Case Study #2Jose’s Story
Background:
Age, gender, demographics (ethnicity, sexual identity), living situation
- 17 years old, Hispanic, Gay male
How victim was recruited/trafficking:
He was homeless and did not have many to pay rent. He did not have any other options of places to stay.
Narrative:
Jose is a 17 year old student whom the teachers and school social worker noticed had begun missing many days of school. When Jose was at school the teachers noticed that he was exhausted. He disclosed to a teacher that he identifies as gay and was kicked out of his house by his very religious mother due to his sexual orientation.
Jose stated that he was taken in by an older man that he knew through work. He said that it was a safe environment but that weird things sometimes happened there. When pressed for details Jose disclosed that he is forced to have sex in order to remain at the house. Over time,
Jose was offered to his roommates’ friends.
When the teacher expressed concern, Jose indicated that it was not “rape”, it was just how things happened in the gay community. Jose indicated that he could handle it because he had no place else to go.
Resolution:
Jose believed that this behavior was “normal” in the GLBTQ community. Despite working with him on safe housing alternatives and spending a great deal of time talking about safe relationships, Jose remained in that living situation. *Child Protective Services was notified*
Discussion for Case Studies:
- What were some of the victim’s vulnerabilities?
- How did the sex trafficker exploit those vulnerabilities?
- What changes happened in the victim’s life?
- Who in the victim’s life should have noticed these changes? What could they have done?
- What were the missed opportunities to prevent this victim’s sex trafficking experiences?
- If there is no resolution: how many different ways could this story end?
- How could this victim’s peers have noticed these changes? Who could they have told?
- If this student came to your school, how can the students support them?
- If this student came to your school, how can the staff support them?
- How can you as a class, help develop awareness about sex trafficking and prevent more victimization?