WORKSHOPS
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Kevin McNeil, Special Victims Detective, Tucker, GA
Summoned: Why This is More Than a Job!
Using the metaphor of being summoned to court, Detective McNeil presents a motivating and compelling presentation to those who care for abuse victims. He explains why helping abuse victims is more than something you get paid to do but is a unique call to service that few people can answer. He highlights how people who care for abuse victims are the key to positive change in the world. McNeil will emphasize the three characteristics that each of you have buried deep within you: the achiever, the activist and the hero. Learning how to access these characteristics will not only change the life of the abuse victim but will help you become more effective in your mission to end abuse. Detective McNeil emphasizes that ending abuse must be done as a team and reminds the audience that they have not arrived to attend a conference; but have been officially summoned to join the world’s greatest team.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
PLENARY
Ben Murrie, MS, Catharsis Productions
Beat the Blame Game
Beat the Blame Game is an engaging, interactive program that enables participants to identify the corrosive way victim blaming arguments undermine support for survivors and diminish offender accountability. This workshop plays back and dismantles the most common reasons why people blame victims of sexual violence and support alleged perpetrators. Research strongly links intervention during an incident to bystanders understanding that what they are witnessing is indeed problematic. The program utilizes real cases to illustrate how all of us are vulnerable to blaming the victim, and shares ways of challenging ourselves, and others, when we lose our way. If bystanders have failed to address their own biases about what “real rape” and “real victims” look like, they will have a reduced, if nonexistent, drive to intervene to help a vulnerable person.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Elizabeth Bouchard, Program Manager
Support to End Exploitation Now
Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County Boston, MA
4B: Identifying and Responding to Child Trafficking and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) are under-identified and underserved. Youth serving professionals of all kinds are working with or involved with exploited youth. but may not recognize the signs and indicators of CSEC. When they do suspect it, they may not know what to do. Increasing knowledge across disciplines is critical to increasing identification and ensuring that at risk and exploited youth receive appropriate and effective support and services. Providers can work together to encourage long-term healing and promote recovery.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
5A: Tools & Recommendations for Child Trafficking MDTs: Coordination, Case Conferencing, and Responding to Missing Youth
This workshop will provide insight into the SEEN (Support to End Exploitation Now) Program at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County in Boston, MA and how they manage trafficking issue through their MDT response model. The unique roles of Multidisciplinary team members regarding how to streamline efforts, case coordination, support and promoting teamwork will be emphasized. Intervention strategies aimed at various issues such as prevention education to counteract grooming, when to employ interpersonal support and mentoring, cultural considerations particularly around immigration issues, and other high risk issues will also be discussed using case examples to enhance applicability.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Closing Plenary: Bringing Youth Voice to the Child Trafficking MDT
This workshop will bring input and advice of the Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) Youth Advisory Board for MDT members investigating and providing services for exploited youth. What matters most in the first conversation? What is helpful? What doesn’t work? The workshop will offer concrete, discipline-specific recommendations from the youth for each MDT member (law enforcement, prosecutors, forensic interviewers, medical providers and more). The presentation will help prepare first responders to meet high risk and exploited youth “where they’re at” in a long-term recovery process and will integrate personal anecdotes and case examples to bring youth advice to life. Attendees will gain knowledge and insight from young survivor leaders and strategies to enhance their work as part of an MDT.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
John Fabian, Assistant United States Attorney, Western New York
Special Agent Jennifer Amo, Federal Bureau of Investigation
2A: Case Study: United States v Thomas Cox
AUSA John Fabian and Special Agent Jennifer Amo will be presenting a sex trafficking case study involving force, fraud and coercion as well as the prostitution of minors in multiple states across the United States, with focuses upon Las Vegas, Miami and the eastern seaboard.
