Child Trafficking in Westchester County: Taking Action
By Charlene Weigel (LWV-Rivertowns Board Member)
Camp. Summer jobs. Typical family conversations this time of the year. What about child trafficking? Attendees at a recent event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Rivertowns were surprised to learn of a linkage between these three topics. Alison Boak, Executive Director of the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA), discussed child trafficking in Westchester County in her presentation “Taking Action: Human Trafficking in the Rivertowns and Beyond.”
Boak, speaking as part of the League’s Hot Topics Breakfast series, highlighted local cases of child trafficking. Teenagers from Mexico, recruited by New York sleep away camps, were abused and forced to work long, unpaid hours. Joseph Yannai of Pound Ridge was convicted of sexually abusing young women whom he had lured to work on a book project. An example that struck home with several attendees was that of children or teens selling candy or magazines door-to-door for a “school project” who cannot name the local school that they attend. These cases are not isolated. Per the National Human Trafficking Hotline and the Polaris Project, there were 327 cases of human trafficking (labor and sexual) in New York State in 2016 alone.
Boak educated attendees to identify minors who may be trafficked. Clues include significant school absences, fear of an employer or family member, a child who is not allowed to socialize with other children or to leave the home, or a child who is always sleepy or unable to rest. These and other signs may be subtle, but repeated observations could raise questions in the minds of informed observers.
Spotting a trafficker can be more difficult. Boak described traffickers as family members, employers, coaches, virtually anyone. Traffickers often recruit vulnerable minors by showing attention, appearing to care for the child with promises of friendship and love. Traffickers may target minors in public places, especially those alone late at night, or, even more commonly, online via social media.
Boak urged attendees to take action if they encounter a situation of potential trafficking. She emphasized that 911 is the appropriate call if a child is in immediate danger. More likely, though, someone may observe a non-acute situation that raises suspicions. Attendees put two numbers into their cell phone to take action: (800) 342-3720 (NY State Child Abuse and Maltreatment Hotline) and (888) 373-7888 (National Human Trafficking Hotline).
Boak highlighted the work of the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force. In addition to IOFA, Task Force members include the Pound Ridge Police Department, My Sister’s Place, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the US Attorney’s Office (Southern District of New York). Boak encouraged attendees to ask their local police departments to join the Task Force. Participating police forces receive specialized training in best practices for approaching and assisting suspected victims of child trafficking. Attendees received a summary of three proposed bills on human trafficking sponsored by New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin with guidance on how to support passage of the legislation. Boak ended her presentation with a simple but compelling call-to-action, “Do Something!”