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Ending Human Trafficking

Hosted by Dr. Sandra Morgan · EN

The Global Center for Women and Justice launched the Ending Human Trafficking podcast in April 2011. Our mantra is Study the Issues. Be a voice. Make a difference. We believe that if you do not study first, you may say or do the wrong thing. The National Family and Youth Services Clearinghouse promoted EHT as “a good way to get up to speed on human trafficking”. Our audience includes students, community leaders, and even government leaders. EHT listeners come from all corners of the world, which accomplishes our mission of building a global community that works together to end human exploitation.

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344 – Building Futures: Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare
Apr 28, 202500:31:30Tap to summarize
Commissioner Vicki Reed joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss the intersection of juvenile justice and child welfare, highlighting the importance of collaboration, care, and community in supporting vulnerable youth and preventing their exploitation. Vicki Reed Vicki Reed has dedicated her career to child welfare and juvenile justice, with over two decades of experience working with system-involved youth. She holds a degree in law enforcement and a master’s in criminal justice, and has been a strong advocate for vulnerable children in both public and private sectors. Vicki has served as a juvenile probation officer, the director of a youth-serving agency, and has helped shape state-level training for child welfare workers in Kentucky. Beyond her advocacy and service as Juvenile Justice Commissioner of Kentucky, she is also an accomplished author. In her previous appearance on this podcast (episode 246), Vicki discussed her novel The Car Thief. In this episode, she shares insights from her latest novel, Sleight of Hand, which also draws from her extensive experience working with youth. Key Points Vicki Reed shares how an unexpected opportunity and sense of calling led her to come out of retirement to serve as Kentucky’s Juvenile Justice Commissioner. She emphasizes the critical difference between juvenile justice and adult corrections, noting that punitive approaches fail with youth and that rehabilitation, mental health support, education, and pro-social activities are far more effective. The high cost of long-term incarceration underscores the need for early intervention and supportive programming for at-risk youth. Reed discusses how negative placement experiences in foster care can reinforce harmful behaviors, while positive, stable placements with appropriate support can change life trajectories. Her novels, The Car Thief and Sleight of Hand, serve as creative tools to educate readers about the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, illustrating how caring adults make a significant difference in a young person’s life. The character of Alex in Sleight of Hand, who experiences 64 placements, highlights the systemic issues facing youth in foster care and the importance of wraparound services. Vicki introduces the concept of “automatic adult responses” and stresses the value of reframing interactions with youth, drawing on insights from expert Charlie Applestein and his approach from No Such Thing as a Bad Kid. Pro-social activities, such as music lessons, art therapy, or simple childhood experiences like flying a kite, play a key role in building competencies and self-worth for vulnerable youth. Collaboration across systems—child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health—is vital, as these sectors often serve the same youth but in siloed ways. Reed advocates for dual status teams like those in Indiana, which require collaborative planning for youth involved in both child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Children in congregate care (group homes or residential placements) are at higher risk for exploitation, making family-based care the preferred model whenever possible. Reed calls for greater community engagement, suggesting ways individuals can support youth through fostering, volunteering as court advocates (CASA), or contributing to foster care organizations. Resources Book: Sleight of Hand by Vicki Reed Book: The Car Thief by Vicki Reed Charlie Applestein: No Such Thing as a Bad Kid EHT246: Why You Should Read The Car Thief Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, brought to you by Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice, here in Orange County, California. I’m Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in the fight to end human trafficking. [00:00:22] Today I’m thrilled to welcome back Commissioner Vicki Reed. To the show, Vicki has dedicated her career to child welfare and juvenile justice, with over two decades of experience working with system involved youth. She holds a degree in law enforcement and a master’s in criminal justice and has been a strong advocate. [00:00:48] For vulnerable children in both public and private sectors. She has served as a juvenile probation officer, the director of a youth serving agency, and helped shape state level training for child welfare workers in Kentucky beyond her advocacy. [00:01:11] Her service as Juvenile Justice Commissioner of Kentucky. Vicki is also an accomplished author. In her last episode on the podcast number 246, we talked about her novel Car Thief. If you haven’t listened to that episode. I encourage you to check it out because today we’re diving into her latest novel Sleight of hand, which also draws from her extensive experience [00:01:47] Well, commissioner Vicki Reed, it is a delight to have you back on the ending Human Trafficking Podcast. [00:01:55] Vicki: And I’m delighted to be here. Thank you so much for having me. [00:01:58] Sandie: Since we talked the first time in episode 2 46 about your book, the Car Thief, and what we learned there about juvenile justice. You’ve written another book you’ve served as. The Kentucky Commissioner of Juvenile Justice, and I’m excited to ask you some questions today about your experience. first of all, I wanna know why you decided to come out of retirement and become the commissioner. Well, [00:02:32] Vicki: an interesting story because probably nobody was more surprised than I was. I had been retired for a number of years and was really enjoying. consulting and writing and, and speaking and just having my own time to do things. But, when the position came open, I just really was sort of a calling to, to be able to take the, the top position and I’d worked in the agency before, underneath. [00:02:55] And so to be able to have that, that top position and do all the things that I had always. Wanted to see done was just too good an opportunity to, to pass up. and so it was a, it was a wonderful experience. It was difficult in many ways. And I did learn that you can’t always do what you wanna do because you run into, uh, many issues. [00:03:14] And one of the big problems right now across the entire nation, maybe the entire world. is it’s very difficult to get staff now so that if you don’t have staff that really sort of inhibits how much programming you can do and how much counseling you can do. [00:03:27] So, it, it was an interesting experience and I promised to do it through, through the end of one term and I did. And so I’ve retired again and gone back and that’s when I finished, the second book and now I’m doing some consulting work with the National Partnership for Juvenile Services. [00:03:41] Sandie: So let’s talk about the difference between juvenile justice and criminal justice, adults and youth. What are the different goals? [00:03:52] Vicki: Well with adult corrections, you know, the, one of the primary things, of course, is public safety, and it’s not that juvenile justice doesn’t have that as well, but there’s a certain, punitive, point with adult corrections that we try to avoid. With, with juvenile. And one of the reasons is that it doesn’t work. [00:04:11] Uh, we’ve seen that, you know, do you remember all the bootcamp hysteria? Everybody was having bootcamps. Oh, boot, straighten up fly rights and discipline. We’ll put that kid, they’ll learn that, you know, whatever. And then they did the studies and the recidivism rate was out the roof. It was like 80 to 90% scared straight, a complete failure. [00:04:29] It, all these things that feel good and sound good to folks, but actually when they do the studies. Just don’t work. So what we do know is the more rehabilitative, you know, mental health counseling, pro-social activities, resources, a good education. And the other thing with the kids is if you have a, a 17, 16, 17-year-old who. [00:04:50] Ends into a life of crime and does it for the next 40, 50, 60 years. You’re spending millions and millions of dollars on that individual. Where if we can, you know, get them going right in, in their teenage years and they can go on and graduate, they get a job, they, whatever, they become a functioning part of our society. [00:05:09] everybody wins. [00:05:11] Sandie: That’s a good point. This is a a smart fiscal decision too, [00:05:16] Vicki: If you wanna look at it just in the hard cold facts that that alone. [00:05:21] Sandie: But in reality, these. Are young people and they’re valuable and we’re not going, they’re not going to become throwaways, which, I’ve talked to kids who feel like they are throwaways. So let’s talk about the difference between your two books, because they’re a great way to. [00:05:45] Begin to understand how we take care of kids with special circumstances. They ma...
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343: Integrating Health Services in School Strategies To Keep Students Safe
Apr 14, 202500:35:24Tap to summarize
