Title: Off The Streets – Cincinnati Union Bethel
Headings: Off The Streets
Off The Streets
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the women who are involved in the program?
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Content: Frequently Asked Questions
Who are victims of sex trafficking? According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), a victim of sex trafficking is someone who has engaged in commercial sex acts that were “induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.” Unfortunately, most victims of human trafficking are never identified because they are being held by force, received threats against them or their families, do not identified as victims (they have been led to believe they are responsible for their victimization), do not know where to seek help, or they fear institutions such as the police will not believe them, will not help them, or will further stigmatize them. In an effort to increase the identification of victims, Judge Paul Herbert from Franklin County Ohio partnered with a human trafficking research center and conducted assessments on more than 1,000 people charged with prostitution-related offenses. By using a comprehensive trafficking assessment tool, Judge Herbert was able to find that 92% of the women who passed through his courtroom after being charged with prostitution met the definition of human trafficking victims. Who are the women who are involved in the program? At intake, 93.7% of the women we serve report being homeless, 61.3% report a mental health diagnosis, 98.2% need substance abuse treatment, 41.3% report having a medical diagnosis, and over half of the women we serve report being prescribed medications. In addition, many victims do not report having mental health or health issues at intake due to stigma, fear of rejection, or fear of receiving medical care. The women range in age from 18 to 57 years old, with 35 as the average age. Over 45% of the women who attend our program belong to minority populations.