Ending Human Trafficking

By Dr. Sandra MorganBusiness Religion & Spirituality Christianity Non-Profit

Ending Human Trafficking episodes

March 31, 2025342 – Peer Educators to Build Safe Communities
Jamie Macintosh joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how peer education is transforming human trafficking prevention in schools through the Safe Community Safe Kids Program.
Jamie Macintosh
Jamie Macintosh joined the Global Center for Women and Justice as the program coordinator for the Samueli Foundation Grant: Safe Community, Safe Kids Program. She is an alumnus of Vanguard University and has a single-subject teaching credential in social science and a college counseling certificate from UCLA. She has extensive experience working as a middle and high school teacher, a school counselor, and an administrator in both private and public education. Passionate about outreach, Jamie has traveled with students on trips to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.
Key Points
The Safe Community Safe Kids Program launched in 2024 through a grant from the Samueli Foundation to combat human trafficking among minors in Orange County.
The program provides free, expert-led prevention education and trauma-informed training for both students and educators, meeting California’s legal requirements for human trafficking education.
College students from Vanguard University are trained as peer educators, completing over 40 hours of specialized training to deliver two-part presentations in local classrooms.
Peer educators provide instruction on topics like online safety, healthy relationships, red flags, and how to recognize and resist trafficking tactics.
Using anonymous sticky notes, the program collects feedback from students, helping them voice their questions and reflections in a safe way.
The curriculum leverages the power of peer-to-peer influence, offering relevant language, relatable examples, and stronger engagement from students.
Students are taught to assess unsafe situations and are empowered to become active protectors in their peer groups, reinforcing the concept of community-based safety.
Real-world scenarios and emotional manipulation tactics used by traffickers are addressed head-on, including peer recruitment and exploitation through social networks.
The program aims to be replicable across communities and includes long-term plans for sustainability through school district partnerships and community support.
Jamie emphasizes the importance of building resilience in students so they can recognize risk, respond appropriately, and protect themselves and others.
Future goals include doubling the program’s reach and building consistent delivery systems to maintain impact as peer educators graduate and new ones are trained.
Resources
Jamie Macintosh on LinkedIn
Live2Free
Short film
Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, brought to you by Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice, right here in Orange County, California. This is episode number 342. Peer educators to build safe communities.
[00:00:20] And I’m Dr. Sandie Morgan. This is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in the fight to end human trafficking. I’m very glad to welcome Jamie Macintosh to the show.
[00:00:38] Jamie Macintosh joined the Global Center for Women in Justice as the program coordinator for the Samueli Foundation Grant. Safe Community, Safe Kids Program. She is an alumnus of Vanguard University and has a single subject teaching credential in social science and a college counseling certificate from UCLA.
[00:01:06] Sandie Morgan: She has extensive experience working as a middle and high school teacher, a school counselor and administrator In private and public education passionate about outreach. Jamie has traveled with students on trips to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast Jamie.
[00:01:34] Jamie Macintosh: Thank you for having me here today Dr. Morgan,
[00:01:37] Sandie Morgan: I am so excited that you joined the Global Center for Women I Justice when we received the Safe Community, safe Kids Sam Welly Foundation grant, and I have to tell our listeners that when we interviewed you, ’cause listeners get to be kind of on the inside track, when we interviewed you, our committee was particularly impressed that you had served as a vice principal.
[00:02:13] What does a vice principal do that’s different than other teachers and administrators?
[00:02:20] Jamie Macintosh: As a vice principal, you really support the students. I think it’s a little bit more hands on with them and you’re really starting to learn more about them, especially students who are maybe having trouble in school.
[00:02:34] And so there’s a lot of times that they’re in your office and you’re talking about what’s happening in the classroom, but you’re really getting down to the root of what’s going on in their lives.
[00:02:43] Sandie Morgan: Somebody on the interview team said to me, oh wow, that’s great. She’s a problem solver, and so we knew you were the right one for the job. Tell us a little bit about what the Safe Community Safe Kids Program is doing.
[00:03:05] Jamie Macintosh: So in June, 2024, the Global Center for Women in Justice at Vanguard University, received a generous grant from the Samueli Foundation, and this was to launch the Safe Community Safe Kids Program. So this initiative just aims to combat the severe threat of human trafficking to minors in Orange County by providing expert led prevention, education, and trauma informed training to both students and educators.
[00:03:33] And all of this is done at no cost to the schools or to the teachers. So the Safe Community, Safe Kids builds upon the success of the Global Center for Women in Justice and live to free. Who have educated over 11,000 students over the past decade, but with this grant, we’re able to launch and educate even more students.
[00:03:54]Sandie Morgan: So the Safe Community Safe Kids Program is going to also meet the California state requirements for seventh and ninth grade, is what I understand.
[00:04:11] Sandie Morgan: So when you’re talking about doing this for the schools for free, why is that so important?
[00:04:19] Jamie Macintosh: In 2016, California enacted the California Health Youth Act, which requires California public school districts to provide specific requirements for instruction on human trafficking to students in grades seven through 12, at least once in middle school and once in high school. So our program aligns with that.
[00:04:39] As well as assembly bill 1227, which still focuses on addressing human trafficking in California schools. So our program trains Vanguard University College students, which we call peer educators, to visit the classrooms to provide this crucial education on human trafficking, as well as online safety and healthy relationships.
[00:05:02] Sandie Morgan: And they adapted that a little later on, and I believe now every student is required in seventh grade and in ninth grade to have some kind of prevention training. Around human trafficking that includes both sex and labor trafficking. And the idea that it requires this training, but it doesn’t have specifics as far as whose training you have to use, has created, a need in our schools for support.
[00:05:42] So how does our program, and I’m just gonna be like promoting this because we wanna share this, out. We want other organizations to learn from what we’ve learned because we do believe prevention is super important. So how do we meet those guidelines?
[00:06:05] Jamie Macintosh: I think as a teacher, a...
33 min
March 17, 2025341 – Following the Money: How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking
David Tyree joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how financial crime investigations can disrupt human trafficking by following the money trail and identifying the financial networks that support trafficking operations.
David Tyree
David Tyree has over 25 years of experience as a DEA Agent and financial crime investigator. He has led major investigations into money laundering and drug trafficking and is a recognized expert in financial crime investigations. He trains law enforcement officers on detecting money laundering and asset forfeiture. Recently, he participated in the Follow the Money Roundtable with Valid8 at Vanguard University.
Key Points
Financial investigations provide a new way to combat human trafficking by identifying and disrupting illicit financial networks.
Traffickers exploit financial tools like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle to move money, making it critical for law enforcement to track these transactions.
Financial crime investigations allow law enforcement to build strong cases that do not rely solely on victim testimony, reducing re-traumatization.
