By Richard Westlund
Special to UM News

From left, Lynn Aptman, Etiony Aldarondo, and Juhi Jain spoke at the conference.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (May, 4, 2015)—Human trafficking for sexual or labor exploitation is a serious problem throughout the U.S., particularly in gateway cities like Miami. Medical professionals, counselors and law enforcement officers need to be aware of the physical or emotional signs of mistreatment, and take action to help these victims, according to several University of Miami professionals at the “Human Trafficking: Interrupting the Pathway to Victimization” conference, held May 1 at the Student Activities Center.

“This scourge on society needs to change,” said Lynn Aptman, president of The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention, which she and her husband Michael co-founded 19 years ago after their daughter Melissa was murdered. Now housed at the University of Miami, the institute presented its 19th annual conference in partnership with the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD).

“We need to have a better understanding of this problem, so that we can be more effective in intervening,” said Etiony Aldarondo, associate dean of research and director of the SEHD’s Dunspaugh-Dalton Community and Educational Well-Being (CEW) Research Center.

In her presentation, “Social Impact of Human Trafficking: In Our Backyard,” Juhi Jain, a member of the Miller School of Medicine’s Class of 2015, addressed several myths about “modern-day sexual and labor slavery,” which claims about 20,000 victims annually in the U.S. “Men and boys are just as affected as women and girls,” she said. “Many are homeless and runaway children and teens who have a previous history of abuse.”

In most cases, psychological techniques are used to control the victims, so there are no signs of physical restraint or abuse, she said. “Tattoos and even bar codes are used to indicate ‘ownership.'” Jain advised doctors and nurses treating young patients for sexually transmitted infections, injuries, or malnourishment to ask follow-up questions to see if this might be a case of human trafficking.

“A patient who cannot tell you where she lives, does not make eye contact, or has another person answer the questions may be a victim,” Jain said. “You can call the national Polaris hotline at 888-373-7888 for immediate guidance and to be put in touch with the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force.”

Conference director Donald Meichenbaum, distinguished professor emeritus, clinical psychologist, research director, and a founding member of The Melissa Institute, spoke on “Approaches to Bolster Resilience in Victims of Human Trafficking: Core Tasks of Interventions.” Other presentations focused on the incidence and impact of human trafficking on victims, as well as the importance of outreach programs for victims.

The Melissa Institute is a nonprofit organization located at the School of Education and Human Development that is dedicated to the study and prevention of violence through education, community service, research support, and consultation. The institute’s mission is to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.