A.

Summary

After long consideration, I have decided that human trafficking, more specifically sex

trafficking, will be my topic of research and advocacy. Interest in this topic was first cultivated

upon hearing a presentation by Special Agent Roese, who is charge of the Civil Rights Program

at the Norfolk FBI Field Office, which encompasses Human Trafficking, Color of Law, and Hate

Crimes. To the surprise of the adults, myself, and the other high school students who were

present, sex trafficking has a significant presence in the Hampton Roads area, as well as

nationwide.

In order to ensure that many, including myself, would no longer remain ignorant or

unaware of the issue of human trafficking, the following I decided on being the questions that

would guide my research and my project:

❖ How prevalent is sex trafficking?

❖ How are people being victimized to sex trafficking?

❖ How is sex trafficking being treated in the courts?

❖ What services are needed and are provided to victims of sex trafficking?

❖ How is human trafficking currently being fought against?

❖ What reforms can be made to better combat sex trafficking?

For my project, I plan to hold a seminar with local and federal law enforcement, a

Commonwealth or Assistant US District Attorney, local organizations that provide assistance to

trafficked victims, and a victim of sex trafficking. I will attempt to find a victim of sex

trafficking by connecting with the Virginia Beach Justice Initiative and seeing if there are any

victims that feel comfortable with sharing their story. At the end of the seminar, my attendees

may create mini care packages for victims of sex trafficking as they seek to return to a normal
life in society. One possible venue for such a seminar could be the New Life Church, as they are

the host of the monthly Virginia Beach Justice Initiative meetings. Another venue could be the

Philippine Cultural Center, as some members of my family attend there regularly. Those two

venues are not the only two options for me, but are simply just two potential ideas. With the

assistance of my advisor, Mr. Aaron Pratt, I seek to have each of my attendees learn something

new about sex trafficking that they did not already know, as well as creating some care packages

of supplies for victims. I will create pamphlets for my project that consist of information

regarding sex trafficking, and how people at the local level are fighting against it. Additionally,

there will be information on the pamphlet about how they could get involved to help. The

awareness spread and the care packages created will be how I will evaluate the success of my

project. One such way I can get materials for the care packages is by going around the

neighborhood and placing bags on the doors of my neighbors asking for particular supplies. I

will place a flyer explaining what it is for, and when I would come around to pick up the bags. I

will place Thank You notes on their doors when I collect the items, and will place a flyer for my

senior project as well.

B. New Skills, Enhanced Skills, Areas of Growth

New Skills

❖ Event Planning
❖ Management
❖ Pamphlet Design

Enhanced Skills

❖ Objective Research
❖ Organization of Research
 ❖ Teaching

Areas of Growth

❖ Creativity
❖ Patience
❖ Staying focused while researching
❖ Self Advocacy
❖ Taking initiative and not being afraid of rejection or failure

C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience

I will use an activity room at either a church or community center as the venue for my

project. Flyers and word-of-mouth will be the advertisement method that I will be using. My

target audience will be students studying Criminal Justice, as the project will include aspects of

how this particular crime is fought and prosecuted in the criminal justice system. I will talk with

FC’s Criminal Justice teacher to see if extra-credit can be awarded, as law enforcement

professionals will be present to talk about the process that they go through. Another target

audience would be foster parents, so I will try to work with the Connect with a Wish Foundation.

This is because foster children represent a significant population of sex trafficking victims, and I

hope that foster parents can do the most that they can do to help their foster children so they do

not become victims of this heinous crime. I plan to talk about each of the groups that are at risk

of being victims of human trafficking in my paper. The Virginia Beach Justice Initiative is

another group that I plan to work with, as they specifically fight against human trafficking. I

plan to get speakers who are well-versed and will present information concerning the prosecution

of human trafficking, and the treatment for human trafficking victims in both the health care and

criminal justice system.

 D. Project Steps

Preliminary Steps Secure venue, research, find and contact speakers, research, 6 hours
create outlines, more research

Midway Steps Practice the presentation, confirm the venue, confirm speakers, 5 hours
rehearse

Later Steps Practice, gather all materials, finalize presentation, check 7 hours
equipment and electronics at the venue in the week before, set
up the presentation area, create sign in sheets, get light snacks
and refreshments

Follow Up Clean up, write and mail thank you notes, analyze questions and 2 hours
data for panel presentation

Total 20
hours

E. Project Documentation

❖ Screenshots of any text messages relating to my project

❖ Screenshots of any social media posts advertising or relating to my project

❖ A sample of the flyer used to advertise my project

❖ Email conversations

❖ Phone log for calls

❖ Receipts for any purchases made

❖ Photos from the event

F. Project Justification

This project will be worthwhile because this is a pressing issue that tends to go under the

radar. Sex trafficking has grown significantly in recent years, but the vast majority of the public

is unaware and uninformed about the severity of this issue. It is often said that the most direct
way that you can influence change is on the local level, and there is much to be done in Virginia

Beach is raising awareness and combating sex trafficking. As I have never planned a project

before, this will be challenging and new for me to coordinate with the different schedules of

speakers, as well as booking a venue. Writing an unbiased research paper on human trafficking

will be a challenge, as I tend to have difficulty maintaining my train of thought as I progress

further into my research, as well as choosing information that is the most relevant to my paper.

Keeping an impartial tone in research will be difficult, as human trafficking tends to only have

one angle, which that it is bad (which of course it is), but perhaps the unbiased portion could be

the methods to oppose it. I will also need to set aside time at home to focus on researching, as

the wifi at school tends to block Google searches relating to “sex trafficking” due to a particular

word. Overall, I believe that the challenges posed throughout the writing of the paper and

planning of the project will not ultimately derail me, as my dedication will overcome the

obstacles.

G. Project-Paper Connection

The research paper component of my Senior Project will focus upon my driving questions. This

will include the following: the prevalence of sex trafficking, what demographics and

backgrounds are the victims primarily originating from, its treatment in both the judicial system

and health care system, and what efforts are being taken to combat against it. I will write about

current laws concerning sex trafficking that exist on both the federal and commonwealth level,

and the significance of any distinctions between the two. Combined with the paper, my speakers

should be able to provide all the information necessary to inform my audience about human

trafficking. During the actual project, my speakers will be used much more than any information
that I had gathered for my paper, as audiences tend to respond better to first-hand experience

than compiled facts.

H. Academic Honesty

I understand that any academic dishonesty by me on any part of the project will result in

failure of the Senior Project and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School diploma.

Rightly so, no sort of academic dishonesty should be tolerated, as this is the cumulation of 4

years of hard work in the Academy. It would be a disservice to ourselves, our peers, and the

Academy to sacrifice everything we’ve done in high school to plagiarize.