Andrea Foster joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how integrating health services within school systems enhances student well-being and functions as a vital strategy to prevent human trafficking. Andrea Foster Andrea Foster is currently the administrator of Integrated Health within Student Services for the Orange County Department of Education. She provides supportive services and resources to promote healthy environments for over 400,000 students and their families across the county. She wants students to be able to access their education and become productive, successful adults. She has 24 years of school nursing experience across multiple settings and was recently a guest speaker at the annual Ensure Justice Conference. Key Points MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) is a tiered framework that supports students at all levels—from universal interventions like screenings to highly individualized health or academic plans. Integrated Health addresses the intersection of medical, emotional, and academic needs, ensuring students are supported holistically across environments. Schools function as safety nets, especially when community awareness of MTSS allows families to engage with school systems more effectively. Staff training to identify red flags and behavioral patterns is crucial in creating trusting environments where students feel safe to share concerns. Rather than punitive responses to tardiness or behavioral issues, staff are encouraged to approach students and families with empathy and support. Programs like “Handle With Care” and “FOCUS” facilitate communication from families to schools when a child may need extra care without disclosing private details. Health education in schools—whether related to chronic conditions, substance use, or injury prevention—empowers students to make informed choices. Digital wellness is a growing area of focus, emphasizing safe, intentional use of technology and awareness of harmful online challenges. Students should be taught to critically evaluate online prompts, understand data privacy, and self-advocate when something feels unsafe or inappropriate. Empowering students to self-advocate helps them protect themselves and their peers, especially when navigating online platforms. Every child needs at least one trusted adult; school staff can foster these relationships by creating open, safe environments for honest conversations. Community involvement—through school board engagement, volunteering, or partnerships—can strengthen schools’ ability to support students and families effectively. Resources Andrea Foster on LinkedIn Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie Morgan: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. I’m Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in the fight to end human trafficking here at the Global Center for Women in Justice Vanguard University. This is episode number 343, integrating Health Services in school strategies to keep students safe. Andrea Foster is currently the administrator of Integrated Health within the student services for the division of the Orange County Department of Education. She provides supportive services and resources to promote healthy environments to over 400,000 students and their families across. County. She wants students to be able to access their education and become productive, successful adults. She has 24 years of school nursing experience across [00:02:00] multiple settings, and recently she was a guest speaker at our. Annual Ensure Justice Conference, and I think one of the things I loved, Andrea, was how you advocated for where the kids are and what they need. So welcome to the show. Thank you Thank you so much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here. so let’s start off first with a little bit of an understanding of where your role in Department of Education fits in this concept of MTSS. What is MTSS and why is it such a big deal here in California? [00:02:46] Andrea Foster: So MTSS stands for the multi-tiered system of support, and this is a tiered system, that we can utilize or a framework. That we can utilize to support students wherever they’re at, and [00:03:00] whatever their needs are. So, tier one is our supports that we provide to all students. these are things like preventative measures. Other supports like vision and hearing screenings. on the academic side, it’s gonna be your normal academic, accommodations that are made during the school day. Once you get into tier two, this tier is for a select group of students, so students who need some additional support. Typically for support services personnel, these are kids that have been identified as needing some additional support. And usually those supports are provided in a group setting. And so again, small number of students, isn’t, isn’t a accommodation that is applied to all students, and typically provided in a group setting. these may include, Small group settings such as maybe a counseling session, with a group talking specifically [00:04:00] about an issue that’s on campus or on the academic side. It could be a small group session, small, to provide additional support with reading or additional supports with math. So it MTSS really accommodates kids. In every path that they’re on, in the setting and really covers them as a whole child. When we’re looking at tier three interventions, those interventions are really very specific and individualized to a student. So, if you’re looking at health in particular, these are gonna be kiddos who have five oh fours or who have IEPs or who have specialized healthcare plans, for chronic medical conditions. On the academic side, you would see again, IEPs with academic accommodations or five oh fours with accommodations, to support these kids so that they can, be successful. [00:04:51] Sandie Morgan: I love that. And so now I’m looking at your job title and this word that’s in it, [00:05:00] integrated student wellness. What does that mean in your everyday administration? [00:05:08] Andrea Foster: So I, when I am doing programming or providing professional development, or really working collaboratively across Orange County, I’m looking at how health integrates with the whole child. you know, you can’t just look at the child in, in one, domain. You know, we talk about Maslow’s hierarchy of need, and you have to meet all of those needs before. Anyone can be successful and actualize, their potential. And so, for integrated health, I’m really looking at where health is a cross section with all of these other components. So whether it be mental health, whether it be housing, whether it be, other things that are going on in their lives, as well as their academic status. So how do we integrate all of this for the success of the student? [00:05:58] Sandie Morgan: and when we’re [00:06:00] looking at different school environments and trying to integrate this when they have challenges at home? I think we put a lot of our hope in the ability of our schools to become a safety net, and our Ensure Justice Conference was titled This Year, safety Nets. We’re thinking about online safety to some extent, but just community safety nets. How can we be more.I guess my question is how can we help in those integrated ’cause I think the community has to know how to be part of that MTSS model. [00:06:48] Andrea Foster: So I would say, just being aware of that multi-tiered system of support and how school districts utilize that to support their students. So really being able to understand the [00:07:00] language. you wouldn’t necessarily, as a community member or a family member need to know what falls within each of those. Just knowing that that is. What school districts use as a framework and being able to ask, you know, how can the multi-tiered system of support support my student who is experiencing. Fill in the blank. experiencing homelessness, experiencing, a chronic health condition, experiencing academic needs, experiencing trafficking. so just really understanding the language so that, so that they know what to ask for when they’re at a school site. [00:07:40] Sandie Morgan: So when I’m thinking about what that looks like, that integrated support, I am thinking about it from a pediatric nursing background and all of my years of communication with school nurses, and there is a [00:08:00] major focus, like in that first column in. MTSS of prevention that, I mean hearing and brushing your teeth and all of those kinds of things. Where does this aspect of prevention fall When we’re trying to help our kids who need a safety net and the school is a key part of that. [00:08:26] Andrea Foster: So I think it’s multi-tiered here. So the first I would say is really being able to identify, and monitor for red flags. And so that’s really important. and part of that is. For school district is really providing that training so that personnel are aware of what those red flags are and understand what it looks like to identify patterns, and then be able to build a safety net, of trusting relationships. You know, creating a, a calm environment, a [00:09:00] non-judgmental space where students feel comfortable to be able to share information, whether that’s in the health office, their. Counselor, their social worker, their teacher, really everyone on a school site is responsible, for creat...
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342: Peer Educators to Build Safe Communities
Mar 31, 202500:32:49Tap to summarize
