RSA : 3 — Understanding our community
The topic of Sex Trafficking is a very complex and a multi-faceted issue.
Our research activity to date has consisted of two separate Sprints:
- The Sprint was geared towards creating a very high level overview of the industry. We wanted to understand the players, the different ways of working and the vocabulary.
- The second research project was more focused on the reasons for entry, the legal mechanisms in place, methods of detection and the systems of aftercare specific to Ireland.
Sprint 1
The research activities that we carried out during this Sprint were:
- Stakeholder Mapping
- State of the Art
- Interview
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the visual process of laying out all the stakeholders of a process on a map. The main benefit of a stakeholder map is to get a visual representation of all the people who can influence your project and how they are connected. To help inform us we made use of:
- Academic Literature
- Documentaries
- Articles
State of the art
A state-of-the-art review considers mainly the most current model in a given area or concerning a given topic. It summarises the key components which provide a very high level view. To create the review we went far and wide and looked at:
- Internet searches
- Documentaries
- Articles
- Reports
Interview
From our research we found that Mexico is considered one of the worst places in the world for Sex Trafficking. For this reason, we thought it would be an interesting place to gain insight into the systemic causes underlying the sex trade. We were fortunate enough to interview Maria de la Paz Lopez, who managed the UN Women Mexico for 30 years and who is now head of the National Institute for Women Mexico. Her insight was invaluable into the root of the issue.
We must approach the nucleus, which is true gender equality. Currently, women are viewed as objects, the workplace is not safe, and real equality doesn’t exist in the home.
Maria De la Paz Lopez
Sprint 2
Sprint 2 was really focused on the landscape of Sex Trafficking in Ireland. The core aim of our methodology was to understand the legal mechanisms in place, methods of detection and the different government and NGO bodies involved on the scene who provide aftercare. What we were trying to unearth specifically, by looking at these areas, were how the systems in place were causing harm, wasting resources and where those friction points were.
When thinking about approaching this the most influential factors were:
- Ethics — How do we gather and deal with very sensitive information pertaining to the details of a real persons traumatic details?
- Safety — How do we safely collect data in a world governed by organised crime?
- Resources — Considering the limitations inherent in our positioning as students, how do we most effectively gather data to help us gain real insights?
- Time —A Sprint period of 3 weeks
Secondary Research
We started with secondary research first in order to gain a vocabulary & and a deeper theoretical understanding of the industry based on quantitative data already available. This in effect, helped us approach the subject matter ethically and safely. This also aided us in understanding the politics and emotions involved with the different viewpoints on the subject of sex work at large.
The resources that we made use of were :
- Academia — Reading a series Meta-reviews
- Reports — TIP report, Anti Trafficking report
- Articles — Irish Times
- Design interventions — Ruhama Andrea project
The most important insights were:
Academia
- Successful intervention strategies are predicated on an understanding of the progression within the sex trafficking world and how it changes an individual’s development.
- A comprehensive and multi-system approach is needed for an effective intervention.
- The reality of the exit process, which is dangerous and difficult, emphasises the need for an approach that is also long-term.
- Detailed planning for immediate and long-term needs with the victim/survivor will assist her in feeling more prepared and secure about her transition. This approach cannot rest on the work of one provider; rather, it requires a commitment of the community and the collaboration of professionals between systems.
- Services for survivors of trafficking have out-paced the evaluation of such services.
- Notably, the reviewed literature appears to have given little or no attention to many areas of survivors’ well-being, even though other research has demonstrated that survivors’ needs range widely and are likely to change over time
Reports
- Ireland is on a tier 2 watchlist
- The government continues to have systematic deficiencies in victim identification, referral, and assistance
- 800–1000 sex workers active at any one time in Ireland
- National action plans on prostitution and human trafficking should be developed, underpinned by the principles of gender equality and human rights and informed by the wider body of law and policy on gender equality and gender-based violence.
Articles
- We are one of the poorest performing countries in Europe in regards to sex trafficking.
