The My Life My Choice Survivor Mentoring Program: Lessons Learned Audrey Morrissey--Associate Director My Life My Choice A Program of Justice Resource Institute

PREVENTION

The Health Belief Model Motivation for change depends upon the presence of a sufficient degree of perceived risk in combination with self efficacy.

Shift:

Attitude Knowledge Skills

Shifting Student Beliefs = Prevention  Decrease teens’ perception of the commercial sex industry as innocuous or glamorous; Increase teens’ perception of the commercial sex industry as dangerous and debilitating.  Improve teens’ understanding of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: the realities of the Life, recruitment, the Demand, the media, etc.

 Increase teens’ ability to reduce the risk of exploitation (i.e. assertiveness, negotiation skills, etc.) OR increase the likelihood that teens can find the path and resources to exit if they become exploited.

In Our Schools? Example: In one local middle school: 10 out of 10 witnessed violence in their community 9 out of 10 witnessed or experienced violence in the home (domestic violence or child abuse) 9 out of 10 had a parent struggling with drug and/or alcohol addiction 7 out of 10 had been approached by a pimp at some time in the previous year within their community 5 out of 10 had a history of running away from home Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 5

Prevention Best Practices • Staff trained and knowledgeable in CSEC and impact on youth • Staff sharing a common language (i.e.. Commercially sexually exploited vs. teen prostitute) • Having policies specific to CSEC (like we do for bullying for example) • MLMC Prevention Curriculum Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 6

SAMPLE PROTOCOL FOR SCHOOLS If Suspected Victim: Involve on site school resource officer

If suspected CSEC- file with social services

Investigate possible school or campus impact

If appropriate contact guardian

Offer victims and guardian referral to appropriate services

Set up regular contact with victim to check in

US Dept. of Education 2015 Human Trafficking in America’s Schools

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A Unique, Comprehensive Program

PREVENTION 10-week girls' groups

VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS

IDENTIFICATION training to help service providers identify victims

INTERVENTION survivor mentoring

MLMC RESTORES GIRLS’ POWER TO CHOOSE

AWARENESS & ADVOCACY transforming understanding

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Survivor Mentoring: How it works • How?

Referrals from service providers vs. individual outreach

• When?

As soon as possible!

• Who?

Exploited girls vs. Suspected vs. Very High Risk vs. High Risk

Why Mentoring? Key Facets • • • •

Everyone needs a “person” Our girls lack consistent supports Our girls get moved frequently Recovery takes a long time

Maria On our community

On victims’ mind, body and soul

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Why SURVIVOR Mentoring? • Trust: The bridge is shorter • Leveraging trust to use other supports • Accountability • Hope

What else? Importance of Community • We must offer and create what the pimps tried to… – Love! – Community – Connection – Protection/Safety – Fun – Opportunities – Excitement

The Process… On our community

From Victim…

To Survivor… On victims’ mind, body and soul

To Leader… Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 14

Survivor Leadership “The first time someone actually told me [I made a difference], it was when I was in the leadership group and Y told me. She told me that um, she had a visit with her mother and her mom asked if she made any friends or whatever, and she said Yeah, she had made one friend that is really good and she looks up to her and she is a role model to her and she gets good advice from her. And she turned and she looked at me and she said, “I was talking about you.” And I got so cheesy and happy…it feels good.”

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Survivor Leadership “I will always be a survivor, and I think I will always be a leader, too.” •

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Questions? “My Life My Choice is the gold standard in prevention and mentoring programs for commercially sexually exploited and trafficked girls.”

Audrey Morrissey Associate Director 617.512.0191 [email protected]

RACHEL LLOYD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Girls Educational and Mentoring Services

www.fightingexploitation.org www.facebook.com/mylifemychoice