Jamie Macintosh joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how peer education is transforming human trafficking prevention in schools through the Safe Community Safe Kids Program. Jamie Macintosh Jamie Macintosh joined the Global Center for Women and Justice as the program coordinator for the Samueli Foundation Grant: Safe Community, Safe Kids Program. She is an alumnus of Vanguard University and has a single-subject teaching credential in social science and a college counseling certificate from UCLA. She has extensive experience working as a middle and high school teacher, a school counselor, and an administrator in both private and public education. Passionate about outreach, Jamie has traveled with students on trips to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Key Points The Safe Community Safe Kids Program launched in 2024 through a grant from the Samueli Foundation to combat human trafficking among minors in Orange County. The program provides free, expert-led prevention education and trauma-informed training for both students and educators, meeting California’s legal requirements for human trafficking education. College students from Vanguard University are trained as peer educators, completing over 40 hours of specialized training to deliver two-part presentations in local classrooms. Peer educators provide instruction on topics like online safety, healthy relationships, red flags, and how to recognize and resist trafficking tactics. Using anonymous sticky notes, the program collects feedback from students, helping them voice their questions and reflections in a safe way. The curriculum leverages the power of peer-to-peer influence, offering relevant language, relatable examples, and stronger engagement from students. Students are taught to assess unsafe situations and are empowered to become active protectors in their peer groups, reinforcing the concept of community-based safety. Real-world scenarios and emotional manipulation tactics used by traffickers are addressed head-on, including peer recruitment and exploitation through social networks. The program aims to be replicable across communities and includes long-term plans for sustainability through school district partnerships and community support. Jamie emphasizes the importance of building resilience in students so they can recognize risk, respond appropriately, and protect themselves and others. Future goals include doubling the program’s reach and building consistent delivery systems to maintain impact as peer educators graduate and new ones are trained. Resources Jamie Macintosh on LinkedIn Live2Free Short film Transcript [00:00:00] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, brought to you by Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice, right here in Orange County, California. This is episode number 342. Peer educators to build safe communities. [00:00:20] And I’m Dr. Sandie Morgan. This is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in the fight to end human trafficking. I’m very glad to welcome Jamie Macintosh to the show. [00:00:38] Jamie Macintosh joined the Global Center for Women in Justice as the program coordinator for the Samueli Foundation Grant. Safe Community, Safe Kids Program. She is an alumnus of Vanguard University and has a single subject teaching credential in social science and a college counseling certificate from UCLA. [00:01:06] Sandie Morgan: She has extensive experience working as a middle and high school teacher, a school counselor and administrator In private and public education passionate about outreach. Jamie has traveled with students on trips to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast Jamie. [00:01:34] Jamie Macintosh: Thank you for having me here today Dr. Morgan, [00:01:37] Sandie Morgan: I am so excited that you joined the Global Center for Women I Justice when we received the Safe Community, safe Kids Sam Welly Foundation grant, and I have to tell our listeners that when we interviewed you, ’cause listeners get to be kind of on the inside track, when we interviewed you, our committee was particularly impressed that you had served as a vice principal. [00:02:13] What does a vice principal do that’s different than other teachers and administrators? [00:02:20] Jamie Macintosh: As a vice principal, you really support the students. I think it’s a little bit more hands on with them and you’re really starting to learn more about them, especially students who are maybe having trouble in school. [00:02:34] And so there’s a lot of times that they’re in your office and you’re talking about what’s happening in the classroom, but you’re really getting down to the root of what’s going on in their lives. [00:02:43] Sandie Morgan: Somebody on the interview team said to me, oh wow, that’s great. She’s a problem solver, and so we knew you were the right one for the job. Tell us a little bit about what the Safe Community Safe Kids Program is doing. [00:03:05] Jamie Macintosh: So in June, 2024, the Global Center for Women in Justice at Vanguard University, received a generous grant from the Samueli Foundation, and this was to launch the Safe Community Safe Kids Program. So this initiative just aims to combat the severe threat of human trafficking to minors in Orange County by providing expert led prevention, education, and trauma informed training to both students and educators. [00:03:33] And all of this is done at no cost to the schools or to the teachers. So the Safe Community, Safe Kids builds upon the success of the Global Center for Women in Justice and live to free. Who have educated over 11,000 students over the past decade, but with this grant, we’re able to launch and educate even more students. [00:03:54]Sandie Morgan: So the Safe Community Safe Kids Program is going to also meet the California state requirements for seventh and ninth grade, is what I understand. [00:04:11] Sandie Morgan: So when you’re talking about doing this for the schools for free, why is that so important? [00:04:19] Jamie Macintosh: In 2016, California enacted the California Health Youth Act, which requires California public school districts to provide specific requirements for instruction on human trafficking to students in grades seven through 12, at least once in middle school and once in high school. So our program aligns with that. [00:04:39] As well as assembly bill 1227, which still focuses on addressing human trafficking in California schools. So our program trains Vanguard University College students, which we call peer educators, to visit the classrooms to provide this crucial education on human trafficking, as well as online safety and healthy relationships. [00:05:02] Sandie Morgan: And they adapted that a little later on, and I believe now every student is required in seventh grade and in ninth grade to have some kind of prevention training. Around human trafficking that includes both sex and labor trafficking. And the idea that it requires this training, but it doesn’t have specifics as far as whose training you have to use, has created, a need in our schools for support. [00:05:42] So how does our program, and I’m just gonna be like promoting this because we wanna share this, out. We want other organizations to learn from what we’ve learned because we do believe prevention is super important. So how do we meet those guidelines? [00:06:05] Jamie Macintosh: I think as a teacher, a lot of times you’re asked to teach something and you don’t get the full training, and a lot of times it’s maybe a sentence or two in your curriculum, but we know it’s so much deeper, and so we are able to go into the schools with our extensive knowledge and training and to take this from the teacher and to really teach the students this important information. [00:06:29] Sandie Morgan: So you’re speaking not just from the perspective as the program coordinator, but your own experience as a teacher in the classroom? [00:06:40] Jamie Macintosh: Yes, and I know one of the things that we’ve faced in implementing our program are teachers who are reserved about having guest speakers come into their classroom, especially about something as important as this. [00:06:54] I had a teacher that said, you know, I’m a little hesitant. Because I really have had people come in and they haven’t done a great job, and my time is so valuable. So what are you doing that’s different? [00:07:07] Sandie Morgan: Ooh, I like that question [00:07:08] Jamie Macintosh: And we, we were able to say, we use a research based curriculum. Our students have been trained for 40 hours. [00:07:17] They go through continuous education and they are really subject matter experts on this. [00:07:23] Sandie Morgan: Wow. [00:07:24] 40 hours of training. Okay, so the idea of, well, let me go back. there’s so much to unpack in what you just said. That’s so exciting. So let’s go back. You started in June and it’s only March. So we’re three quarters of the way through year one. [00:07:47] Let’s get kind of a glimpse of the progress that you’ve made. [00:07:52] Jamie Macintosh: So our students, they started school at the end of Augus...
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341 – Following the Money: How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking
Mar 17, 202500:36:48Tap to summarize
David Tyree joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how financial crime investigations can disrupt human trafficking by following the money trail and identifying the financial networks that support trafficking operations. David Tyree David Tyree has over 25 years of experience as a DEA Agent and financial crime investigator. He has led major investigations into money laundering and drug trafficking and is a recognized expert in financial crime investigations. He trains law enforcement officers on detecting money laundering and asset forfeiture. Recently, he participated in the Follow the Money Roundtable with Valid8 at Vanguard University. Key Points Financial investigations provide a new way to combat human trafficking by identifying and disrupting illicit financial networks. Traffickers exploit financial tools like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle to move money, making it critical for law enforcement to track these transactions. Financial crime investigations allow law enforcement to build strong cases that do not rely solely on victim testimony, reducing re-traumatization. Traffickers often control victims financially, making it difficult for them to escape without outside intervention. Asset forfeiture is a powerful tool that law enforcement can use to take away traffickers’ financial resources and prevent them from reconstituting their operations. Banks and financial institutions play a crucial role in identifying suspicious activity, such as rapid money transfers, and working with law enforcement to stop trafficking networks. Understanding financial literacy is key to preventing individuals from becoming vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Law enforcement needs to build trust with victims by offering support rather than immediately pressuring them to testify. Successful investigations require collaboration between financial institutions, law enforcement, and victim service organizations. The ability to follow the money provides a tangible way to prosecute traffickers and provide financial restitution to victims. Financial restitution is often the most meaningful form of justice for survivors, as it helps them rebuild their lives. Educating financial institutions and law enforcement about trafficking-related financial patterns can significantly improve prevention and intervention