○ Are mothers in their mid-30s to late-50s. Important considerations emerge from these statistics that relate to the massage industry. Since illicit massage and spas venues were the number one source of sexual trafficking, according to HTHL 2019 data, up from the number two source in 2018, professionals of legitimate practices in these areas must be vigilant to identify and report suspected activity or illicit business in their community that may engage in labor or sex trafficking.
● Only 21 percent of all the business records found for illicit massage parlors actually specifically name the owner although, even in those cases, there is no way to know for sure if that information is legitimate. ● The victims of massage parlor trafficking in the United States almost all: ○ Recently arrived from China or South Korea. ○ Carry debts or are otherwise under extreme financial pressure. ○ Speak little or no English. ○ Have no more than a high school education.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING DEFINITION
The Florida Department of Children and Families (FDCF), 2019, added further details and clarification on the definition. FDCF explains both federal and Florida law include transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing, or obtaining of another person for transport; for the purposes of forced labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. The NHTH emphasizes that trafficking victims differ from individuals who are simply being exploited due to the presence of force, fraud, and coercion, that hold victims captive and denies them the freedom to leave. * Note : Under Federal law, force, fraud, and coercion are not necessary to define sex human trafficking for victims under 18. Florida Statute 787.06 extended this to labor trafficking of minors as well.
According to the United States Department of Justice, human trafficking is defined as follows:
Human trafficking is a crime that involves exploiting a person for labor, services, or commercial sex. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its subsequent reauthorizations define human trafficking as: 1. Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age*; or 2. The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery (22 U.S.C. § 7102[9]).
EFFECTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON VICTIMS
They may be in debt bondage and told they must work off their debts to be freed. They may not speak the language of the location; do not trust law enforcement or government authority; or are told they will go to jail or be deported if they try to escape and are picked up by authorities. In other cases, the victim is told their children or family will be harmed if they attempt to leave. They may be afraid that if they try to escape and fail they will be beaten or killed, or they may fear that if they escape, it will be worse living on the street alone with no shelter or resources. Most likely, victims do not know the area, have no idea of where to turn for assistance, and, through manipulation and coercion, believe they are better off with the trafficker. Victims may have no means of communication with the outside world and are moved so often they do not know where they are. Victims become dependent on their controllers for every basic need; this is often underscored by drug addiction. They may suffer trauma from being kidnapped and subjected to repeated degradation, trauma, and humiliation resulting in hopelessness and despair. Through manipulation and coercion, their faith, values, belief systems, and attempts at self-preservation are eroded, leaving victims unable to report abuse or seek assistance to escape.
Victims suffer severe effects from the force, fraud, and coercion used by traffickers to control their existence as labor or sexual trafficking victims. They may suffer physical, psychological and sexual abuse; physical bondage; malnutrition; sleep deprivation; dental problems; disease; injury or other untreated medical conditions; and substance abuse, which is used to keep them subservient. Many traffickers force victims into addiction as a method of control, making them depended on their controllers. This one-hour course does not provide enough time to discuss all the devastating effects of extreme trauma and psychological damage resulting from labor or sexual slavery. Psychological effects may include extreme anxiety; fear; depression; cutting/self-harm; post-traumatic stress disorder; shame; guilt; paranoia; insomnia; eating disorders; and suicidal ideation, for example. Sometimes it may seem like there are options for escape that the victim doesn’t take, but there are many reasons why they are compelled to stay. In labor and sex trafficking, their identification, other documents, and money are confiscated by the traffickers; identities may be changed; and they are prohibited from having contact with anyone other than the trafficker’s associates and clients.
HOUSE BILL 851, CHAPTER 2019-152: NEW FLORIDA LAW ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFECTING MASSAGE THERAPY
also requires that massage therapy establishments develop and implement a procedure for reporting suspected human trafficking. Below are excepts directly from the law which should be reviewed in its entirety: (1) By Jan. 1, 2021, each licensee or certificate holder shall complete a board-approved, or department-approved if there is no board, one-hour continuing education course on human trafficking. The course must address both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, how to identify
This new law has a number of implications for massage therapists, as well as other medical professionals, with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding of human trafficking for increased identification, reporting and assistance to victims. The law, which took effect in 2019, has a number of deadlines related to human trafficking. In simple terms, the law requires one hour of continuing education on human trafficking for all massage therapists and requires signage that provides information on human trafficking in the language of community members. The law
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Book Code: MFL1225
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