Open Your Eyes: Reasons, Responsibilities, and Responses to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation Symposium for the Faith Community

Do you really know what human trafficking is in the U.S.?  Do you know what it looks like? Do you know who the people are that sexually exploit victims and why they do this? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you need to attend the Human Trafficking Symposium being hosted by the North Central Human Trafficking Response Team Faith Committee, where these and other questions will be answered. 

The symposium, Open Your Eyes: Reasons, Responsibilities, and Responses to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation Symposium for the Faith Community, will be held at two locations: Faith Wesleyan Church, 1033 Tucker Street, Williamsport, on January 27^th, and at Christ Wesleyan Church, 363 Stamm Road, Milton, on January 28^th.  This symposium will bring awareness and education to our churches, our communities, provide information regarding physical and social indicators, list the effects of complex trauma for human trafficking victims, and inform those in attendance of the new legislation regarding trafficking and provide the national and local hotline numbers and resources.   The symposium will feature guest speakers; Ms. Shea M. Rhodes, Esquire (Director, CSE Institute, Villanova Law School), Ms. Deb Colton (Founder & President of Oasis of Hope), Ms. Heather Shnyder (Prevention Education Specialist, Transitions of PA), and a survivor of child sexual exploitation, Jen Spry. The moderator will be Senior Magisterial District Judge James Sortman (Chair, Lycoming County Human Trafficking Response Team and Member, PAATH15).

Fittingly, January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the Symposium Planning Committee chose the dates for the symposium to emphasis that very fact.  Through the event, we are hoping to raise awareness and bring attention to issues surrounding the sexual exploitation of all victims that are taking place in our own backyards. The information provided at the symposium will enable people to recognize the signs of child sexual exploitation that it is a real concern and how we can report it appropriately. 

Registration will open at 8:00 am, and the first speaker will start at 8:30 am. Lunch will be provided. Following the symposium's conclusion at 2:00 pm, each attendee is invited to join the free Mandated Reporter Training, from 2-4 pm. Each person who completes this training will receive a five-year certification.

Mandated Reporter Training is for any individual in the congregation who “comes into contact with children in the course of his or her work or professional practice is a mandated reporter.

· Non-paid and voluntary personnel who perform services for the Church should also consider themselves to be mandated reporters if they come into contact with children during their volunteer Church work.

· The reporting mandate is restricted to those children with whom the mandated reporter comes into contact through work or through the institution with which the reporter is associated. The abused child must actually be "under the care, supervision, guidance or training of [the mandated reporter] or of an agency, institution, organization or other entity with which that person is affiliated."

· Examples of children considered by the CPSL to be under the care or supervision of a Church entity would include school and CCD students, children enrolled in child-care programs, children being "babysat" during worship services or gatherings, children participating in Church-related youth ministries or sports programs, Catholic Charities' clients and health care patients.”  -  Pennsylvania Council of Churches in accordance with the Child Protective Services Laws in PA

Registration for the symposium closes on January 20th, or when capacity is reached.

A donation of $10 per person is requested, and pre-registration is required.

Snow dates for Williamsport and Milton are Friday, February 3^rd and Saturday, February 4^th respectively. 

Human trafficking is modern day slavery, it is the exploitation of persons for commercial sex or labor by force, fraud or coercion, and is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world generating a $32 billion dollar annual profit. 

At Transitions, our work educates adults working with minors to understand and watch for signs and indicators of sex trafficking.

Our agency offers a large number of services to victims of sex trafficking.  Please do your part of understanding human trafficking and opening your eyes to this horrible issue.  For more information go to https://openyoureyeswilliamsport.eventbright.com for the Williamsport location or https://openyoureyesmilton.eventbirght.com for the Milton location.