable and we are able to do anything we want with it.  

When a child’s boundaries are broken much care needs to be taken to ensure that the crack does not result in larger pieces of the boundary being removed.  Protective factors such as family support, education, and encouragement of developmentally appropriate physically and emotionally healthy activities can help keep further exposure from happening, increasing the resilience of the child and limiting future vulnerability.  

Many adults with whom we work have had a lot of damage to their boundaries.  I have worked with women who have had so many personal attacks against them starting at an early age that they have forgotten or have never known that they can have boundaries.  They have been exposed for so long without protection that they no longer believe that boundaries exist for them. For some of them, the idea of personal boundaries may be an alien concept or they may be fearful of setting boundaries because when they do so someone comes along and tries to break their shell again.

Persons who are engaging in recruiting persons into human trafficking look for people who have lost their boundaries and are now vulnerable.  They love when that shell has already been cracked for them so that they don’t have to work as hard to recruit the vulnerable person.  

We don’t know what has happened to someone when we first meet them.  We don’t know if their shell was removed all at once, in large chunks, or if they just have a few cracks.  However, we find out soon enough that they struggle with maintaining boundaries and they may need our support.  We can help them find the resources and strength they need to further protect themselves.  This includes modeling appropriate boundaries and respecting their boundaries. 

Unlike the eggs I use for salad, with the appropriate support and building up of community and protective factors, someone who has had their boundaries damaged can rebuild their life.  

Linda Douglas M.Ed., CTSS

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Trauma Informed Services Specialist

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

Task Force member

My Little Runaway

The Del Shannon 1961 Hit  and Bonnie Raitt's 1977 version of My Little Runaway imprints lyrics with the " why" and " where' of runaways, although the hit tune undoubtedly described romantic notions. (The lyrics will be spinning in your mind with the link ??? )

Several bars of the hit tune are pertinent to Human Trafficking:

"And I wonder, I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder

Why, why-why-why-why-why

She ran away

And I wonder where she will stay

My little runaway"

Runaways are frequent targets of traffickers, preying on their desperate need for shelter and constant, gnawing hunger. 

The "why" of running away has many roots: domestic abuse, child abuse, poverty, homelessness and witnessing domestic abuse while the lure of escape towards less violence or poverty are tempting. 

The impact of coronavirus (Covid 19), with increased unemployment rates, no traditional schooling outside of the home, mandated social isolation and confinement all contribute to domestic violence involving youths and adults, linking them to vulnerability as targets for predatory human traffickers. 

Runaway youth are easy prey for the smooth talk and promises of a warm place to sleep, especially appealing during NH's winters. Many youths will not think through where they will go long term and desperately they may trade labor or sex to satisfy basic human needs. With a runaway's new isolation from family, teachers, friends or caregivers, there is increased vulnerability to being groomed and controlled by a trafficker.

Traffickers are experienced in attracting victims using various tactics:

Traffickers are clever and intentional, using different tactics to draw people into conversation, build relationships and trust, and ultimately exploit that individual.

• Romantic – cultivating role as partner (boyfriend/girlfriend), partner, protector

• False advertising – misrepresenting terms and conditions of employment, wages, educational opportunities

Who can help spot these likely children, youth and young adults and intervene before they leave home?

With schools closed, teachers, guidance counselors, sports coaches and extra curricular activity advisors are no longer the customary sentries, observing kids' behavior, identifying those at risk and reaching out to offer help and counseling. Due to Covid 19 and only online lessons, the first hand, in- person assessment of teachers, often the best means of observing students' status is no longer the safety net for identifying potential problems and troubled familial relationships. Lacking traditional school, who will step in to be the lookouts and watchdogs to detect troubling signs now? 

Kids' friends and families, relatives and neighbors can be more attentive to signs of rebellion and isolation leading kids /youths to run.  Here are some points to help increase awareness of human trafficking:  

Misidentification: Our preconceived ideas can make it hard to identify trafficking. This can be related to ideas about gender, age, appearance, choice  Victims often do not self-identify/media misrepresentations

Lack of alternatives: Victims of trafficking may not have, or be in possession of, their identification/legal documents. They do not feel they have any options if they left – means to support themselves, a place to live and other needs:

• No access to an income, home, food, money

• No job skills, some haven’t completed their education

• Some believe this is the only thing they’re good at/for

Next time you hear catchy lyrics about runaways, be aware of those children, youth and young adults who may be at risk and reach out a hand and offer to listen.

- Jane L. Hart, Task Force member and Community Volunteer

Getting a Protective Order

Getting a protective order has one goal: to provide safety to the protected individual. There are different kinds of restraining/protective orders, but this post will focus on a survivor obtaining a civil domestic violence protective order (DVPO). A civil DVPO is unique in that it will provide protection to an individual (it is a crime to violate a civil DVPO) but it doesn’t require an individual to go to the police. This may be important to a survivor who doesn’t want to involve the police or the criminal process, but would like legal protection from their trafficker.

