<< Illegal Gangs and Human Trafficking : Is it flying under the radar ?
trafficked youth . While at this residential facility , minor victims receive medical care , academic support , therapeutic and stabilization services for up to 90 days before moving to a long-term placement . The RHC opened in February , 2020 and began providing forensic medical care to recovered or identified victims . Dr . Heather Quaile oversees the forensic medical program , and she and her colleagues immediately noticed an interesting trend upon interviewing new residents as part of their intake – gang affiliation . Dr . Quaile began documenting her findings and determined that most of the girls ( and sometimes boys ) were associated with Georgia gangs .
RHC Participants - Gang Affiliation
Not Disclosed 33 %
Disclosed or Confirmed
Not Disclosed
Disclosed or Confirmed 67 %
Dr . Quaile ’ s research is in the beginning stages and she and her team continue to collect data that will assist the state in further making the connection between criminal gang activity and human trafficking .
Identifying and working with minor sex trafficking victims is not without its challenges . It is seldom that these teenagers see themselves as victims . Due to the recruiting techniques employed by traffickers , often victims are trauma bonded to their exploiters . This dynamic is further complicated by the loyalty requisites associated with criminal street gangs . The Children ’ s Advocacy Centers of Georgia is managing the state ’ s response to the commercial sexual exploitation of children ( CSEC ). Amy Boney is the CSEC Response Team Director leading this response . She has noticed an increase in gang related cases and states , “ the intersection of gangs and CSEC in
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