Kevin McNeil, Special Victims Detective, Tucker, GA
1A: Child Abuse and It’s Effects upon Individuals, Families and Communities
You must investigate an intrafamilial sexual abuse case. Now what? Do you interview all the children or just the one involved? How do you get the guardian to allow you to conduct your investigation without interference? Let’s face it, no investigation gets solved without the help of the community. This workshop is designed to help law enforcement and care professionals see the importance the family and community play in their investigations. It will help the investigator and care professional learn how to include the family in the investigation process.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Ben Murrie, MS
Director of Program Management
Catharsis Productions
4A: Going Down
This workshop is designed to help us understand the implications and impact of the media we consume. It uses visual examples, research, and psychological theory to explore how the detrimental effects of this warped fantasy world impact our identities and those with whom we interact. During this program, participants will be exposed to both the obvious and subtle presence of pornography in our modern society. They will learn through applicable social psychology theory how pornography models behavior that is problematic in the real world and teaches viewers to sexualize the unimaginable. Finally, the program introduces participants to the research that supports how pornography causes a cognitive and behavioral shift and thus impacts not just the viewer, but all those around them. Because what we are dealing with is no longer a secret little vice, but an epidemic.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Doyle Pruitt
Keuka College
5B: Lessons Learned from International Laws and Research on Grooming Behaviors of Sex Offenders
This workshop begins by providing a brief overview of the types and prevalence of grooming behavior used by adult sex offenders at the victim and community level. Building off this foundational knowledge, the impact of grooming on victims (defined as the individual, their family, and the community) is explored. While grooming is not illegal in the US, has been criminalized in other countries. An overview of these laws, including their relevance to practice in the states will be covered. Ways to detect grooming, strategies to address grooming behaviors in offenders, and approaches to care with victims in healing from being groomed will be discussed.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Ed Suk, Executive Director
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Rochester Branch
3A: Protecting Children from Technology Facilitated Crimes
This workshop will cover the latest avenues by which children and teens fall victim to technology-based crimes and will include information related to online victimization, social media, smartphone apps and grooming activity. In addition, there will be an emphasis on the resources available to investigators and multi-disciplinary team personnel from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that can assist in investigating these crimes against children including the CYBERTIPLINE, Child Victim Identification Program, Child Sex Trafficking Team and the Missing Children’s Division.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
Jimmy Widdifield, Jr., M.A., LPC
University of Oklahoma, Health Sciences Center
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
1B: More Than Playing Doctor: An Overview of Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior
More than one-third of sexual offenses against children are committed by other youth. Families are often bereft of what to do as are professionals from across disciplines who are often operating from common misconceptions about these youth. Often the children and adolescents with problematic sexual behavior (PSB), the other children (victims) impacted, and their families do not receive comprehensive research-based treatment that supports the whole family. This presentation will provide professionals with background information on children and adolescents with PSB and identify strategies to enhance comprehensive services to these youth, child victims, and their families in a way that preserves the family and promotes effective healing.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
2B: Supporting Families: Safety Planning, Visitation and Reunification
Problematic sexual behavior, including illegal sexual behavior, most commonly occurs among youth within the same family and home. Caregiver stress, an increased risk of placement disruptions, and an increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems for both the child demonstrating PSB and the recipient child are only some of the adverse impacts a youth’s PSB may have. Although youth who have PSB sometimes require a restrictive or out-of-home placement, most youth with this behavior can remain in their home, even if other children also reside in the home. This presentation is designed for professionals from a variety of disciplines (e.g., social work, juvenile probation, mental health) and will address safety planning and a framework for placement decisions and reunification in cases where youth have PSB.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
3B: Sexual Minority Youth and Juvenile Justice
Youth who identify as a sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning – LGBTQ) are at risk for multiple adverse experiences and are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Further, when these youth demonstrate sexual behavior, either typical or concerning, they are often perceived as having problematic sexual behavior and then treated as if a risk to the safety of others. This presentation will present current information on sexual minority youth and juvenile justice and facilitate discussion to help professionals better serve these youth.
Approved for 1.5 NYSED Continuing Education Credits.