Traffickers often control victims financially, making it difficult for them to escape without outside intervention.
Asset forfeiture is a powerful tool that law enforcement can use to take away traffickers’ financial resources and prevent them from reconstituting their operations.
Banks and financial institutions play a crucial role in identifying suspicious activity, such as rapid money transfers, and working with law enforcement to stop trafficking networks.
Understanding financial literacy is key to preventing individuals from becoming vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation.
Law enforcement needs to build trust with victims by offering support rather than immediately pressuring them to testify.
Successful investigations require collaboration between financial institutions, law enforcement, and victim service organizations.
The ability to follow the money provides a tangible way to prosecute traffickers and provide financial restitution to victims.
Financial restitution is often the most meaningful form of justice for survivors, as it helps them rebuild their lives.
Educating financial institutions and law enforcement about trafficking-related financial patterns can significantly improve prevention and intervention efforts.
Resources
LinkedIn
Valid8
Venmo – Law Enforcement Inquiries
Cash App (Square) – Government Agency Requests
Zelle – Subpoena Processing
Facebook/Instagram – Information for Law Enforcement
Snapchat – Information for Law Enforcement
Transcript
[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference. Infighting Human Trafficking here at the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University. This is episode number 341 with David Tyree following the money, How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking. David Tyree has over 25 years of experience as a D.E.A. Agent and financial crime investigator.
[00:00:43] He has led major investigations into money laundering and drug trafficking and is a recognized expert in financial crime investigation, crime and trains law enforcement officers on detecting money laundering and asset forfeiture. Recently, he participated in the Follow the Money Roundtable with Valid8 right here at Vanguard University.
[00:01:11] David, welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast.
[00:01:15] David Tyree: Thank you. I’m so honored to be a part of this. I’m so impressed that you have 341 episodes. And I bet we can agree, wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to do podcasts about this? Could we, if we could actually end this epidemic, it would just be fascinating and we could go do something different.
[00:01:33] Sandie: I love that you are bringing a little different perspective to our community. We have listeners in 171 countries. And the, I, a lot of the conversation has been about identifying victims, providing victim support, training law enforcement on victim centered care, trauma informed, all of these aspects that are so necessary. But there are people with skill sets that we haven’t really included in our conversation. And I think today, that’s going to be part of what you help us understand about how financial investigations connect to human trafficking. So let’s just start off, because I know people want to get to know you, how did you choose to pursue financial aspects of human trafficking investigation?
[00:02:34] David Tyree: Well, that’s that’s a great question. And I would just start with some background. So I was with the Drug Enforcement Administration as a special agent for, yeah, 25 years. I started in New Mexico. So in Albuquerque, where this is back in the nineties, late nineties, and there was human trafficking back then.
[00:02:52] We probably didn’t know what it was but one of my functions as an agent was to do hotel, motel, and train interdiction.
[00:03:03] Sandie: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Interdiction. That’s like a word. I don’t really think I could define.
[00:03:08] David Tyree: Oh, sure. interdiction means to stop, to intercede,
[00:03:13] Sandie: Oh, you just have to, use big words? Is that.
[00:03:16] David Tyree: I just, that’s what they called us. We were an interdiction unit. I didn’t really know what it meant. I just, uh, did what they told me.
[00:03:22] Sandie: Okay, so continue that story.
[00:03:25] David Tyree: Interdiction. is a law enforcement term that refers to sort of stopping, like interceding, and there’s different forms of interdiction.
[00:03:34] You might read in the paper about a large traffic stop, drug seizure in the middle of some interstate somewhere. That’s usually referred to in law enforcement circles as an interdiction. They stopped the ability of this narcotics trafficker to transit to their final destination or money going in the opposite direction.
[00:03:54] So in my initial endeavors, we were responding to tips. We were looking for last minute one way cash travel, and it often involved hotels and it often involved prostitution, which arguably, you know, where was it? Human trafficking? Where was a prostitution? We were looking at the same indicators.
[00:04:18] And so early on in my career, I started having contact with victims that were being trafficked or prostituted against their will. And I’m 23, 24 years old, and it opened up my eyes quickly to something that struck me that someone was making a profit off of the exploitation of these people, which falls in line with narcotics trafficking as well, right?
[00:04:43] There’s people that are making a profit off essentially addiction, which is sad to me, and something I experienced personally growing up in my family, seeing some folks in my family that were struggling with addiction and, have since made it into recovery, which is great. And they would say to me, David, you got to follow the money.
[00:05:03] Someone’s making a profit off of my misery. So I then, after about five years, transferred to Portla...
37 min
March 03, 2025340 – Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders
Rabbi Diana Gerson joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how faith-based communities can play a critical role in protecting children online and building a network of trusted community leaders.
Rabbi Diana Gerson
Rabbi Diana Gerson is the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis. She represents the organization at the United Nations and leads interfaith initiatives focused on child welfare, community resilience, and violence prevention. She is a member of the Child Dignity in a Digital World initiative and serves as Senior Advisor for Partnerships and External Relationships at the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities. She co-founded the Global Advocacy Hub for Children and Families and is the USA Country Coordinator for the Global Network of Religions for Children. In 2024, she was appointed to the UNHCR Multi-Religious Council of Leaders.
Key Points
Faith-based communities play a crucial but often overlooked role in child protection. Religious institutions, such as houses of worship and community centers, function as youth-serving organizations and must take responsibility for safeguarding children.
Digital literacy is a fundamental skill for both children and adults. Many older generations struggle with technology, yet children are highly adept at navigating digital spaces, often without understanding the risks.
Free apps are not truly free—when users don’t pay with money, they pay with their personal data. Parents and faith leaders must educate themselves on the risks of digital platforms and the terms and conditions that affect privacy and safety.
Child protection policies in faith-based institutions should match those of public schools, including background checks, training, and accountability measures for both staff and volunteers.
There is no single “safe” place for children—every organization must have observable and interruptible spaces to ensure child safety. Parents must take an active role in monitoring these environments.
Online exploitation is a growing crisis, fueled by the ease of image sharing on digital platforms. Faith-based organizations must recognize their responsibility in digital safety education and safeguarding measures.
Many faith-based organizations lack proper protocols for reporting abuse. Instead of conducting internal investigations first, they must follow legal reporting requirements and ensure transparency.
Faith leaders can be powerful advocates for online safety and child protection by integrating these issues into sermons and community discussions. These conversations should not be relegated to separate, optional trainings but rather be normalized as part of faith-based teaching.
Partnering with faith-based organizations in digital literacy efforts is essential. Trainings should start with executive-level leaders and then expand to parents, staff, and youth members.
Involving trusted religious leaders in digital safety initiatives can help overcome parental resistance. When faith leaders co-facilitate trainings, parents are more likely to trust and engage with the material.
