DCF was involved in the case, especially with the girls who were under the ages of eighteen; however the specifics of the services provided are not clearly documented. The media did not represent the victims of the United States v. Paris, et al. on a personal level, more so it focused on the indictment of the criminals and the public awareness of human trafficking. Of the personal stories that are represented in Bechard’s book, The Berlin Turnpike: A True Story of Human Trafficking in America, most are focused around sharing the brutality and disempowerment of their personal experiences, as well as an expressed celebration of their strength and survival.
After reviewing the case and collected data, my personal response …show more content…
Although the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was enacted as a federal law in 2000, it was reauthorized in 2003, 2005, and in 2008. The TVPA is a comprehensive approach to addressing the issues of human trafficking, and while the law focuses heavily on international components, it also places emphasis on preventing human trafficking through public awareness, as well as increasing the legal ramifications and prosecuting human trafficking crimes as a serious criminal …show more content…
These stories motivated me to join the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Coalition, in which I was exposed to more information regarding the prevalence of human trafficking locally. I attended these meetings for years and much of what they advocated for was the increased need of services provided to victims of human trafficking, the decriminalization of human trafficking victims, an increased public awareness, and effective public policy change. Throughout this time, I witnessed he Northeast Human Trafficking Coalition hosting public movies and events, where individuals in attendance left both surprised and with an increased education of the local issues of human trafficking. I also saw policy change on a local level with the inclusion of a human trafficking report line through DCF, and the implementation of the Safe Harbor Act in Florida. I have also engaged in a multitude of conversations in which people say to me, “Human trafficking is not a local problem,” in which I happily engage by providing them with information. I feel that all of these actions above are working in favor of increasing the prevention of human trafficking. In relation to the social work field, I feel that to further increase the prevention of human trafficking, practitioners need to be highly trained in the warning signs of potential victims, as well as be in communication with local law enforcement. While progress has been made in increasing