efforts. Resources LinkedIn Valid8 Venmo – Law Enforcement Inquiries Cash App (Square) – Government Agency Requests Zelle – Subpoena Processing Facebook/Instagram – Information for Law Enforcement Snapchat – Information for Law Enforcement Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we equip you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference. Infighting Human Trafficking here at the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University. This is episode number 341 with David Tyree following the money, How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking. David Tyree has over 25 years of experience as a D.E.A. Agent and financial crime investigator. [00:00:43] He has led major investigations into money laundering and drug trafficking and is a recognized expert in financial crime investigation, crime and trains law enforcement officers on detecting money laundering and asset forfeiture. Recently, he participated in the Follow the Money Roundtable with Valid8 right here at Vanguard University. [00:01:11] David, welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. [00:01:15] David Tyree: Thank you. I’m so honored to be a part of this. I’m so impressed that you have 341 episodes. And I bet we can agree, wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to do podcasts about this? Could we, if we could actually end this epidemic, it would just be fascinating and we could go do something different. [00:01:33] Sandie: I love that you are bringing a little different perspective to our community. We have listeners in 171 countries. And the, I, a lot of the conversation has been about identifying victims, providing victim support, training law enforcement on victim centered care, trauma informed, all of these aspects that are so necessary. But there are people with skill sets that we haven’t really included in our conversation. And I think today, that’s going to be part of what you help us understand about how financial investigations connect to human trafficking. So let’s just start off, because I know people want to get to know you, how did you choose to pursue financial aspects of human trafficking investigation? [00:02:34] David Tyree: Well, that’s that’s a great question. And I would just start with some background. So I was with the Drug Enforcement Administration as a special agent for, yeah, 25 years. I started in New Mexico. So in Albuquerque, where this is back in the nineties, late nineties, and there was human trafficking back then. [00:02:52] We probably didn’t know what it was but one of my functions as an agent was to do hotel, motel, and train interdiction. [00:03:03] Sandie: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Interdiction. That’s like a word. I don’t really think I could define. [00:03:08] David Tyree: Oh, sure. interdiction means to stop, to intercede, [00:03:13] Sandie: Oh, you just have to, use big words? Is that. [00:03:16] David Tyree: I just, that’s what they called us. We were an interdiction unit. I didn’t really know what it meant. I just, uh, did what they told me. [00:03:22] Sandie: Okay, so continue that story. [00:03:25] David Tyree: Interdiction. is a law enforcement term that refers to sort of stopping, like interceding, and there’s different forms of interdiction. [00:03:34] You might read in the paper about a large traffic stop, drug seizure in the middle of some interstate somewhere. That’s usually referred to in law enforcement circles as an interdiction. They stopped the ability of this narcotics trafficker to transit to their final destination or money going in the opposite direction. [00:03:54] So in my initial endeavors, we were responding to tips. We were looking for last minute one way cash travel, and it often involved hotels and it often involved prostitution, which arguably, you know, where was it? Human trafficking? Where was a prostitution? We were looking at the same indicators. [00:04:18] And so early on in my career, I started having contact with victims that were being trafficked or prostituted against their will. And I’m 23, 24 years old, and it opened up my eyes quickly to something that struck me that someone was making a profit off of the exploitation of these people, which falls in line with narcotics trafficking as well, right? [00:04:43] There’s people that are making a profit off essentially addiction, which is sad to me, and something I experienced personally growing up in my family, seeing some folks in my family that were struggling with addiction and, have since made it into recovery, which is great. And they would say to me, David, you got to follow the money. [00:05:03] Someone’s making a profit off of my misery. So I then, after about five years, transferred to Portland, Oregon, and I was put with the drugs and vice team, uh, with the Portland Police Bureau, an incredible group of investigators. Again, we were doing the same thing, targeting, drug trafficking organizations. [00:05:21] And it always brought us with the vice team into these hotel motel. Knock and talk investigations where we kept seeing the same thing, there’d be two or three women, in one room they were going to another room. We were not exactly sure what we were looking at and it was very challenging to get them to identify as victims. [00:05:44] Dr. Morgan, I’m going to tell you that, and that’s been the hardest part, [00:05:48] Sandie: and that, that’s one of the things people often have this idea that victims are waiting to be rescued, waving their arms, saying, here I am, come and get me. And then when you say they don’t identify as victims, how do we help them? And further down the line, when we get to the point where we want to prosecute the predators most of our criminal justice system is based on witness testimony and you bring a new component because we need to be able to prosecute these cases without re traumatizing victims. [00:06:32] David Tyree: Well, and so easy for me to talk about solution, and we’ll get to the money movement, but I will tell you this, and we’ll go into the deep end of the pool. And this is not an original thought, by the way, but I know, from training experience and lived experiences, there are three circles of, essentially, they intersect. [00:06:53] These three circles would be motivations. So there’s power, there’s achievement and there’s association. And these three circles sometimes intersect, oftentimes they don’t, but to the human trafficked victim, when you try and put them in on...
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340: Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders
Mar 3, 202500:35:51Tap to summarize
Rabbi Diana Gerson joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how faith-based communities can play a critical role in protecting children online and building a network of trusted community leaders. Rabbi Diana Gerson Rabbi Diana Gerson is the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis. She represents the organization at the United Nations and leads interfaith initiatives focused on child welfare, community resilience, and violence prevention. She is a member of the Child Dignity in a Digital World initiative and serves as Senior Advisor for Partnerships and External Relationships at the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities. She co-founded the Global Advocacy Hub for Children and Families and is the USA Country Coordinator for the Global Network of Religions for Children. In 2024, she was appointed to the UNHCR Multi-Religious Council of Leaders. Key Points Faith-based communities play a crucial but often overlooked role in child protection. Religious institutions, such as houses of worship and community centers, function as youth-serving organizations and must take responsibility for safeguarding children. Digital literacy is a fundamental skill for both children and adults. Many older generations struggle with technology, yet children are highly adept at navigating digital spaces, often without understanding the risks. Free apps are not truly free—when users don’t pay with money, they pay with their personal data. Parents and faith leaders must educate themselves on the risks of digital platforms and the terms and conditions that affect privacy and safety. Child protection policies in faith-based institutions should match those of public schools, including background checks, training, and accountability measures for both staff and volunteers. There is no single “safe” place for children—every organization must have observable and interruptible spaces to ensure child safety. Parents must take an active role in monitoring these environments. Online exploitation is a growing crisis, fueled by the ease of image sharing on digital platforms. Faith-based organizations must recognize their responsibility in digital safety education and safeguarding measures. Many faith-based organizations lack proper protocols for reporting abuse. Instead of conducting internal investigations first, they must follow legal reporting requirements and ensure transparency. Faith leaders can be powerful advocates for online safety and child protection by integrating these issues into sermons and community discussions. These conversations should not be relegated to separate, optional trainings but rather be normalized as part of faith-based teaching. Partnering with faith-based organizations in digital literacy efforts is essential. Trainings should start with executive-level leaders and then expand to parents, staff, and youth members. Involving trusted religious leaders in digital safety initiatives can help overcome parental resistance. When faith leaders co-facilitate trainings, parents are more likely to trust and engage with the material. Normalizing discussions about technology and online risks is as crucial as past societal shifts in addressing domestic violence, child abuse, and public health issues like cancer. Faith leaders must lead by example in these conversations. Young people must be seen as part of the solution, not just future stakeholders. Engaging them in leadership roles and advocacy efforts empowers them to protect themselves and their peers. Resources LinkedIn – Rabbi Diana Gerson Instagram – Rabbi Diana Gerson Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice right here in Orange County, California. This is episode number 340, Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders with Rabbi Diana Gerson. My name is Dr. Sandie Morgan, [00:00:23] and this is a show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I am so delighted to have Rabbi Diana Gerson with me today. She is the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis. But she is so much more, [00:00:49] she represents the organization at the United Nations and leads interfaith initiatives focused on child welfare, community resilience, and violence prevention. I want to just list, the organizations that she is involved as members or serving on in some way. Just to highlight the value of that connectedness and overlapping networks, She’s a member of the Child Dignity In a digital world. She was appointed senior advisor for partnerships and external relationships at the interfaith Alliance for safer communities. She co founded the global advocacy hub for children and families. And she’s the USA country coordinator for the global network of religions for children. She was also appointed in 2024 to the UNHCR multi religious council of leaders. Wow, that is a mouthful, I had to take several breaths. Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, Diana. [00:02:08] Diana: Thank you, Sandie, so much for having me. It is wonderful to be back. [00:02:12] Sandie: That’s right. That’s right. You’ve been on here before and I imagine we will find time to do this again. you’re going to be at Ensure Justice this year and the aspect of how we keep our kids safe online in a brand new digital world, there is a role for faith based communities to play that we often don’t talk about. [00:02:38] We talk about parents need to do this, schools need to do that. So tell us how the faith based community can join. [00:02:47] Diana: It’s an amazing thing that happens when we talk about children, because children intersect. And pull together all the threads of community. Children go to school, children are at home, children have networks of friends, they belong to the Girl Scouts, they go to, Cub Scouts, and they’re in Little League, and soccer, and art, and dance. [00:03:08] But they’re also essential members of our faith communities. In fact, if we think about it for a second, faith communities and religious institutions, faith institutions, whether they’re houses of worship, community centers, the YMCA, the JCC, etc, they are all youth serving organizations. We don’t often frame it that way. [00:03:30] We don’t think about it in those terms, but they are. And every single faith based institution has computers. We have computers, we have Wi Fi, we have digital footprints, we have access to educational opportunities, we intersect online all the time, with those institutions. So we have a really important role in the safeguarding of children and being a resource in actually building global citizenship and digital literacy. [00:04:05] If we’re not part of the conversation, we’re part of the problem. [00:04:09] Sandie: Okay. So. Let’s sit for a minute in what digital literacy actually means, because I’m pretty sure there are communities of folks my age, the grandmas and the grandpas, who feel totally out of sync and unable to engage with their grandkids, because digital literacy is such a looming mountain to climb. [00:04:37] Diana: Oh my goodness. What does it even mean to be digitally literate? I, I meet people all the time and they’re like, I’m really good on my desktop computer, but I can’t quite figure out my iPad. I’m really good on my phone, but it doesn’t really coordinate with my laptop. And what I have found is if I ask a seven year old, they can tell me how to figure all of it out. [00:04:59] Children today don’t see the world in that way. So understanding a few basic things about your, your device, right? Digital literacy means understanding the device itself. This is a supercomputer. The cell phone today is no longer a telephone that’s attached to the wall in the house. [00:05:16] It’s no longer a place where it’s a conversation just between two people. This is a supercomputer that connects you to anything in the world. It is the most extraordinary gift we have given to our children. And it is the greatest threat that we have put in their very hands. We have such a responsibility to understand the device and the programs that The child is using and who they are communicating with through that device every single day. [00:05:47] We see these apps. And I remember once talking to a parent, Oh, my child can download anything that’s free. [00:05:54] Sandie: Oh, [00:05:55] Diana: I’m like, Nothing is free. So what does that exactly mean? So the parent is saying, Oh, my child could buy anything that, you know, download anything out of the app store so long as it doesn’t cost me, the parent, anything. [00:06:09] And I’m like, you do understand that if you’re not paying for something, you, the user, you are the commodity. They are buying and selling your information. Now, you go and you download an app. We’ve all done it. We download an app. Now what? Terms and conditions. How many of us have read all the terms and conditions, and I, I dare anybody to read them out loud. [00:06:33] It’s like watching paint dry. [00:06:36] Sandie: hmm. [00:06:36] Diana: It’s a lot of legalese, and we have absolutely no idea what is embedded in there. I’ll give you a small example. Bitmoji. Bitmoji, you go into the terms and conditio...
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339: The Role of Schools in Online Safety
Feb 17, 202500:32:52Tap to summarize
Jeremy Davis joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss the role of schools in online safety and how educational leaders can foster digital resilience among students. Guest: Jeremy Davis Jeremy Davis is the Assistant Superintendent for Innovation and Instructional Support for the 12,000-student Fullerton School District in California. He also serves as the Vice President of the California Ed Tech Joint Powers Authority. Jeremy’s role includes overseeing technology, libraries, student data, cybersecurity, and IT networking across the district. His position on the cabinet allows him to lead cross-departmental efforts on online safety, integrating technology and educational support for a comprehensive approach to student well-being. Key Points Jeremy Davis emphasizes that online safety is not just a technology issue but a cross-departmental effort involving all school departments. The importance of resilience in youth is highlighted as a critical factor in preventing online exploitation. Resilience is built through confidence, which is developed by knowledge and critical thinking skills. Schools can integrate online safety education into existing curriculums, such as social-emotional learning (SEL) and digital citizenship programs, rather than adding additional burdens on teachers. Jeremy shares how his district modified SEL lessons to include digital wellness components, making the content more relevant to online safety. He discusses the role of parents in ensuring online safety at home, including using tools to control internet access and having open conversations with their children about digital behavior. The district utilizes focus groups and surveys with students to measure the effectiveness of digital wellness programs and adjust lessons based on feedback. Jeremy explains the concept of “trusted adults” on campus, encouraging students to reach out to staff members if they encounter online issues. He advocates for proactive parent education through in-person classes, online videos, and social media campaigns to help parents stay informed about digital risks and resources. The district has developed a comprehensive online safety page, offering guides, recommended software, and information for parents. Jeremy stresses the importance of accountability in digital safety education, ensuring that programs are effective and continuously improved based on measurable outcomes. Schools should collaborate with various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and technology departments, to create a unified approach to online safety. The key takeaway is that building resilience in students helps them confidently navigate the digital world and stand up to unhealthy online relationships and pressures. Resources School Library Standards – School Libraries (CA Dept of Education) Jeremy Davis on LinkedIn Transcript Sandie Morgan: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 339, The Role of Schools in Online Safety with Jeremy Davis. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is a show where we empower you to study the issues. Be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Jeremy Davis is the assistant superintendent for innovation and instructional support for the 12, 000 student Fullerton school district in California, and the vice president of the California Ed tech joint powers authority. I am so glad to welcome you, Jeremy. I love your job description, innovation, and instructional support. [00:01:00] Tell me what that means? What’s in your job description? Jeremy Davis: You know what? I’m very blessed to work in Fullerton. and the, where the TKA is part of Fullerton. we’re one of the few districts in Orange County to actually have my role at the assistant superintendent level. So, I do run the technology department, but that includes educational technology. It also includes the libraries, all the student data, cybersecurity, all the devices, IT, networking, things like that. So in a lot of districts, it’s, it’s like a director of IT or, if you’re lucky, a chief technology officer, but then there’ve been a couple who’ve elevated it to cabinet. and I think it’s super important because of, of things like what we’re going to talk about today, where I, I’m leading a cross departmental effort on online safety, because it really doesn’t just live in the tech department. It lives in all departments, so I, I’m very appreciative that my, my job includes all kinds of things that might not normally be considered I.T. but yeah, so that’s so director of our assistant super [00:02:00] innovation puts me over over a lot of things, but also being on cabinet gives me the ability to, really work well within the other departments and sort of set some vision for the