Normalizing discussions about technology and online risks is as crucial as past societal shifts in addressing domestic violence, child abuse, and public health issues like cancer. Faith leaders must lead by example in these conversations.
Young people must be seen as part of the solution, not just future stakeholders. Engaging them in leadership roles and advocacy efforts empowers them to protect themselves and their peers.
Resources
LinkedIn – Rabbi Diana Gerson
Instagram – Rabbi Diana Gerson
Transcript
[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice right here in Orange County, California. This is episode number 340, Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders with Rabbi Diana Gerson. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan,
[00:00:23] and this is a show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I am so delighted to have Rabbi Diana Gerson with me today. She is the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis. But she is so much more,
[00:00:49] she represents the organization at the United Nations and leads interfaith initiatives focused on child welfare, community resilience, and violence prevention. I want to just list, the organizations that she is involved as members or serving on in some way. Just to highlight the value of that connectedness and overlapping networks, She’s a member of the Child Dignity In a digital world. She was appointed senior advisor for partnerships and external relationships at the interfaith Alliance for safer communities. She co founded the global advocacy hub for children and families. And she’s the USA country coordinator for the global network of religions for children. She was also appointed in 2024 to the UNHCR multi religious council of leaders. Wow, that is a mouthful, I had to take several breaths. Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, Diana.
[00:02:08] Diana: Thank you, Sandie, so much for having me. It is wonderful to be back.
[00:02:12] Sandie: That’s right. That’s right. You’ve been on here before and I imagine we will find time to do this again. you’re going to be at Ensure Justice this year and the aspect of how we keep our kids safe online in a brand new digital world, there is a role for faith based communities to play that we often don’t talk about.
[00:02:38] We talk about parents need to do this, schools need to do that. So tell us how the faith based community can join.
[00:02:47] Diana: It’s an amazing thing that happens when we talk about children, because children intersect. And pull together all the threads of community. Children go to school, children are at home, children have networks of friends, they belong to the Girl Scouts, they go to, Cub Scouts, and they’re in Little League, and soccer, and art, and dance.
[00:03:08] But they’re also essential members of our faith communities. In fact, if we think about it for a second, faith communities and religious institutions, faith institutions, whether they’re houses of worship, community centers, the YMCA, the JCC, etc, they are all youth serving organizations. We don’t often frame it that way.
[00:03:30] We don’t think about it in those terms, but they are. And every single faith based institution has computers. We have computers, we have Wi Fi, we have digital footprints, we have access to educational opportunities, we intersect online all the time, with those institutions. So we have a really important role in the safeguarding of children and being a resource in actually building global citizenship and digital literacy.
[00:04:05] If we’re not part of the conversation, we’re part of the problem.
[00:04:09] Sandie: Okay. So. Let’s sit for a minute in what digital literacy actually means, because I’m pretty sure there are communities of folks my age, the grandmas and the grandpas, who feel totally out of sync and unable to engage with their grandkids, because digital literacy is such a looming mountain to climb.
[00:04:37] Diana: Oh my goodness. What does it even mean to be digitally literate? I, I meet people all the time and they’re like, I’m really good on my desktop computer, but I can’t quite figure out my iPad. I’m really good on my phone, but it doesn’t really coordinate with my laptop. And what I have found is if I ask a seven year old, they can tell me how to figure all of it out.
[00:04:59] Children today don’t see the world ...
36 min
February 17, 2025339 – The Role of Schools in Online Safety
Jeremy Davis joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss the role of schools in online safety and how educational leaders can foster digital resilience among students.
Guest: Jeremy Davis
Jeremy Davis is the Assistant Superintendent for Innovation and Instructional Support for the 12,000-student Fullerton School District in California. He also serves as the Vice President of the California Ed Tech Joint Powers Authority. Jeremy’s role includes overseeing technology, libraries, student data, cybersecurity, and IT networking across the district. His position on the cabinet allows him to lead cross-departmental efforts on online safety, integrating technology and educational support for a comprehensive approach to student well-being.
Key Points
Jeremy Davis emphasizes that online safety is not just a technology issue but a cross-departmental effort involving all school departments.
The importance of resilience in youth is highlighted as a critical factor in preventing online exploitation. Resilience is built through confidence, which is developed by knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Schools can integrate online safety education into existing curriculums, such as social-emotional learning (SEL) and digital citizenship programs, rather than adding additional burdens on teachers.
Jeremy shares how his district modified SEL lessons to include digital wellness components, making the content more relevant to online safety.
He discusses the role of parents in ensuring online safety at home, including using tools to control internet access and having open conversations with their children about digital behavior.
The district utilizes focus groups and surveys with students to measure the effectiveness of digital wellness programs and adjust lessons based on feedback.
Jeremy explains the concept of “trusted adults” on campus, encouraging students to reach out to staff members if they encounter online issues.
He advocates for proactive parent education through in-person classes, online videos, and social media campaigns to help parents stay informed about digital risks and resources.
The district has developed a comprehensive online safety page, offering guides, recommended software, and information for parents.
Jeremy stresses the importance of accountability in digital safety education, ensuring that programs are effective and continuously improved based on measurable outcomes.
Schools should collaborate with various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and technology departments, to create a unified approach to online safety.
The key takeaway is that building resilience in students helps them confidently navigate the digital world and stand up to unhealthy online relationships and pressures.
Resources
School Library Standards – School Libraries (CA Dept of Education)
Jeremy Davis on LinkedIn
Transcript
Sandie Morgan: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California.
This is episode number 339, The Role of Schools in Online Safety with Jeremy Davis. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is a show where we empower you to study the issues. Be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Jeremy Davis is the assistant superintendent for innovation and instructional support for the 12, 000 student Fullerton school district in California, and the vice president of the California Ed tech joint powers authority.
I am so glad to welcome you, Jeremy. I love your job description, innovation, and instructional support.
[00:01:00] Tell me what that means? What’s in your job description?
Jeremy Davis: You know what? I’m very blessed to work in Fullerton. and the, where the TKA is part of Fullerton. we’re one of the few districts in Orange County to actually have my role at the assistant superintendent level. So, I do run the technology department, but that includes educational technology. It also includes the libraries, all the student data, cybersecurity, all the devices, IT, networking, things like that. So in a lot of districts, it’s, it’s like a director of IT or, if you’re lucky, a chief technology officer, but then there’ve been a couple who’ve elevated it to cabinet. and I think it’s super important because of, of things like what we’re going to talk about today,
where I, I’m leading a cross departmental effort on online safety, because it really doesn’t just live in the tech department. It lives in all departments, so I, I’m very appreciative that my, my job includes all kinds of things that might not normally be considered I.T. but yeah, so that’s so director of our assistant super
[00:02:00] innovation puts me over over a lot of things, but also being on cabinet gives me the ability to, really work well within the other departments and sort of set some vision for the district.
