| |
|
|
| |
|
Who are the Vulnerable LGBTQ+ Youth and What Warning Signs Should You Look For?
|
|
| |
“Youth who express their gender in ways that vary from societal expectations for their perceived sex or gender are at risk for high levels of childhood physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.” (youth.gov)
|
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
The most at-risk populations for sex trafficking victimization include runaways and the homeless, youth in placement, those in the foster care system, victims of prior sexual abuse and neglect, and LGBTQ+ youth.
“The things that make youth vulnerable to sex trafficking are the same things that prevent them from escaping,” said Jane DeRue, Senior Behavioral Health Specialist with the Monroe County Family Access and Connection Team (FACT). “Nearly 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+.”
LGBTQ+ youth are especially vulnerable as many struggle with their identity—and their family members struggle with their own acceptance of it. In the 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report*, 67% of youth surveyed have heard family members make negative comments about LGBTQ people.
Rejection by families and peers is just one of the negative experiences contributing to LGBTQ+ youth vulnerability to sex trafficking. “Rejection happens when the youth’s identity doesn’t align with the family’s system of beliefs, if there are rigid male/female stereotypes, or if there’s a lack of understanding of the identity and an unwillingness to learn,” said DeRue.
Rejection is also one of the main reasons why these youth are often unable to extract themselves from their traffickers, as it can leave them with no one or nowhere else to turn.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
“You have the intersection of homophobia, transphobia, failed systems, family poverty, and abuse,” said DeRue, to explain the factors that contribute to the victimization of LGBTQ+ youth.
She often gets asked why sex trafficked youth don’t just walk away from their abusers. “What options do they have?” she replies. “Sometimes no one even notices they’re missing. Trauma bonds are strong. Fear, manipulation and isolation are used to control victims.”
She cites the boiling frog fable as a metaphor for how grooming works. “Put a frog in a pot of boiling water, and it will jump out, but if you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly heat it up, it will boil to death.”
“Some LGBTQ+ youth already feel unwanted,” continued DeRue. “They land in foster care, already struggling with their identity. Some youth want to come out as non-binary or transgender, but there are serious consequences in their peer groups or families, so they choose to run from their homes or foster care as a result.”
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
DeRue has devoted her career to working with vulnerable youth. Helping victims of sex trafficking has been her focus since the groundbreaking Safe Harbour law was enacted in 2008, which ensured that sexually exploited minor children would no longer be referred to as prostitutes or prosecuted as criminals.
“These are my kids,” said DeRue in reference to the youth she encounters in her role with FACT. “When youth are referred to us, we collaborate with the family and a multitude of service providers to provide the best support, to keep them out of placement.”
“The youth have to be stakeholders in the process,” she continued, “it’s all about engagement.” DeRue explained that it can take time to form a relationship with children and their families, and that supports are not always limited to therapy. “Do they need a job or want to be involved in community activities? I can make plans all day, but it’s more about listening and making sure the child is engaged and gets what s/he needs.”
At the end of the day, her goal is to make sure these vulnerable youth are safe. She is adamant about meeting them where they are, especially if their basic needs are not being met or they have no access to transportation. “I never stop trying to reach them,” said DeRue, “they are survivors.”
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
“For youth being trafficked,” said DeRue, “look for the signs.” These include a significantly older partner who is controlling, multiple phones, new tattoos (e.g., “Daddy’s girl” or a barcode, anything that indicates possession), sudden truancy, loss of friends, hair and nails being done on a regular basis, new clothes, sleeping in class, dropping out of foster care, using street slang for sex work, inconsistency in story, overtly sexualized behavior, and untreated injuries.
“We lost a lot of youth during COVID (with virtual instruction),” said DeRue. “It’s important to pay attention to them, they say a lot without saying anything.” She stressed that victimization goes on in both urban and suburban schools and communities, and that sex traffickers can be male or female, friends or family, even staff.
If you suspect something, talk to a school counselor, social worker or foster care case worker and call the CPS hotline. “It’s always best to err on the side of caution,” concluded DeRue.
In the same LGBTQ Youth Report from 2018, only 26% of respondents said they feel safe in their school classrooms—and just 5% said all of their teachers and school staff are supportive of LGBTQ people.
But DeRue has hope. “I have faith in the younger generation,” she said, “stigma and discrimination are not a thing with them, they’re like, ‘whatever.’”
The single most important tenet to pass on to youth? “Know your worth,” said DeRue. “Believe in grace. Youth are not the result of the things that have happened to them, they are the grace that follows.”
*The 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report findings were compiled through a joint effort by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the University of Connecticut through an online LGBTQ Teen Survey with over 12,000 respondents across the U.S. ranging in age from 13 to 17.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Register for the Do Right By Kids ACES webinar
Thursday, December 9th at 3:00 p.m. EST
Join us to learn more about pressing topics involving children and families. The webinar coming up this month features Dana Spuck as our guest speaker.
Dana Spuck has a master’s degree in mental health counseling and forensic services. She spent time overseas working with families and survivors of OSEC (online sexual exploitation of children). She has experience working with families and youth involved in the juvenile justice system working to break the school to prison pipeline of youth who experienced trauma. She has been with Monroe county as a behavioral health specialist for just under two years and is passionate about strengthening youth and families for a better future. Some of what Dana will discuss will be:
- What are adverse childhood experiences?
- Implications & risk factors
- Protective factors & prevention
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