- A Ruhama spokeswoman said that “We must be under no illusions — sex trafficking is happening in every city, town and village across the country . . .
- Sex workers feel monitored by gardaí seeking to intercept their clients and that they cannot work together for safety for fear of a brothel-keeping charge
- Ireland is the only country in western Europe to fall so short and joins countries including Armenia, Chad, Hong Kong & Romaina.
- Though 471 trafficking victims had been identified here since 2013 “there have been zero convictions under the anti-trafficking legislation”.
- Those who are not directly affected “turn away… people want to think it’s nothing to do with us”
- Work needs to be done to train hotel staff, emergency department doctors and nurses, airport staff, teachers to notice and to ask the right questions.
Primary Research
Once we felt that we had a solid overview, we began our primary research. Our approach focused mainly on interviews with survivors and leading professionals working in the field. This was ultimately a qualitative endeavour as we understood that the limitations of time and resources would be major inhibitors to gathering any valuable quantitative data. We settled for working on the insights provided by professionals with extensive experience and the insights from our Secondary research.
Interviews — Survivors
Rationale: Survivors have been through it and lived to tell the tale. They are some of the most powerful advocates for change and they offer not only inspiration, but a great deal of insight into being brought into the process, escaping and walking the road to recovery. So far in the process, we’ve spoken to three survivors, all with very different stories to tell.
Karla — Gorilla Pimp / Boyfriend Pimp Survivor
Insights:
- Biggest areas to change: not repeating their story to every worker
- If you don’t get these girls into a safe place with a healthy relationship they will be re-victimised
- Most vulnerable period is the first year after escape
- I honestly never thought I had a way out so I wasn’t looking for one
- Had a lot of trauma as a kid, got targeted while wandering streets
- Pimped by mental manipulation, then lover-boy effect
- Drug addictions were her weakness
- Her main need was to feel safe
Taylor — Finesse Pimp Survivor
Insights:
- Lacking love from family, suffered emotional neglect
- Her pimp gave her a sense of value
- She wasn’t physically controlled, but was emotionally insecure and her pimp preyed on that
- A survivor needs to be shown their true value
- A deep connection to life is the most important milestone in recovery
Anonyomous — Abduction Survivor
Insights:
- Most critical time is aftercare
- Didn’t want to accept help at the beginning
- Initially didn’t remember anything because her experience was so violent
- Biggest need for change is in aftercare, she had 0 help
- Best recovery was talk therapy
Interviews — Professionals
Gardaí — Superintendent Andrew Lambe
Rationale:We interviewed Andrew to try better understand the protocols that are in place for formally identifying a victim of Human Trafficking. We are aware that only the police (more specifically a superintendent) has the ability to process a formal identification. We wanted to understand the step by step process and learn more about any other interactions police may have with victims, for example, during raids.
Key Insights:
- Once victims give a statement they get 6 months temporary Residency and further support which falls under Direct provision aid.
- It’s very difficult to get a conviction due to the fact that victims disengage out of fear or no longer wanting to pursue an investigation.
- Re-victimisation is a major pain point. Having to retell their story many different times and then to stand in court in front of a defendant is a hard process. An accused person has a constitutional right to be legally represented and has a right to cross-examine his or her accuser.
Immigrant council — Dr. Nusha Yonkova
Rationale: We interviewed Nusha as she oversees policy, research, advocacy and campaigns relating to anti-trafficking and gender-related migration issues for the organisation. We hoped she would give us a better insight to the struggles that victims of human trafficking (especially those who identify as Migrants) endure in accessing support services. Therefore we could identify pain points in the process and create ways to improve their road to recovery.
Key Insights:
- Rework our identification system, we have to involve independent bodies in the identification of human trafficking.
- Victims are often re-trafficked and the crime is committed again, even though they are put in a setting that should be conducive for their recovery, for example in Direct Provision.
- Victims in Direct Provision are prayed on by men or habitual sex buyers.