Sandie Morgan: Wow. I love that. And I want to thank you again for being a speaker at last year’s Insure Justice Conference and agreeing to do it again this year. So we’re looking forward to that. Our last interview was with a survivor, Alia Azariah. During our conversation, we learned that Ventura’s district attorney’s office gave her an award for resilience. Tell me what your take is on resilience as an element of a youth being protected from online predators.
Jeremy Davis: sure. you know, it’s it’s so interesting how, how many of the children who fall pray, it’s the online predators.
[00:03:00] Are in need of attention, you know, are sort of seeking that attention somewhere and sadly they sometimes find it, online. the resilience piece is understanding how amazing they are as human beings.
and, you know, it’s, it, for me, it goes back, honestly, to faith a little bit for me too, but it’s helping these kids understand that they’re just great people and they don’t need this outside, piece online, but also helping them understand you have no idea who you’re talking to online.
You know, we’ve done a lot of work around the differences between an actual real life relationship and an online relationship and how to determine who you’re even talking to online and do you even know who they are.
Because the resiliency comes from standing up for themselves, from being able to say no. You know, we talk about, we even go into the sex ed curriculum, where there, where, or the drug curriculum. Because if the say no to drug curriculum works really well for say
[00:04:00] no to someone asking you for a nude photo. Right? So you know, if you have negotiation skills and you have the ability to say no, because you’re confident in yourself, that resiliency transfers to everything we do within digital literacy or with digital wellness or online safety. can you say no? If someone asks you, can you say no to pressure?
do you know if the person’s a peer? Like, maybe it’s not even peer pressure. Maybe it’s a, 60 year old trying to get you to this, pretending to be a 12 year old or a 10 year old. So, knowledge gives you power, but knowledge gives you confidence, and confidence breeds resilience, because having that confidence to say no or to say this doesn’t seem right.
We also do a lot of work around trusted adults. and who are your trusted adults on campus, who are your counselors, who are your mental health people, but even who’s your custodian. You know, we have, we have, we have one of our lessons where there’s a slide of every single trusted adult on your campus that if something wrong happens to you and you’re embarrassed, you can go to any of these peo...
33 min
February 03, 2025338 – Survivor Alia Azariah – From Online Victim to Advocate for Youth and Aftercare
Alia Azariah joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss her journey from being an online victim of trafficking to becoming an advocate for youth and aftercare.
Alia Azariah
Alia Azariah is a passionate advocate and survivor dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering those affected by this grave violation of human rights. Her focus lies in creating safe and sustainable communities through education and advocacy, service provision, and social justice. With a combination of professional knowledge, personal experience, and compassion, she works diligently at both local and national levels to create lasting change in the lives of trafficking survivors through specialized training and safe housing initiatives.
Key Points
Alia shares her personal experience of being groomed and trafficked through social media, emphasizing how vulnerabilities prior to being online contributed to her exploitation.
She describes how traffickers use psychological tactics, such as fulfilling unmet emotional needs, to build trust and manipulate victims.
The lack of awareness about the dangers of social media during the early days of platforms like MySpace contributed to the ease of exploitation.
Alia explains how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs helps in understanding vulnerability beyond just economic hardship, showing how traffickers exploit various unmet needs.
Traffickers deliberately create or exploit a sense of dependence, offering victims what seems like support or love to gain control.
She discusses the importance of community and long-term support in a survivor’s healing journey, highlighting that recovery requires more than just therapy or shelter.
Alia emphasizes the need for survivor inclusion in leadership roles, pushing for organizations to provide survivors with professional development opportunities rather than limiting them to direct care roles.
She challenges organizations to evaluate their approach to survivor leadership, advocating for hiring based on character and potential rather than just experience.
The conversation highlights the gaps in services for minors exiting trafficking, emphasizing the critical need for effective emergency stabilization solutions in the first six months post-exploitation.
Alia advocates for policy changes at local, state, and national levels to improve services for trafficking survivors, particularly minors.
As a mother, she applies her knowledge by implementing strict social media guidelines for her children and having ongoing discussions about online safety.
She will be participating in the Insure Justice conference, where discussions on improving survivor resources and policy will continue.
Resources
Alia Azariah on LinkedIn
Safe House Project
Transcript
[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the ending human trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 338 survivor alia Azariah, from online victim to serving youth and aftercare. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking.
[00:00:35] Alia Azariah is a passionate advocate and survivor dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering those affected by this grave violation of human rights.
[00:00:49] Her focus lies in creating safe and sustainable communities through education, advocacy, service provision, and social justice with a combination of professional knowledge, personal experience, and compassion. She works diligently at both local and national levels to create lasting change in the lives of trafficking survivors through specialized training and safe housing initiatives.
[00:01:22] Alia, it is such a delight to have you on the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. And as I was reading your bio, it sounded like you’ve been part of Global Center for Women and Justice for years. use a lot of the same language that we do in our work against human trafficking. So welcome to the show.
[00:01:47] Alia: Thank you.
[00:01:48] Sandie: So let’s start out withy experience go back a few years
[00:01:56] to when you were a young person and you were online on MySpace and tell us about that part of your story.
[00:02:09] Alia: Yeah, so I was vulnerable before I ever got on the computer, right? And so that’s important because I was already, like, experiencing a lot of bullying at school. I was already, lacking family support. I was involved in a group of students at school who were very young and yet making really scary choices already.
[00:02:31] And this was about 6th grade, and so I had a lot of vulnerabilities before I ever got to social media, and so when you mixed those things together, it was really a prime, situation for exploitation and for meeting people who were looking to fill a need, and I was going to social media Hoping to get a need met, right?
[00:02:52] So my, my goal for social media wasn’t to talk to the friends that I already had, wasn’t to communicate with family. My goal entering social media was to fulfill my needs of, one, having people who cared about me. I already had like mixed messages in my mind about how people were supposed to care about you.
[00:03:14] So that was really, really priming me for exploitation. So I was already, even outside of social media, looking for my needs to be met by adult men, believing that that was like how I could best get those needs met. And so social media seemed like a more streamlined version to a way of having those needs met.
[00:03:35] And then I was looking for people to, to, buy me new shoes and, and things that, most teens want, right, but are getting from their parents or the people that take care of them, usually. and so, this was also just a dangerous time, as it is even now, but in a different way with social media, in that at least now we know what the dangers are.
[00:03:55] And we have things to prevent some of those dangers. When MySpace launched, nobody knew what social media could present. Nobody knew or thought of what the dangers were because it was brand new. Right. And so these weren’t conversations we were having in schools or with parents or things like that.