district. Sandie Morgan: Wow. I love that. And I want to thank you again for being a speaker at last year’s Insure Justice Conference and agreeing to do it again this year. So we’re looking forward to that. Our last interview was with a survivor, Alia Azariah. During our conversation, we learned that Ventura’s district attorney’s office gave her an award for resilience. Tell me what your take is on resilience as an element of a youth being protected from online predators. Jeremy Davis: sure. you know, it’s it’s so interesting how, how many of the children who fall pray, it’s the online predators. [00:03:00] Are in need of attention, you know, are sort of seeking that attention somewhere and sadly they sometimes find it, online. the resilience piece is understanding how amazing they are as human beings. and, you know, it’s, it, for me, it goes back, honestly, to faith a little bit for me too, but it’s helping these kids understand that they’re just great people and they don’t need this outside, piece online, but also helping them understand you have no idea who you’re talking to online. You know, we’ve done a lot of work around the differences between an actual real life relationship and an online relationship and how to determine who you’re even talking to online and do you even know who they are. Because the resiliency comes from standing up for themselves, from being able to say no. You know, we talk about, we even go into the sex ed curriculum, where there, where, or the drug curriculum. Because if the say no to drug curriculum works really well for say [00:04:00] no to someone asking you for a nude photo. Right? So you know, if you have negotiation skills and you have the ability to say no, because you’re confident in yourself, that resiliency transfers to everything we do within digital literacy or with digital wellness or online safety. can you say no? If someone asks you, can you say no to pressure? do you know if the person’s a peer? Like, maybe it’s not even peer pressure. Maybe it’s a, 60 year old trying to get you to this, pretending to be a 12 year old or a 10 year old. So, knowledge gives you power, but knowledge gives you confidence, and confidence breeds resilience, because having that confidence to say no or to say this doesn’t seem right. We also do a lot of work around trusted adults. and who are your trusted adults on campus, who are your counselors, who are your mental health people, but even who’s your custodian. You know, we have, we have, we have one of our lessons where there’s a slide of every single trusted adult on your campus that if something wrong happens to you and you’re embarrassed, you can go to any of these people and talk to them. [00:05:00] Or you can go to NECMEC, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and talk to them if you’re not comfortable with anyone on campus. Like we, we try and build up a confidence of it’s okay to say no. And then who can I talk to if I’m concerned about something? So resilience, I think, comes from confidence, and confidence is what we try to breed through knowledge. So it’s sort of that constant drumbeat throughout the year of, of this being taught over and over and over. Sandie Morgan: Wow. Okay. So, so many things are buzzing in my head, but I’m going to try to stick to this 30 minute podcast. We’ll have to have you back. So you are unique. You’re a unicorn. Actually, I looked for other people like you, and I didn’t find your job title like everywhere. So how have you been? Can we help people outside of Fullerton and Orange County [00:06:00] and other schools that are facing these challenges?What do they need to be able to develop digital resilience and as educators more effectively address these issues? Jeremy Davis: I think every district has the ability to do this. I mean, my, my job title is relatively unique. there’s a handful of us around, even around the state. There aren’t that many of us at this level. However, Someone can always pick up the mantle of this, whether it’s ed services working in conjunction with their I.T. department, because, there’s so many roles here when I when I brought this group together to sort of say, Hey, you know, we’ve been doing it pretty well for a number of years, but we’re going to now crank it up to 11. Um, you know, we’re going to go...
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338: Survivor Alia Azariah – From Online Victim to Advocate for Youth and Aftercare
Feb 3, 202500:34:38Tap to summarize
Alia Azariah joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss her journey from being an online victim of trafficking to becoming an advocate for youth and aftercare. Alia Azariah Alia Azariah is a passionate advocate and survivor dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering those affected by this grave violation of human rights. Her focus lies in creating safe and sustainable communities through education and advocacy, service provision, and social justice. With a combination of professional knowledge, personal experience, and compassion, she works diligently at both local and national levels to create lasting change in the lives of trafficking survivors through specialized training and safe housing initiatives. Key Points Alia shares her personal experience of being groomed and trafficked through social media, emphasizing how vulnerabilities prior to being online contributed to her exploitation. She describes how traffickers use psychological tactics, such as fulfilling unmet emotional needs, to build trust and manipulate victims. The lack of awareness about the dangers of social media during the early days of platforms like MySpace contributed to the ease of exploitation. Alia explains how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs helps in understanding vulnerability beyond just economic hardship, showing how traffickers exploit various unmet needs. Traffickers deliberately create or exploit a sense of dependence, offering victims what seems like support or love to gain control. She discusses the importance of community and long-term support in a survivor’s healing journey, highlighting that recovery requires more than just therapy or shelter. Alia emphasizes the need for survivor inclusion in leadership roles, pushing for organizations to provide survivors with professional development opportunities rather than limiting them to direct care roles. She challenges organizations to evaluate their approach to survivor leadership, advocating for hiring based on character and potential rather than just experience. The conversation highlights the gaps in services for minors exiting trafficking, emphasizing the critical need for effective emergency stabilization solutions in the first six months post-exploitation. Alia advocates for policy changes at local, state, and national levels to improve services for trafficking survivors, particularly minors. As a mother, she applies her knowledge by implementing strict social media guidelines for her children and having ongoing discussions about online safety. She will be participating in the Insure Justice conference, where discussions on improving survivor resources and policy will continue. Resources Alia Azariah on LinkedIn Safe House Project Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the ending human trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 338 survivor alia Azariah, from online victim to serving youth and aftercare. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice and make a difference in ending human trafficking. [00:00:35] Alia Azariah is a passionate advocate and survivor dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering those affected by this grave violation of human rights. [00:00:49] Her focus lies in creating safe and sustainable communities through education, advocacy, service provision, and social justice with a combination of professional knowledge, personal experience, and compassion. She works diligently at both local and national levels to create lasting change in the lives of trafficking survivors through specialized training and safe housing initiatives. [00:01:22] Alia, it is such a delight to have you on the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. And as I was reading your bio, it sounded like you’ve been part of Global Center for Women and Justice for years. use a lot of the same language that we do in our work against human trafficking. So welcome to the show. [00:01:47] Alia: Thank you. [00:01:48] Sandie: So let’s start out withy experience go back a few years [00:01:56] to when you were a young person and you were online on MySpace and tell us about that part of your story. [00:02:09] Alia: Yeah, so I was vulnerable before I ever got on the computer, right? And so that’s important because I was already, like, experiencing a lot of bullying at school. I was already, lacking family support. I was involved in a group of students at school who were very young and yet making really scary choices already. [00:02:31] And this was about 6th grade, and so I had a lot of vulnerabilities before I ever got to social media, and so when you mixed those things together, it was really a prime, situation for exploitation and for meeting people who were looking to fill a need, and I was going to social media Hoping to get a need met, right? [00:02:52] So my, my goal for social media wasn’t to talk to the friends that I already had, wasn’t to communicate with family. My goal entering social media was to fulfill my needs of, one, having people who cared about me. I already had like mixed messages in my mind about how people were supposed to care about you. [00:03:14] So that was really, really priming me for exploitation. So I was already, even outside of social media, looking for my needs to be met by adult men, believing that that was like how I could best get those needs met. And so social media seemed like a more streamlined version to a way of having those needs met. [00:03:35] And then I was looking for people to, to, buy me new shoes and, and things that, most teens want, right, but are getting from their parents or the people that take care of them, usually. and so, this was also just a dangerous time, as it is even now, but in a different way with social media, in that at least now we know what the dangers are. [00:03:55] And we have