Safe Harbour Mentoring

Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP 2019-14988) and private donations.

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a growing epidemic in the United States as well as in Suffolk County, New York.  The presence of gangs, and consequently gang violence, is a growing problem in Suffolk County, as well.  In 2017, Safe Harbour’s direct case management was significant for 43% of clients with gang involvement.  Gangs have become major players in the human trafficking industry as a relatively low-risk alternative to the illegal drug or weapon industry.

There is a significant need for additional resources for this population. Additional intervention projects or strategies are essential in cultivating prospect prevention, as well as creating awareness of risk factors and consequences of commercial sexual exploitation of children on Long Island.

Safe Harbour Mentoring program’s goal is to provide a positive adult or older peer contact and, thereby, reduce the risk factors (i.e, alienation, family management struggles, lack of commitment to school etc.), by enhancing protective factors (i.e, healthy beliefs, involvement opportunities, support for creativity, and social/material reinforcement for positive behavior) through the support of a mentor.

Currently, Safe Harbour provides immediate crisis intervention, case management, medical and mental health assessments, as well as referrals for additional services and residential placements to youth who have been trafficked or sexually exploited as well as youth demonstrating potential risk-factors.

The Safe Harbour Mentoring Program is developed to provide our survivors and youth, with a mentor that will empower them in recognizing their strengths, while developing constructive and healthy relationships.

Offered at our Suffolk County Child Advocacy Center and through community outreach, Safe Harbour Mentoring will provide a structured One-on-One, Group Mentoring, and/or Peer Mentoring Activities Program that promotes goal-directed thinking and develops social/emotional skills.

Through the effective delivery of interrelated components, mentors/mentees participating in Safe Harbour Mentoring, will experience the following outcomes that contribute to improved achievement:

• Improved social-emotional skills
• Increased positive engagement behaviors
• Strengthened civic participation by developing constructive relationships with both peers and adult in their schools and neighborhoods across Suffolk County

Workshops raise awareness about the realities of the commercial sex industry for children and youth at risk of CSEC as well as educations about the direct correlation between gang affiliation and human trafficking.