[00:04:14] And so, nobody even really knew to know if I had a social, a social media page. nobody was wondering if I had a MySpace and, creating rules and boundaries around what that looked like. And so when I created a MySpace, I was going on there. To connect with people that I didn’t know, because I thought that that would, that would fill my needs.
[00:04:34] and in many ways, I think the hard thing is like it did. It fulfilled them in ways that were really unhealthy and really unsafe and led me to being trafficked. But that was the kind of the tool that my trafficker used was the fact that he was able to fulfill those needs for somebody who cared about me.
[00:04:50] He was able to say those things to me that he needed, to. And so I was already meeting up with people via MySpace when I met my trafficker. I was running away outside of social media. And I would find myself in situations that were really, really scary. When I would run away, when I would just meet people on the street.
[00:05:11] and so I, I was using, you know, now I look back and go like, look at my little 12, 13 year old self. doing harm reduction in my own life, you know, and, and I felt like, okay, if I meet people on social media, at least I know who I’m meeting with. And I can kind of like, maybe get a vib...
35 min
January 20, 2025337 – Dr. Delaney Ruston and Parenting in the Screen Age
Dr. Delaney Ruston joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss parenting strategies in the digital age, focusing on mental health, communication, and her book Parenting in the Screen Age.
Delaney Ruston, MD
Dr. Delaney Ruston is a physician and award-winning filmmaker renowned for her impactful documentaries, including the Screenagers series, which explores the intersection of technology and youth well-being. She has appeared on numerous media outlets discussing screen time, mental health, and parenting in the digital age. Dr. Ruston also hosts the Screenagers podcast and blog, offering practical advice to families navigating digital challenges. Her work is driven by a passion for fostering open conversations about mental health and technology’s role in our lives.
Key Points
Dr. Ruston’s book, Parenting in the Screen Age, provides science-based strategies for calm and productive conversations about technology between parents and children.
She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries around screen time, citing its impact on mental health and sleep.
Validation is a key parenting skill discussed in the book, helping children feel understood without necessarily condoning their behavior.
The concept of a “Vulnerable Village” encourages collective action among parents and communities to delay smartphone and social media use for children.
Dr. Ruston recommends “Tech Talk Tuesdays,” a family tradition of having short weekly conversations about technology to build understanding and establish boundaries.
She highlights the importance of balancing screen time with other enriching activities like creative projects, in-person interactions, and outdoor play.
The book provides guidance on creating collaborative family media plans that incorporate sleep time, family time, and study time rules.
Dr. Ruston shares her experience with her daughter’s mental health struggles, offering insights into how open conversations and community support can make a difference.
The Screenagers films and associated blogs provide additional resources for parents and communities to address digital challenges collectively.
Dr. Ruston advocates for using science-based parenting techniques and communication strategies to navigate the complexities of raising children in the digital age.
Resources
Screenagers Movie Website
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations
Screenagers Podcast
Transcript
[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 337, Dr. Delaney Rustin and Parenting in the Screen Age. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking.
[00:00:33] Sandie: Dr. Delaney Rustin is a physician and award winning filmmaker renowned for her impactful documentaries, including the ScreenAgers series, now comprising four films that explore the intersection of technology and youth well being.
[00:00:53] Sandie: She has appeared on numerous media outlets discussing screen time, mental health, and parenting in the digital age. She is the voice behind the Screenagers podcast. and blog and offers practical advice to families navigating digital challenges. Her work is driven by a passion for fostering open conversations about mental health and technology’s role in our lives.
[00:01:26] Sandie: Today, we’re going to talk about her book, Parenting in the Screen Age, a guide for calm conversations.
[00:01:35] Sandie: I am so happy to have Dr. Delaney Rustin with us for this episode of Ending Human Trafficking. Welcome.
[00:01:45] Delaney: Oh, it’s wonderful, Sandy, to be here. Thank you.
[00:01:48] Sandie: We are, let me just tell everybody that in our next Insure Justice, March 7th and 8th, we’re going to be screening the movie Screenagers. And I’m excited now to have this interview to talk with Dr. Rustin about her book. And do you want to kind of give us a snapshot of the book and why you wrote it?
[00:02:18] Delaney: Oh, absolutely. I, 12 years ago, was really struggling at home with my two kids who wanted more and more screen time. And I had been doing documentaries on mental health issues. And I found that the mental health, if you could say that in our family, the stress was so high. And I felt completely confused on what to do.
[00:02:44] Delaney: I didn’t,
[00:02:48] Delaney: So I started to wonder as a doctor who takes care of teens and adults, what I could do to look for solutions. And I started to make the first Greenagers movie. which is called Screen Readers Growing Up in the Digital Age, which came out in 2016, although we just re released it, updated. Since then, there’s been three other documentaries.
[00:03:14] Delaney: During the time that I became much more knowledgeable, as I went on this journey to help my family, my kids, my patients, I In making these films, learned so much that I realized it would be really helpful to parents to have this information in a book. I did my residency at San Francisco and I stayed on for a couple years to do research on human to human communication.
[00:03:45] Delaney: The ways that we can more effectively use communication for good, as well as in your world, how communication can be manipulative and take advantage of people. Well, I want to be opposite. How do we as parents use techniques that understand the development of our children, understand our struggles to not be triggered by our intense emotions that we have in parenting this, and use that knowledge of communication science?
[00:04:15] Delaney: Along with everything I’ve been learning in making the documentaries and to put that in a book called Parenting in the Screen Age.
[00:04:24] Sandie: I would recommend highly listeners that you go and look for your closest bookstore, go on Amazon. and order this book. even if you’re not currently raising young people, it’s a great tool to share in, in your community. Grandparents would value this as well. So, because my community, I’m a grandparent.
[00:04:53] Sandie: And grandparents are really concerned about their grandchildren growing up in a digital age. So I’ve started recommending it to all the grandmas and grandpas. So let’s talk about the book. How did you lay it out? And can I say parenting in the screen age and the subtitle? I love a guide for calm conversations.
[00:05:16] Sandie: Because when I talk to parents who are intensely. In the middle of this right now and having flaming arguments about you can’t take that away. And, and I’ve talked to parents who have decided to shut down the internet at their house at eight o’clock at night. I’ve talked to parents who gave up and their kids don’t have any supervision.
[00:05:43] Sandie: And I often, correlate this with how we teach our kids to be safe on the streets. We started, we, when they were toddlers and could walk, and we held their hand and we said, you walk across the street when there is a crosswalk. So there’s, there’s boundaries, there’s guardrails for how...
37 min
January 06, 2025336 — Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation
Christopher Diorio joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss proactive parenting approaches that reduce children’s vulnerability to online exploitation and prevent human trafficking.
Christopher Diorio
Christopher Diorio is a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C. He specializes in combating human trafficking and child exploitation. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, Chris has been at the forefront of investigating complex cases and developing strategies to dismantle criminal networks. He is passionate about prevention and advocates for proactive parenting approaches to reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation. Chris will also be a featured speaker at Insure Justice on March 7th and 8th, 2025.