things to prevent some of those dangers. When MySpace launched, nobody knew what social media could present. Nobody knew or thought of what the dangers were because it was brand new. Right. And so these weren’t conversations we were having in schools or with parents or things like that. [00:04:14] And so, nobody even really knew to know if I had a social, a social media page. nobody was wondering if I had a MySpace and, creating rules and boundaries around what that looked like. And so when I created a MySpace, I was going on there. To connect with people that I didn’t know, because I thought that that would, that would fill my needs. [00:04:34] and in many ways, I think the hard thing is like it did. It fulfilled them in ways that were really unhealthy and really unsafe and led me to being trafficked. But that was the kind of the tool that my trafficker used was the fact that he was able to fulfill those needs for somebody who cared about me. [00:04:50] He was able to say those things to me that he needed, to. And so I was already meeting up with people via MySpace when I met my trafficker. I was running away outside of social media. And I would find myself in situations that were really, really scary. When I would run away, when I would just meet people on the street. [00:05:11] and so I, I was using, you know, now I look back and go like, look at my little 12, 13 year old self. doing harm reduction in my own life, you know, and, and I felt like, okay, if I meet people on social media, at least I know who I’m meeting with. And I can kind of like, maybe get a vibe from them was what I was trying to do. [00:05:32] It was actually trying to keep myself safe and, but of course, safety is really skewed when you’ve grown up in a vulnerable home and things. So, I was meeting people on social media, and I would run away, and at least I would have a place to stay, and I would have, like, a roof over my head when I would run away, and then I would come back home, and, you know, a couple weeks later, I would do it again. [00:05:53] and, one time, this one time, I was communicating with somebody over social media that I was planning on running away with, and it, I didn’t know this. You know, we didn’t talk about trafficking. This was probably like 2004. and I was communicating with him over social media and the person on the other side of the computer was someone who had a history of trafficking girls. [00:06:17] He’d been doing this. He was 28 at the time that I was messaging him. I think he had started trafficking girls when he was like 17. and so he’d been doing this for, a decade. And, what he struck me as different than the other people that I had been really being exploited by as well, but not in this like third party trafficker kind of way. [00:06:40] he struck me as different because his goal was not to meet with me that day. Whereas everyone else that I had been, like, it was like very clearly, I know what their goal is. I’m just trying to find a place to stay. that was my goal. They had their goal. He showed me that his goal was to get to know me. [00:06:59] His goal was to find out like who I was and to tell me that he cared about me and to talk to me. And that was like the most enticing thing. And the thing that I didn’t, I didn’t have a dad. I didn’t have real men in my life who were taking care of me and were showing interest in me. And so. It instantly, even over social media, c...
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337 – Dr. Delaney Ruston and Parenting in the Screen Age
Jan 20, 202500:36:13Tap to summarize
Dr. Delaney Ruston joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss parenting strategies in the digital age, focusing on mental health, communication, and her book Parenting in the Screen Age. Delaney Ruston, MD Dr. Delaney Ruston is a physician and award-winning filmmaker renowned for her impactful documentaries, including the Screenagers series, which explores the intersection of technology and youth well-being. She has appeared on numerous media outlets discussing screen time, mental health, and parenting in the digital age. Dr. Ruston also hosts the Screenagers podcast and blog, offering practical advice to families navigating digital challenges. Her work is driven by a passion for fostering open conversations about mental health and technology’s role in our lives. Key Points Dr. Ruston’s book, Parenting in the Screen Age, provides science-based strategies for calm and productive conversations about technology between parents and children. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries around screen time, citing its impact on mental health and sleep. Validation is a key parenting skill discussed in the book, helping children feel understood without necessarily condoning their behavior. The concept of a “Vulnerable Village” encourages collective action among parents and communities to delay smartphone and social media use for children. Dr. Ruston recommends “Tech Talk Tuesdays,” a family tradition of having short weekly conversations about technology to build understanding and establish boundaries. She highlights the importance of balancing screen time with other enriching activities like creative projects, in-person interactions, and outdoor play. The book provides guidance on creating collaborative family media plans that incorporate sleep time, family time, and study time rules. Dr. Ruston shares her experience with her daughter’s mental health struggles, offering insights into how open conversations and community support can make a difference. The Screenagers films and associated blogs provide additional resources for parents and communities to address digital challenges collectively. Dr. Ruston advocates for using science-based parenting techniques and communication strategies to navigate the complexities of raising children in the digital age. Resources Screenagers Movie Website Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations Screenagers Podcast Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 337, Dr. Delaney Rustin and Parenting in the Screen Age. My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. [00:00:33] Sandie: Dr. Delaney Rustin is a physician and award winning filmmaker renowned for her impactful documentaries, including the ScreenAgers series, now comprising four films that explore the intersection of technology and youth well being. [00:00:53] Sandie: She has appeared on numerous media outlets discussing screen time, mental health, and parenting in the digital age. She is the voice behind the Screenagers podcast. and blog and offers practical advice to families navigating digital challenges. Her work is driven by a passion for fostering open conversations about mental health and technology’s role in our lives. [00:01:26] Sandie: Today, we’re going to talk about her book, Parenting in the Screen Age, a guide for calm conversations. [00:01:35] Sandie: I am so happy to have Dr. Delaney Rustin with us for this episode of Ending Human Trafficking. Welcome. [00:01:45] Delaney: Oh, it’s wonderful, Sandy, to be here. Thank you. [00:01:48] Sandie: We are, let me just tell everybody that in our next Insure Justice, March 7th and 8th, we’re going to be screening the movie Screenagers. And I’m excited now to have this interview to talk with Dr. Rustin about her book. And do you want to kind of give us a snapshot of the book and why you wrote it? [00:02:18] Delaney: Oh, absolutely. I, 12 years ago, was really struggling at home with my two kids who wanted more and more screen time. And I had been doing documentaries on mental health issues. And I found that the mental health, if you could say that in our family, the stress was so high. And I felt completely confused on what to do. [00:02:44] Delaney: I didn’t, [00:02:48] Delaney: So I started to wonder as a doctor who takes care of teens and adults, what I could do to look for solutions. And I started to make the first Greenagers movie. which is called Screen Readers Growing Up in the Digital Age, which came out in 2016, although we just re released it, updated. Since then, there’s been three other documentaries. [00:03:14] Delaney: During the time that I became much more knowledgeable, as I went on this journey to help my family, my kids, my patients, I In making these films, learned so much that I realized it would be really helpful to parents to have this information in a book. I did my residency at San Francisco and I stayed on for a couple years to do research on human to human communication. [00:03:45] Delaney: The ways that we can more effectively use communication for good, as well as in your world, how communication can be manipulative and take advantage of people. Well, I want to be opposite. How do we as parents use techniques that understand the development of our children, understand our struggles to not be triggered by our intense emotions that we have in parenting this, and use that knowledge of communication science? [00:04:15] Delaney: Along with everything I’ve been learning in making the documentaries and to put that in a book called Parenting in the Screen Age. [00:04:24] Sandie: I would recommend highly listeners that you go and look for your closest bookstore, go on Amazon. and order this book. even if you’re not currently raising young people, it’s a great tool to share in, in your community. Grandparents would value this as well. So, because my community, I’m a grandparent. [00:04:53] Sandie: And grandparents are really concerned about their grandchildren growing up in a digital age. So I’ve started recommending it to all the grandmas and grandpas. So let’s talk about the book. How did you lay it out? And can I say parenting in the screen age and the subtitle? I love a guide for calm conversations. [00:05:16] Sandie: Because when I talk to parents who are intensely. In the middle of this right now and having flaming arguments about you can’t take that away. And, and I’ve talked to parents who have decided to shut down the internet at their house at eight o’clock at night. I’ve talked to parents who gave up and their kids don’t have any supervision. [00:05:43] Sandie: And I often, correlate this with how we teach our kids to be safe on the streets. We started, we, when they were toddlers and could walk, and we held their hand and we said, you walk across the street when there is a crosswalk. So there’s, there’s boundaries, there’s guardrails for how...
