TOPIC: IN SUPPORT OF DECREASING ADULT AND CHILD HUMAN

TRAFFICKING IN TENNESSEE

SUBMITTED BY: Chad S ee , TSNA Legi la i e Di ec o

AUTHOR: Chad S ee

WHEREAS, human trafficking is a type of crime where human beings are treated as

possessions and forced to perform involuntary acts for someone else s

profit (Conrad & Wallace, 2016, p. 1); and

WHEREAS, despite difficulties in measuring the prevalence and incidence of human

trafficking, it is clear that human trafficking is recognized as a public

health emergency (Speck, 2018, p.408); and

WHEREAS, forced labor and sexual exploitation are the most common forms of

human trafficking (Conrad & Wallace, 2016, p. 1); and

WHEREAS, of the 95 counties in the state of Tennessee, 76 counties had known

cases of human trafficking (TBI, 2013, p.3); and

WHEREAS, over 100 cases of human trafficking were reported in Coffee, Davidson,

Knox and Shelby counties, between 2-26 cases were reported in

Franklin, Rutherford, Warren, Carter, Hamilton, Lawrence, Madison,

Roane and Washington counties/cities, between 16-25 cases of human

trafficking were reported in Bradley, Dickson, Lake, Marshall,

Montgomery, Putnam, and Sevier (TBI, 2013, p.3); and

WHEREAS, 94 children are trafficked for the commercial sexual exploitation of

children in Tennessee each year (Adolescent Girls, 2012, p.12); and

WHEREAS, warning signs for victims typically are young (around 13 years old),

female, low-income, homeless, or may be a runaway, unstable family

backgrounds that lack adult supervision or include high rates of abuse or

neglect, and those involved in the child welfare system (Conrad and

Wallace, 2016, p. 2); therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) will advocate and

stand against the act of human trafficking of human beings; and be it

further

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) will correspond with

public and private nursing schools in Tennessee advocating for more

education on human trafficking and how to recognize a victim as a nurse;

and be it further

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) support legislation

that helps to restrict and/or eliminate the ability for sex trafficking to

occur; and be it further

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) will, if feasible,

publish an article in the quarterly newsletter with information about

human trafficking and how to combat the issue; and be it further

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) will, if feasible,

convene a committee of student nurses, practicing nurses, and experts

in the field of identifying human trafficking to create an instructional

lesson on combating human trafficking from a nursing perspective and

place it on the TSNA website; and be it further

RESOLVED, that Tennessee Student Nursing Association (TSNA) write a

correspondence to the government leadership supporting taking steps to

decrease human trafficking, including the Governor, the Lieutenant

Governor, the Speaker of the House, and any other government officials

deemed appropriate by the TSNA Board of Directors.