Key Points
Children must be taught to become “hard targets” to protect against online exploitation.
Parents should familiarize themselves with the social media platforms and apps their children use by downloading them personally.
The concept of “hard targets” stems from lessons in personal safety that parents pass on to their children in real life, such as protecting wallets or purses.
Parental controls on social media apps are essential tools but are underutilized by many parents.
Parents should balance allowing children access to social media with supervision and clear guidelines.
Blocking children entirely from social media can hinder their ability to learn safe online habits under parental guidance.
Open, daily conversations between parents and children about online interactions build trust and awareness.
Children need to recognize and trust their instincts when encountering abnormal online behavior.
Online predators often use tactics such as creating multiple personas to manipulate and build trust with children.
The dark web is not inherently evil but can be misused by bad actors to exploit children.
Community collaboration, including law enforcement, schools, and parents, is crucial in preventing exploitation.
Empowering parents to raise their cyber IQ and engage actively in their children’s digital lives reduces vulnerability.
Resources
iGuardian
Transcript

[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 336.
[00:00:14] Sandie: Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation with Christopher Diorio.
[00:00:22] Sandie: My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I’m so grateful to have our guest, Christopher W. Diorio
[00:00:38] Sandie: With us today, and he is a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D. C. There he specializes in combating human trafficking and child exploitation. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, Chris has been at the forefront of investigating the complex cases and developing strategies to dismantle criminal networks.
[00:01:12] Sandie: He is passionate about prevention and he advocates for proactive parenting approaches to reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation. I’m excited because he’s going to be at Ensure Justice, March 7th and 8th, 2025. There will be a link to register to join us in the show notes. But for now, we’re going to have a conversation with Chris and demystify technology and empower our communities to take action. Welcome.
[00:01:53] Christopher: Thank you, Dr. Morgan. I very much appreciate the opportunity to be here with you today.
[00:01:57] Sandie: Well, let’s get started. In one of our past conversations, you mentioned the importance of making children hard targets, and that caught my imagination. We’re going to use that terminology during this podcast. What. What would it mean for you to make a child a hard target?
[00:02:25] Christopher: Well, thank you very much. You’re right. I hard target is a term that I have used I don’t really remember where it came from and where it started, but it’s certainly something that’s sort of baked into a lot of parents and teaching their kids, right? And when we were children likely it was your mom telling you when you’re on a busy subway to maybe move your purse over your head and wear it like a shoulder bag and put it in front of you Or it was a dad telling a son to move your wallet from your backpack And and just over the course of being reared, you get to the point where your parents are making you hard targets in life.
[00:02:59] Christopher: They’re teaching you these little bits of lessons. And when we start talking about technology or exploitation of children through the lens of technology, We went through an entire generation where the kids were going up with a type of technology that the parents just didn’t have or weren’t available to them, so they didn’t know how to put those lessons on to the children to make them hard targets.
[00:03:21] Christopher: So I started pretty early on in my. investigative career into child exploitation and the sexual abuse of children to start educating children and parents on how to become hard targets and sort of apply those lessons in the world or the online world
[00:03:39] Sandie: So Chris, can you break down what this means and share everyday actions? parents can take to build resilience and reduce their child’s vulnerability.
[00:03:53] Christopher: Sure. One of the first things that, I like to encourage with parents is getting comfortable with sort of the ecosystem or the world that their kids are going to be living in online, right? if they’re going to be using a particular type of, social media, if they’re going to be operating, on these group chats with their friends, make sure you sit down with them and explain to them that, they need to know that every person that’s on this, making sure that they understand that whatever has been put on the Internet is going to live on the Internet forever.
[00:04:21] Christopher: And then I often ask parents to sort of take. their own personal experiences from when they were coming of age, right? You have to, as a parent, think back to that time when you were 12, 13, 14, and sort of the hormones and the changes that your body was going through and remember what that was like and now apply sort of the pressure that comes with that, with that in and of itself to it being 24 seven through constant communication, right?
[00:04:50] Christopher: And so from that, If you download the apps themselves, like, I, I haven’t mentioned yet, but I do have a daughter who’s, who’s, 13 years old, and before she gets any application or is allowed to learn anything, I’m going to download it myself. Unfortunately, I have way more social media accounts than I would have preferred to have.
[00:05:06] Christopher: but I feel like that’s one of the most important things we can do is actually understand the world that they’re going to be communicating in.
[00:05:13] Sandie: So let’s talk about what kind of, let’s say, what kind of protections can parents put in place. The some, here are some of the options that I’ve had conversations about. Uh, parent who does not allow any social media on their iPhone or Android phone, the parent that says, I’m going to look at your phone every day and check all of your conversations.
...
36 min
December 23, 2024335 – Investigative Journalism: A Pathway to Understanding Sex trafficking
Brian Joseph joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as they discuss how investigative journalism can reveal the hidden realities of sex trafficking in the United States.
Brian Joseph
Brian Joseph is an investigative journalist with more than 20 years of experience uncovering stories of systemic corruption, criminal enterprises, and human exploitation. His latest book, Vegas Concierge, is a riveting expose that shines a light on the darker realities of the entertainment capital of the world.
Key Points
Investigative journalism plays a crucial role in exposing human trafficking networks and systemic corruption.
Vegas Concierge tells the story of Angela, a survivor of sex trafficking, providing insight into the lived experiences of victims.
Las Vegas is considered a hub for trafficking activities, often referred to as a “Mecca” within the pimp subculture.
The tipping culture in Las Vegas casinos facilitates trafficking by allowing trafficked women to navigate and avoid detection.
Many traffickers coerce women into the sex trade by exploiting past trauma and manipulating their self-worth.
Women often cycle through multiple traffickers, unable to break free from the system due to a lack of alternatives.
Female traffickers are common, yet often overlooked in discussions around human trafficking.
Institutional complicity and economic incentives within the casino and entertainment industries perpetuate trafficking.
Grooming, though not explicitly illegal, is a critical step in the coercion and exploitation process.
The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific details of trafficking cases, rather than generalizing experiences.
Joseph highlights the nonpartisan nature of human trafficking as a human rights issue that should be prioritized politically.
A call to action for readers is to engage deeply with the issue, educate themselves, and push for systemic change.
Resources
Buy Book
VegasConciergeBook.com
Transcript
[00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 335, Investigative Journalism, a Pathway to Understanding Sex Trafficking. We’re here with. Brian Joseph. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking.
[00:00:51] Sandie: Brian Joseph is an investigative journalist with more than 20 years of experience uncovering stories of systemic corruption, criminal enterprises, and human exploitation. His latest book, Vegas Concierge, is a riveting exposé that shines a light on the darker realities of the entertainment capital of the world.