First, if the survivor feels safe enough, seeking the assistance of the local crisis center here in New Hampshire is important. Crisis center advocates may be able to assist the survivor in how to file for a DVPO and provide support and guidance through the filing process. The survivor may be eligible for a lawyer, at no cost to them, to represent them at their final DVPO hearing. However, even if the survivor is eligible, it is not guaranteed that a lawyer will be available to represent the survivor for a DVPO. If an attorney is not available, this is what a survivor needs to prove to obtain a temporary DVPO in New Hampshire. This is intended as general legal advice for New Hampshire and does not guarantee a protective order.

What do you need to prove?

1.     There needs to be an act of abuse. Physical assault (or attempted physical assault) is one of the acts of abuse that can be considered, but it is not the only act. Sexual assault is considered an act of abuse that can be used for a DVPO. There is also: criminal threatening, interference with freedom, destruction of property, unauthorized entry, harassment, or cruelty to animals. So, if the trafficker threatens the survivor, destroys their cell phone or some other belonging of theirs, stalks the survivor, or abuses the survivors pets, these are all considered “an act of abuse” that is needed for the first element to obtain a protective order. You only need to prove one and the judge needs as much detail on the abuse as possible.

For example, lets say a trafficker broke into the survivor’s apartment and broke their phone. How did the trafficker get into the apartment? Whose name is on the lease (is it just the survivor’s?) Is there damage where the trafficker broke in? Are there pictures of this damage? How did the survivor feel when they saw their trafficker? How did the trafficker obtain the phone? How did they break it? Who owned the phone? How did the survivor feel when their phone was broken? Breaking down the event into slow motion is crucial for the judge to understand what happened and how the survivor felt during this time. It also helps the judge understand the credible threat to the survivor’s safety.

2.     There needs to be a “qualifying relationship.” Is their trafficker a family member?  Was (or is) there a sexual relationship between the two parties? Is there a child in common? These are considered qualifying relationships that would meet the second element to obtain a protective order. If the trafficker does not fit under any of these categories and the trafficker is still reaching out to the survivor or following them and the survivor is afraid for their safety, the survivor may want to consider if a stalking petition is more appropriate.

3.     The trafficker needs to present a “credible present threat to their safety.” How does the survivor feel knowing that their trafficker is still around? What abuse has happened in the past? Could that abuse continue? Based on the survivor’s experiences, what could happen if their trafficker found them? This is important for the judge to understand.

What Steps Should a Survivor Take?

If the survivor feels comfortable, they can see if an advocate from a crisis center can accompany them to court. If there is a language access need, the survivor should inform the court or crisis center (to the best of their ability) that they need an interpreter. I always tell survivors to write out their statement about how they know their trafficker, what abuse occurred, and how they would feel if they did not obtain a DVPO. Having the statement written out and ready for court is so important. Being in court is stressful, even as an attorney. Coming prepared with their statement makes it so the survivor just needs to put everything in the petition.

I also tell survivors to have something handy that they can “fidget with.” Whether it’s a hair elastic, scarf, handkerchief, stress ball, etc. something to ease their anxiety but isn’t distracting in court. The survivor should also run through their statement before they get to court as best they can, so they are prepared to speak about what happened to them. If the judge has enough evidence, they will enter a temporary DVPO and will set a hearing for a final DVPO within 30 days.

What if the Survivor gets a Final DVPO?

 If a judge enters a final protective order, that protective order will be good for one year. The date of expiration will be on the final protective order. If a survivor does not obtain a final protective order, there are options. First, they can always call the police of they feel unsafe at any time. If there are any new acts of abuse (that fall under one of the categories above) they can always refile for a new DVPO. The survivor should also work with a crisis center advocate, or someone with similar training, around safety planning and taking care of themselves. The ultimate goal is to feel safe!

Conclusion

Survivors of human trafficking who are trying to remove themselves from their trafficker have a difficult path to travel. It is difficult enough without the presence of their trafficker. However, having their trafficker be a continued presence in their life can make removing themselves from that life even more difficult. Thankfully, there are legal remedies available to a victim of human trafficking. If you are interested in seeking assistance from a crisis center, click this link to learn where your closest crisis center is: https://www.nhcadsv.org/member-programs.html

You can also go straight to the courthouse and file for a protective order without a crisis center advocate. Ask the clerk for a domestic violence petition and they should give you one.