- Combat statement re-victimisation by reworking the referral mechanism and lowering the threshold for identification.
HSE — Kathryn McGrath & Linda Latham
Rationale: We spoke to Kathryn and Linda to get insights into how the HSE and Anti Human Trafficking Team work. We were interested in the types of health services they provide and how victims access these services.
Key Insights:
- 2 women working together can be charged with running brothel
- Undocumented women are afraid of being deported or arrested
- Normalise contact with police is important to encourage girls to contact them w/ statement
- Don’t have entitlement for victims of HT to bring families over to Ireland to live, a lot of them have refugee status which gives them an opportunity, or from non visa required countries eg Brazil, Mexico given stamp 4 that their parent has (support systems)
- Accommodation and direct provision are deemed inappropriate for victims.
- Drug dealers are easier to catch and the drugs are sold they are gone, but a human can be resold time and time again. The penalties are huge for Human Trafficking but the gains are even bigger
- Tools to gather story are counselling skills, holding skills, relationship building for trust, establishing rapport
- Psychological support is biggest need for improvement
- Isolation — for girls living down the country
- Accommodation is so bad, clients are so vulnerable
Ruhama — Aimee
Rationale: We interviewed Aimee with the intention of better understanding how Ruhama helps victims of sexual abuse and exploitation with their recovery. We were aware that they have many services (care plans, counselling, education programmes, health and wellbeing support, addiction support, legal aid, etc.). Our goal was to see how the overall system worked and identity an area that might need more attention.
Key Insights:
- We have an outreach van that goes out a couple of nights a week (Covid permitting) into the red light districts of Dublin
- In terms of measuring recovery, we do this once the woman has reach a certain quality of life where she is free from exploitation and feels safe and secure.
- Financial hardship is a push factor for women entering prostitution
- Spent Convictions Bill to facilitate women with outstanding charges related to the sex trade in maintaining privacy around that when applying for work where Garda Vetting is required
- In terms of evaluating their progress, we do of course have tools such as the logic model for Casework, Ed/Dev programmes & Employment and CORE-OM in therapy. This evaluation is carried out every 6 weeks so it is a good barometer of progress.
- Most victims don’t want to tell their story — it is their story, nobody else’s. Most women are embarrassed, ashamed about what happened to them and every time they tell the story, it erodes who they are.
- A substantive challenge in the healthcare system for women in the sex trade is the stigma associated with their circumstances.
- Women may never identify as a sex worker or and escort when attending for a sexual health check so it is vital that services are flexible (available in the evening), free and located in discreet but central locations so that any woman in the sex trade, even if they have been brought in from another country for a week or two, can access it easily.
SWAI — Becky Leacy
Rationale: We were interested to learn more about the reasons these women believe in legalising prostitution. We wanted to learn their first hand insights with the aim of finding a gap in the system we could possibly fix. Also trying to use NGO as a method of reaching women currently working in the industry.
Key Insights:
- The 2017 Victims of crime act gives fear to women seeking help — not honest about their work they cant access services.
- Women are afraid of negative exposure/sigma so won’t report crimes.
- Violence comes from clients but also police arrests & illegal evictions.
- Women have a very close group & look after each other as they feel the system won’t.
- Fluidly change position in sex industry.
- Any initiative needs to be based on trust.
Survey with Survivors
We created a survey for survivors to respond to in their own time and with anonymity. We asked them questions about how they entered, what they were exposed to and what were the most important aspects of recovery.
Key Insights:
- Most came from an abusive background
- Healing methods of EMDR
- 2 years of PTSD therapy
- Best way to help someone heal is showing them that they are loved, valued, and that they have a purpose
- Can there be a full recovery?
- The hardest part is accepting the truth
- All counsellors should know how to hold space and provide current trauma treatment.
- Considering the safety of the client outside the office at all times
- After care should include belief, safety, emotional regulation, and a safe place to live without pressure to get out.
Articles
