Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Addressing the criminalization of trafficking victims
1:31:00
ยท
86 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph raises concerns about trafficking victims feeling criminalized and asks about the treatment of young people during interviews. ACS representatives explain their approach:
- Trauma-informed training for case planning staff and ACS staff
- Licensed social workers conduct screenings and conversations
- Emphasis on treating young people as victims who need support
- Recognition of the need to reinforce supportive and compassionate approaches in training
- Commitment to developing response strategies that are supportive and compassionate
Rita Joseph
1:31:00
There's still, young people.
1:31:03
I have somebody who's texting me now who was a victim of trafficking.
1:31:07
They felt criminalized.
1:31:08
How do you interact with young people that's going through that system?
1:31:11
Is it led?
1:31:12
How are they how the person who's interviewing them, how are they treated, how they've how they feel.
1:31:18
Right?
1:31:18
Because you can make them feel they're the victim or they can be victimized all over again.
Ina Mendez
1:31:23
So the training we offer for our case planning staff, our ACS desk.
1:31:27
I'm like, I can't read and see.
1:31:29
So sorry.
Farah N. Louis
1:31:29
It's okay.
Ina Mendez
1:31:30
For the training we offer for the case planning staff, ACS staff is very trauma informed.
1:31:36
Mhmm.
1:31:37
The executive director for the Office of Child Trafficking Prevention and Policy and the staff are all licensed social workers.
1:31:45
So we're hoping that in having conversations, in conducting the screenings, it's done compassionately.
1:31:50
These young people are not, they should not be treated in any way but as a victim and they need the support.
1:31:58
Even there are times when, you know, young, individuals may be encouraging their peers to to maybe go AWOC and even that behavior should be corrected in a supportive manner.
1:32:10
So it it's somewhat disheartening, to be honest, to hear that they are feeling that way, and we can always reinforce in our trainings.
1:32:17
As I mentioned earlier, we give a lot of trainings throughout the year, and we can make sure that as we're developing response strategies that is supportive and, compassionate.