By Jessica Hersom

NH Legal Assistance

Task Force Partner

Runaway and Homeless Youth, with a New Hampshire Perspective - Part Two

Youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness are doing so in a variety of ways and for myriad of reasons.  The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall produced a report entitled "Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America" which states that 1 in 30 youth aged 13-17 experience homelessness in a year and a quarter of this is couch surfing and 1 in 10 young adults aged 18-25 endure homelessness in the same time frame with half of this being couch surfing.  Youth who do not have a high school diploma or GED, identify as LGBTQ, are pregnant or parenting, live in poverty, or are youth of color are all at higher risk of experiencing homelessness.    

These national statistics and survey results ring true in New Hampshire.  Youth experiencing homelessness are not always the individual in a sleeping bag under the bridge or standing on a corner asking the passersby for change.  They are youth and young adults who live in the invisible corners of all NH communities.  Most of them have experienced trauma, abuse, violence, generational poverty, a lifetime of housing instability with their families, and/or exposure to untreated substance misuse issues and mental health concerns.    

They are often the individual that is sleeping on the couch or the floor of a friend's uncle or a friend of a friend of a friend because this living situation seems more promising than the one they came from.  Youth experiencing homelessness slide the slippery slope to trafficking often at the hands of someone they "know".  It often starts slowly and gradually and before the young person even computes what is happening.  

Waypoint's Runaway and Homeless Youth programs attempt to intercede in this slippery slope.  We provide a winter coat, connection to shelter, food, and a safe space among many other basic needs in an attempt to prevent a youth from trading sex or taking a job that is not safe in order to obtain these things.  We attempt to help youth to imagine what they would like their life to look like 2 weeks, 2 months, and 2 years from now and walk beside them through the ups and downs of trying to achieve this.  

Unfortunately, what Waypoint can do is not enough.  Youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness in NH will not completely avoid vulnerability to trafficking until there is an emergency shelter specifically focused on the unique needs of this population in NH, until there is an adequate supply of affordable housing in our state, until wages are livable and housing costs reasonable, until there is a pathway out of poverty and the American Dream is again an attainable goal. 

Developing and implementing a statewide strategy to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness would drastically decrease trafficking in NH.

By Erin Kelly, Task Force Member and the Director of Runaway and Homeless Youth Services at Waypoint

The Intersection of Homelessness and Human Trafficking - Part One

Homeless youth who are running away, like a car on New Hampshire's winter roads, are often out of control. They no longer have control of the steering wheel and no road map. 

Many homeless individuals are recruited into risky situations to meet their needs, taking a highway that ends with human trafficking. The primary vulnerability of homelessness are the unfulfilled, basic needs for shelter, warmth and food. This is fertile ground for traffickers. New Hampshire's cold winters put homeless individuals at acute need for shelter and predators frequently offer a place to stay and hot meal as inducement to get off the frigid street. 

One can then be lured by the offer that someone will take care of them, with the vague understanding this offer has a cost and that they may 'owe' someone. However alternatives may come with (or seem to) additional risks or even death, should one stay outside in the New Hampshire winter.

The Polaris Project which serves victims and survivors through the 24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline and as a national access point for trauma-informed support, published a recent survey, focusing on homelessness in recruitment for human trafficking.

In Polaris’s survivor survey, 64% reported being homeless or experiencing unstable housing at the time they were recruited into their trafficking situation. Traffickers are able to exploit potential victims’ fear of sleeping on the street by offering them safe shelter to recruit them into trafficking. LGBTQ+ populations are at an increased risk as well as runaway/homeless youth and some may choose to engage in survival sex to get access to shelter. The National Hotline has also documented cases of traffickers targeting homeless shelters as recruitment grounds.

Be aware of the vulnerability of this population and encourage youths to speak with adults whom they trust when they are desperate, not strangers.

The New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force is aware of the fundamental need for shelter and housing and one energetic leader has stepped up to this challenge with a grassroots effort to identify potential collaborating agencies and sources of funding to tackle this concern.  The effort is significantly challenging, not simply with the initial funding, but determining the funding stream necessary to maintain a residence, maintain the building, coupled with the service providers and financials necessary to wrap trauma-informed services around the victims.  Initial housing search efforts are north of Concord, focusing on small cities with access to health care and transportation. To learn more visit http://brigidsnh.org/.

Recent news has highlighted this concern: NSF Funds Worcester Polytechnic Institute Research to Help New York City Homeless Youths at Risk for Human Trafficking

WORCESTER, Mass. (PRWEB) November 07, 2019

A research team led by professors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will use data analytics and optimization to determine the most efficient use of shelters and services for homeless youths in New York City. Their goal is to disrupt the "supply side" of human trafficking networks by reducing the vulnerability of those most at risk of exploitation.

Renata Konrad, associate professor at the Foisie Business School at WPI, has received a $535,565 grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Special Initiatives program for the three-year project. Andrew Trapp, also associate professor, is a co-principal investigator on the project. The study will build on previous research led by Konrad using analytics to develop tools to understand and address human trafficking networks.

