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
Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 7
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
Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 8
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
Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 11
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.”
Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 15
Survivor Leadership “I will always be a survivor, and I think I will always be a leader, too.” •
Harnessing Girls’ Strength, Resilience and Outrage | 16
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