[00:01:20] Sandie: Brian, welcome to our podcast.
[00:01:23] Brian: I’m glad to be here. Thanks for having me.
[00:01:25] Sandie: So you’re used to putting all of your energy into written expression. How are you enjoying being on the speaking circuit. I saw you last night at a book signing and last month at another one.
[00:01:43] Brian: It’s, it’s been a change. Obviously I’m feel more comfortable behind a keyboard than anywhere else, but this has been a lot of fun.
[00:01:49] Brian: It’s, it’s great to, you know, interact with folks that have read the book and, and it’s always a, you know, I enjoy talking with people.
[00:01:55] Sandie: All right. Well, we’re going to have a great conversation. I do have a keyboard here. I could let you hold. So, okay. So tell us what. What drove you to actually do more than just an investigative article, but an entire book?
[00:02:13] Brian: Well, I think, you know, by the time that, uh, uh, I started working specifically on, on the case that became the centerpiece of Vegas Concierge, I had already, gathered quite a lot of information about domestic sex trafficking in the United States. And so, and then the, the story itself that does serve as a centerpiece of the book is such a winding tale that it, it just seemed quite, quite obvious that it would, it would most fit as a book rather than anything else.
[00:02:38] Brian: There was just so much material, so much of a plot that it, it would, I couldn’t imagine telling that story in any other way.
[00:02:45] Sandie: So let’s do, it’s really hard because this, I don’t remember how many pages it is, but can you give us, in a nutshell, the theme and your agenda as you processed how to put this story together?
[00:03:03] Brian: Well, uh, Vegas concierge uses a, uh, the tale of a years long investigation into sex trafficking in Las Vegas is a narrative vehicle to explore how American society fails victims and survivors of sex trafficking. It was a project that required a lot of sensitivity and required a lot of work to get it put together in such a way that it was, I felt that it could be beneficial and impactful to the larger society.
[00:03:30] Brian: And, uh, it was something that required a lot of, uh, diligence and thought to put together in a way that was hopefully respectful and appropriate while also, while also, being authentic.
[00:03:40] Sandie: So one of the things, and it’s not a spoiler alert for our listeners, but one of the conclusions towards the end of Brian’s book is a great place to start as we explore more. In this story, he says, this is modern day slavery, a nonpartisan human rights issue. If there ever was one and it’s time it’s eradication becomes a part of the American political agenda.
[00:04:15] Sandie: And Brian. I am totally in sync with that. I have served in so many capacities and I am constantly bringing back to the table that this is nonpartisan. So as a disclaimer, before we start our conversation, cause we may not always agree, we are both committed. to the human dignity of our survivors and victims that are out there that we have not recovered.
[00:04:44] Sandie: So, okay. So, we’ll dive in. My first big question now is in your very unsettling story, what Initially inspired you to make Las Vegas the focal point.
[00:05:04] Brian: Well, that’s, that happened to be where I was, where I was based and where I began my investigation of domestic sex trafficking. So, to some degree, it was just, you know, where I happened to be.
[00:05:16] Brian: Now, on a more, on a grander scale, Vegas, as I understand it, is considered by, by many people in the, uh, the pimp prostitution subculture to be sort of the, the Mecca of, of that, of that community. And so it made sense to me to center the book on, in Vegas because it is such a, a nexus for this sort of activity.
[00:05:35] Sandie: I have to agree totally with that. I was shocked when I first came back from living overseas and got involved in understanding what sex trafficking looks like here in America, and discovered a pimp conference. In Las Vegas, they get together and they study and share notes and say, Oh, this works, but this doesn’t.
[00:06:00] Sandie: They collaborate in sharing knowledge, which honestly, one of the reasons I love doing this podcast is it’s an easy way to share what we’ve learned with others and connect our knowledge and insight. So give us a ...
34 min
December 09, 2024334 – Law Enforcement’s Role in Preventing Human Trafficking, with Derek Marsh
Derek Marsh joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss the role of law enforcement in preventing human trafficking.
Derek Marsh
Derek Marsh is the Associate Director of the Global Center for Women and Justice. He is a retired Deputy Chief of the Westminster Police Department, CA, with over 26 years of service. He co-founded the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and has been a national and international leader in anti-human trafficking training, investigations, and advocacy. A former Bureau of Justice Assistance Visiting Fellow, Derek has worked extensively to improve labor trafficking investigations and task force collaboration. He holds master’s degrees in Human Behavior and Police Management & Leadership and continues to advance education, outreach, and justice initiatives through GCWJ.
Key Points
It is important to shift law enforcement’s focus from a traditional reactive approach (arresting perpetrators) to a proactive model that prioritizes prevention of human trafficking through holistic strategies.
There is a strong focus on utilizing victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches in law enforcement to provide appropriate support for victims while addressing the dynamics between victims and perpetrators, rather than solely relying on arrests and punitive measures.
There are financial implications of preventative versus reactive responses. Investing in preventive measures could ultimately be more cost-effective than dealing with the long-term consequences of exploitation and incarceration.
Collaboration among various stakeholders—including law enforcement, social services, and community organizations—is necessary to effectively address human trafficking and to support prevention strategies that mitigate risk factors for exploitation.
Resources
Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force
Bureau of Justice Assistance Visiting Fellows
Health and Human Services
gcwj.org
Department of Social Services
Enhanced Collaborative Model
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:14
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode #334: Law Enforcement’s Role in Preventing Human Trafficking. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Our guest today is Derek Marsh, an old friend and frequent guest on the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. Derek serves as the Associate Director of the Global Center for Women and Justice. He is adjunct faculty in the criminal justice major, a retired deputy chief of Westminster Police Department, and co founded the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. He’s also been a former Bureau of Justice Assistance Visiting Fellow. Derek has worked extensively to improve labor trafficking investigations and Task Force collaboration. We are so grateful that he’s on our Global Center for Women and Justice team, and we’re eager to dive into this conversation. Derek, welcome.
Derek Marsh 1:42
Thank you for having me again.
Sandra Morgan 1:43
Yeah, it’s kind of hard not to run into you around here.
Derek Marsh 1:47
You being the boss and telling me what to do kind of helps.
Sandra Morgan 1:49
I know I love it, though, when you were the boss, but I get to have that role now, so it’s great. I’m excited because you know how much I love talking about prevention, and usually you’re talking about finding the bad guys, locking them up, and making sure they can’t do what they did ever again. But now, we’re going to look at this from the perspective that law enforcement has a role in preventing human trafficking. Let’s start with that question: How do we change our lens so that we’re more proactive instead of reactive?