"To disrupt human trafficking, we need to look at the beginning of the supply chain—at-risk homeless youths," Konrad said. "The question is, can we stop the trafficking process before it happens with shelters and services for homeless youths?"

By Jane Hart, Task Force member and Community Volunteer

Learning, Building and Responding in New Hampshire

Like many others in rural New Hampshire, I grew up believing that human trafficking is a crisis experienced in faraway lands, by forgotten families I would never encounter and was not sure how to help.  Although I began learning more about the impact of human trafficking in high school, my conversations about this global crisis were infrequent and often discouraging.  The need to support survivors was evident, but the solutions seemed beyond my grasp.  I certainly did not think there was much I could do to combat trafficking from the comfort of my rural hometown.  You can imagine my excitement when given the opportunity to learn more about responding to this crisis several years later through my involvement with the NH Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force. 

I discovered my passion for learning about other languages and cultures as an undergraduate social work student at the University of New Hampshire.  This growing passion led me to the International Institute of New England, a nonprofit serving refugees and immigrants, where I have been working for almost three years.  IINE creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship.  In my current role, I provide intensive case management services for our most vulnerable families who were forcibly displaced from their home countries.  These refugee families escaped unspeakable violence and endured great danger or risk of exploitation as they journeyed to safety. 

Learn: Intersection of forced migration and human trafficking

Through my involvement with the Task Force, I have developed a deeper understanding of the relationship between trafficking and forced migration.  At its core, human trafficking thrives on the exploitation of vulnerability.  Forcibly displaced migrants and refugees are among the most vulnerable populations around the world.  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 70.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.  Of these people, 25.9 million are refugees who have fled their home countries in search of safety, often to arrive in unstable host countries or camps with limited access to food, healthcare, education, or citizenship.  Most families are forced to remain in these unstable environments unless chosen for legal resettlement to a third country, where they would be awarded permanent residence status and access to the same basic rights as nationals of that country.  Unfortunately, less than one percent of refugees will ever have the opportunity of third country resettlement.  

Refugee families may be exploited by traffickers while living abroad or after resettlement due to their increased vulnerability.  Within the U.S., traffickers target immigrant communities and exploit their victims’ lack of familiarity with the language, laws, individual rights, or culture of the region. Furthermore, the National Human Trafficking Hotline states that “individuals who have experienced violence and trauma in the past are more vulnerable to future exploitation.”  Refugees experience and witness unimaginable horrors that force them to flee from their home countries and seek safety elsewhere. 

I have met refugees from many countries through my work with the IINE, and I am convinced that these individuals are some of the most resilient people in the world.  I hold the stories they have shared with me heavily in my heart.  A man who watched in anguish as his child was brutally killed.  A women separated from her husband during their escape from religious persecution, never to see him again.  A woman coerced to sell her body in a refugee camp to feed her children.  Despite the horrors and loss of their journeys, still they rise to greet another day.  Still they persevere through great pain for their families and children.  I have learned much from their unrelenting resilience, and yet, due to past trauma and exposure to violence, they are among the most vulnerable people in the world.  For these reasons, when we think of protecting survivors of trafficking in New Hampshire, we must also consider how to enhance protections for our newest refugee and immigrant neighbors.  

Build: How New Hampshire is responding to this crisis

We are fighting for survivors of trafficking every day, and we would like you to join us.  For many years, the NH Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force has led the fight against trafficking in our state by educating the community on this crisis, advocating for stronger legislation to address these crimes, and employing case managers to help survivors overcome barriers to self-sufficiency.  IINE, along with many other agencies, has partnered with the Task Force to protect those at risk of exploitation.  

Respond: How you can support the movement 

Hopefully by now the need to support survivors of trafficking and protect forcibly displaced migrants is evident.  Please do not feel overwhelmed by the weight of this crisis, as there is plenty you can do to help!  Consider assessing your habits as a consumer and choose to support fair trade companies.  You can learn more about becoming a conscious consumer through the Freedom Cafe’s website.  Contribute your time and resources to organizations like the Task Force or IINE, that are providing lifesaving care for survivors of trafficking and forcibly displaced families in New Hampshire.  Above all, continue to listen and learn and seek opportunities to support the movement.  With your help, New Hampshire can grow to be a state that forcefully expels traffickers, warmly welcomes survivors, and supports our newest neighbors who are often the most vulnerable to exploitation. 

Respectfully,

Megan Clark

International Institute of New England

 Learn more:

1. International Institute of New England:  https://iine.org/

2. NH Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force:  https://www.nhhumantraffickingtaskforce.com/

3. UNHCR Figures at a Glance:  https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html

4. UNHCR Resettlement: www.unhcr.org/information-on-unhcr-resettlement.html

5. National Human Trafficking Hotline: humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-trafficking/human-trafficking/victims