Background:

Age, gender, demographics (ethnicity, sexual identity), living situation)

• 15 year old high school students

How victim was recruited/trafficking:

Jaime met a couple of strangers at a local restaurant when she was in an emotionally vulnerable situation. They talked to her, made her feel better, and offered her a place to go to let things cool down.

Narrative

Jaime was a junior in high school. She was a smart and popular International Baccalaureate student. One day she got into a fight with her parents and stormed out of the house. She went to Denny’s to calm down. While sitting at a table, alone and crying, a young man approached her. He asked Jaime if she felt OK and sat down to join her. He let her know that sometimes a short break from your parents makes things easier and told Jaime that she was welcome to stay with him and his roommates for the night – Jaime agreed.

That night, the stranger drove Jaime to his home, which was about 40 minutes from the restaurant Jaime met him in. Jaime had no idea where she was. The next day the stranger said nobody could take her home, it was too far to drive. After a couple of days, Jaime grew concerned about what her parents would say or think after she had been gone for a few days. She had no phone and no access to a phone. Soon Jaime was told that she had been there a few days, and she needed to help pay for rent. Jaime did not have any money and was told that they could figure out a way for her to pay. Jaime was forced to start having sex with the stranger and his roommates in exchange for having stayed at his place.

Resolution:

With the help of friends police were notified. A sting was set up and a large bust happened. It turned out that the young men that convinced Jaime to go with him was involved with a group of men that and done the same with numerous other girls.

Discussion for Case Studies:

1. What were some of the victim’s vulnerabilities?
2. How did the sex trafficker exploit those vulnerabilities?
3. What changes happened in the victim’s life?
4. Who in the victim’s life should have noticed these changes? What could they have done?
5. What were the missed opportunities to prevent this victim’s sex trafficking experiences?
6. If there is no resolution: how many different ways could this story end?
7. How could this victim’s peers have noticed these changes? Who could they have told?
8. If this student came to your school, how can the students support them?
9. If this student came to your school, how can the staff support them?
10. How can you as a class, help develop awareness about sex trafficking and prevent more victimization?