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336 — Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation
Jan 6, 202500:35:17Tap to summarize
Christopher Diorio joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss proactive parenting approaches that reduce children’s vulnerability to online exploitation and prevent human trafficking. Christopher Diorio Christopher Diorio is a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C. He specializes in combating human trafficking and child exploitation. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, Chris has been at the forefront of investigating complex cases and developing strategies to dismantle criminal networks. He is passionate about prevention and advocates for proactive parenting approaches to reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation. Chris will also be a featured speaker at Insure Justice on March 7th and 8th, 2025. Key Points Children must be taught to become “hard targets” to protect against online exploitation. Parents should familiarize themselves with the social media platforms and apps their children use by downloading them personally. The concept of “hard targets” stems from lessons in personal safety that parents pass on to their children in real life, such as protecting wallets or purses. Parental controls on social media apps are essential tools but are underutilized by many parents. Parents should balance allowing children access to social media with supervision and clear guidelines. Blocking children entirely from social media can hinder their ability to learn safe online habits under parental guidance. Open, daily conversations between parents and children about online interactions build trust and awareness. Children need to recognize and trust their instincts when encountering abnormal online behavior. Online predators often use tactics such as creating multiple personas to manipulate and build trust with children. The dark web is not inherently evil but can be misused by bad actors to exploit children. Community collaboration, including law enforcement, schools, and parents, is crucial in preventing exploitation. Empowering parents to raise their cyber IQ and engage actively in their children’s digital lives reduces vulnerability. Resources iGuardian Transcript   [00:00:00] Sandie: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is episode number 336. [00:00:14] Sandie: Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation with Christopher Diorio. [00:00:22] Sandie: My name is Dr. Sandy Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. I’m so grateful to have our guest, Christopher W. Diorio [00:00:38] Sandie: With us today, and he is a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D. C. There he specializes in combating human trafficking and child exploitation. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, Chris has been at the forefront of investigating the complex cases and developing strategies to dismantle criminal networks. [00:01:12] Sandie: He is passionate about prevention and he advocates for proactive parenting approaches to reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation. I’m excited because he’s going to be at Ensure Justice, March 7th and 8th, 2025. There will be a link to register to join us in the show notes. But for now, we’re going to have a conversation with Chris and demystify technology and empower our communities to take action. Welcome. [00:01:53] Christopher: Thank you, Dr. Morgan. I very much appreciate the opportunity to be here with you today. [00:01:57] Sandie: Well, let’s get started. In one of our past conversations, you mentioned the importance of making children hard targets, and that caught my imagination. We’re going to use that terminology during this podcast. What. What would it mean for you to make a child a hard target? [00:02:25] Christopher: Well, thank you very much. You’re right. I hard target is a term that I have used I don’t really remember where it came from and where it started, but it’s certainly something that’s sort of baked into a lot of parents and teaching their kids, right? And when we were children likely it was your mom telling you when you’re on a busy subway to maybe move your purse over your head and wear it like a shoulder bag and put it in front of you Or it was a dad telling a son to move your wallet from your backpack And and just over the course of being reared, you get to the point where your parents are making you hard targets in life. [00:02:59] Christopher: They’re teaching you these little bits of lessons. And when we start talking about technology or exploitation of children through the lens of technology, We went through an entire generation where the kids were going up with a type of technology that the parents just didn’t have or weren’t available to them, so they didn’t know how to put those lessons on to the children to make them hard targets. [00:03:21] Christopher: So I started pretty early on in my. investigative career into child exploitation and the sexual abuse of children to start educating children and parents on how to become hard targets and sort of apply those lessons in the world or the online world [00:03:39] Sandie: So Chris, can you break down what this means and share everyday actions? parents can take to build resilience and reduce their child’s vulnerability. [00:03:53] Christopher: Sure. One of the first things that, I like to encourage with parents is getting comfortable with sort of the ecosystem or the world that their kids are going to be living in online, right? if they’re going to be using a particular type of, social media, if they’re going to be operating, on these group chats with their friends, make sure you sit down with them and explain to them that, they need to know that every person that’s on this, making sure that they understand that whatever has been put on the Internet is going to live on the Internet forever. [00:04:21] Christopher: And then I often ask parents to sort of take. their own personal experiences from when they were coming of age, right? You have to, as a parent, think back to that time when you were 12, 13, 14, and sort of the hormones and the changes that your body was going through and remember what that was like and now apply sort of the pressure that comes with that, with that in and of itself to it being 24 seven through constant communication, right? [00:04:50] Christopher: And so from that, If you download the apps themselves, like, I, I haven’t mentioned yet, but I do have a daughter who’s, who’s, 13 years old, and before she gets any application or is allowed to learn anything, I’m going to download it myself. Unfortunately, I have way more social media accounts than I would have preferred to have. [00:05:06] Christopher: but I feel like that’s one of the most important things we can do is actually understand the world that they’re going to be communicating in. [00:05:13] Sandie: So let’s talk about what kind of, let’s say, what kind of protections can parents put in place. The some, here are some of the options that I’ve had conversations about. Uh, parent who does not allow any social media on their iPhone or Android phone, the parent that says, I’m going to look at your phone every day and check all of your conversations. [00:05:47] Sandie: And the parent that says, I just trust you. And I know you’ll make a good decision. So that’s a really broad spectrum. What kind of guardrails do you recommend putting up? [00:06:02] Christopher: Yeah, Dr Morgan. That’s a that’s a really good point. Um, you know, look, it’s not going to be I completely and intrinsically trust you, to just make the right decisions. Um, I wouldn’t put that level of pressure on my children, nor would I ask that parents in general do that. Tech companies have put a tremendous amount of effort into putting parental controls in a lot of social media for a reason. [00:06:22] Christopher: I also think it’s a sliding scale on how you deal with that, right? It’s going to depend on your particular guidelines as a child. How old is that child? What is their mental maturity of that child? But I think we’re remiss if we completely block our kids out from this world, because what ends up happening is if they’re not learning to use, this social media and interact with people online under the guidance of a trusted adult or a guardian, At some point, they’re going to be released into the world, and they’re going to have no protections in any way, shape, or form, and they’re not going to have learned those hard lessons. [00:06:55] Christopher: So I personally fall into that middle ground of the three options you gave, which is to allow them to use it, allow them a little bit of freedom, allow them to understand what the benefits are, but then take the time to explain what the downsides are, right? I, as a parent, am constantly leveraging wan...
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Ending Human Trafficking

All episodes

344 – Building Futures: Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare

343: Integrating Health Services in School Strategies To Keep Students Safe

342: Peer Educators to Build Safe Communities

341 – Following the Money: How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking

340: Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders

339: The Role of Schools in Online Safety

338: Survivor Alia Azariah – From Online Victim to Advocate for Youth and Aftercare

337 – Dr. Delaney Ruston and Parenting in the Screen Age

336 — Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation

Ending Human Trafficking

All episodes

344 – Building Futures: Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare

343: Integrating Health Services in School Strategies To Keep Students Safe

342: Peer Educators to Build Safe Communities

341 – Following the Money: How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking

340: Building a Network of Trusted Community Leaders

339: The Role of Schools in Online Safety

338: Survivor Alia Azariah – From Online Victim to Advocate for Youth and Aftercare

337 – Dr. Delaney Ruston and Parenting in the Screen Age

336 — Proactive Parenting to Prevent Online Exploitation