Derek Marsh 2:35
It’s a difficult lens to change, because a lot of our work in police work is we’re rewarded financially, or through evaluations, or through the public perception, by reacting to issues quicker. The sooner, the more long term that impact has, the greater we get that positive feedback. Human trafficking, unfortunately, isn’t always one of those situations where you can just pop in, make a quick arrest, refer a victim to a victim services provider, and think you have a win. I guess it is a win in the short term sense, but it’s not a win in the long term sense. After being retired, and thinking about these things, and teaching in the CJ, the Criminal Justice Department, I’ve come to think of prevention as being a much more holistic, complete response, as is just opposed to putting people in jail. Which I enjoy doing, I probably still would enjoy if I had the option, but I don’t know if that’s the actual answer in the long term for eliminating, or at least mitigating significantly, human trafficking.
Sandra Morgan 3:39
Well, we’ve talked about prevention a lot on this task force, my background in pediatric nursing. I want to find how do we teach people to brush their teeth, that equivalent, so that we can end trafficking, really do prevention? And we’ve looked at prevention through the lens of the prevention framework at Health and Human Services, which really focuses on a primary prevention strategy, a public health agenda, and as well as a socio-ecological model. So can you help us see that in the context of criminal justice and law enforcement?
Derek Marsh 4:27
Well, sure. So human trafficking has frequently been referred to as a public health crisis these days, and for good reason, there’s physiological issues, cognitive issues, societal issues, financial, economic issues that result as a result of the crime of human trafficking. Health and Human Services and most of the anti trafficking world these days, in our federal world, focus on the public health model, which has three different levels of prevention, if you will. You have your primary level which focuses on actually what we consider prevention, stopping something before it happens. We have secondary and tertiary, both which deal with reacting to an event, whether the person is a perpetrator or they’re experiencing exploitation or trafficking. The secondary deals with short term, basically arresting someone, putting them in jail, or just immediately identifying someone and offering them assistance. The tertiary deals with long term, so basically, how are you going to make that person stop being a perpetrator? Or how are you going to make sure that person who’s been a victim, survivor, not recidivate anymore, not go back, not get sucked back into the life, or not be further exploited by other people.
Sandra Morgan 5:42
Give me an example, tell me a story that I can understand that.
Derek Marsh 5:48
Well, here’s the thing. I’ll go back to the days of the dinosaurs when I was working on it. I mean, you go to a house, you get a ...
39 min
November 25, 2024333 – Bridging Communities: Indigenous Approaches to Combating Human Trafficking, with Josie Heyano
Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Josie Heyano as the two discuss the importance of bridging communities to prevent human trafficking.
Josie Heyano
Josie Heyano, LMSW, is a Deg Xinag Athabascan advocate from Alaska, focused on creating holistic and decolonized practices to serve Alaska Native and Indigenous communities impacted by human trafficking. With extensive experience supporting youth facing homelessness, exploitation, and trafficking, she founded Signify Consulting, LLC, to further her collaboration in anti-trafficking work across Alaska. Josie is a Presidentially appointed member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, advising federal policy, and in 2023, she received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her contributions to prevention and intervention in Alaska. Her work honors her great aunt Linda Miller and others still awaiting justice.
Key Points
Traditional introductions are important as they reflect relationships and community ties, highlighting accountability and cultural identity.
Serving on the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, Josie highlights the importance of humility and listening to voices within her community that are often unheard. She cites a recent visit by the council to Alaska as an opportunity to humanize the data and issues surrounding human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a symptom of broader systemic issues, such as domestic violence, homelessness, and mental health crises. There is a need for a holistic approach that addresses these interconnected challenges within Indigenous communities.
The Alaska Human Trafficking Data Needs Assessment revealed gaps in data and understanding regarding trafficking. Community relationships and collaboration across different sectors (service providers, law enforcement, academia) are necessary to improve data collection and response strategies.
Cultural practices and community care can serve as protective factors against human trafficking. It is necessary to integrate traditional values and practices into prevention efforts, focusing on unconditional care, relationship building, and addressing basic community needs.
A preventative approach that extends beyond immediate trafficking interventions includes ensuring that community members have access to essential resources, support systems, and a sense of belonging from birth, thus preventing vulnerability to trafficking in the first place. Active, compassionate engagement with community members fosters safety and well-being.
Resources
U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking
FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award
277: Navajo Nation Interview, with First Lady Phefelia Nez
Prevention Now
Data For Indigenous Justice
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Girls Report
Ride my Road
Not Invisible Act Commission Report
Federal Indian Boarding Schools Report
ACF MMIP Action Plan
Alaska Native Justice Center
Signify Consulting
Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:14
Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode #333: Bridging Communities: Indigenous Approaches to Combating Human Trafficking. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference. Our guest today is Josie Heyano. Josie is a presidentially appointed member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, advising federal policy. In 2023 she received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her contributions to prevention and intervention in Alaska. Her work honors her great aunt, Linda Miller and others still awaiting justice. I’m so grateful for you to be here with us today, Josie, and I’d like to start with a traditional introduction please.
Josie Heyano 1:30
Thank you, Sandra, good morning. Ade’ yixudz everyone. My name is Josie Heyano. I am Deg Xinag Athabascan. My mother’s family is from the village of Tanana on the Yukon River. My mother is Naina Heyano. My paternal grandparents are the late Paul and Mary Star and Alfred Miller of Anvik. My father is David Heyano from the village of Ekuk in Bristol Bay. And my paternal grandparents are the late Pete and Rosa Heyano, also of Ekuk village. It’s great to be here with you today.
Sandra Morgan 2:06
Thank you. And for some of our listeners, would you please give us a little background on the traditional introductions?
Josie Heyano 2:19
Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you giving space for that introduction. It’s a really important part of how I show up, because that’s how I was taught to introduce myself. You’re taught to introduce yourself to explain your relationships, and part of that is culturally, our relationships are how we exist in the world, who we are, how we want to be seen. When I tell you that my grandmother is Mary Star and my grandpa is Alfred Miller, and I tell you about Pete and Rosa Heyano, that means that I show up to this conversation as a representation of them, and that when I introduce myself for people listening to me, they can know who my family is and know where I come from. A piece of that is accountability too, right? I always think people in the audience know my family, know the communities I come from, and it’s really important for me to speak with integrity and to speak clearly and to speak with pride. More importantly for me, is throughout my professional career, you get degrees and letters, and things like that, but the more important thing is not titles that I hold, but who I am and how I came to be here.
Sandra Morgan 3:34
Let’s talk about your degrees and your titles in addition to this, because that is also how you show up.
Josie Heyano 3:42
Yeah, of course. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to pursue some really won...
33 min

About Ending Human Trafficking

From the publisher's feed

The Global Center for Women and Justice launched the Ending Human Trafficking podcast in April 2011. Our mantra is Study the Issues. Be a voice. Make a difference. We believe that if you do not study…