Fathers, fathers-to-be, father figures, and foster fathers all gathered at Warren High School in Downey on November 9th for the annual FatherCon workshop.
FatherCon, created by Patrick Erlandson and in partnership with LBCC’s Foster and Kinship Services Department, is the 2nd annual event aimed at combatting human trafficking through promoting healthy fatherhood.
In an age where 1 in 4 children are living without their fathers, according to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau, the event brought together men to discuss the obstacles of fatherhood amid the threat of human trafficking.
Erlandson spoke about Long Beach and its unique level of diversity, however “Because of the diverse population, you have a vulnerable community. All of these communities get exploited.”
The State of California Department of Justice reported that there are an estimated 20.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide at any time. In the United States, California is one of the largest sites for human trafficking, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, with 1,331 reported cases in 2016.
Dr. Claudia Garcia, Director of Foster and Kinship Services at LBCC, spoke on how former and current foster youth are more vulnerable to potential trafficking, and LBCC’s partnership with the event as a result. The workshop’s intent is to further “engage fathers and males to be part of that conversation. We’re not seeing that presence. We’re seeing more females than males, so FatherCon is a call to males to be more present in that dialogue in protecting their communities.”
Erlandson aimed to address the unique challenges of “being a father in the 21st century,” with the Internet now involved and a driving force behind trafficking in the community.
Zach Tanenbaum of Stryker Corporation, discussed his innovative app idea that would create added security and allow adolescents and teens to use social media within a more enclosed environment, interacting only with others who have also been verified by the app.
“There are 500,000 sexual predators online at any given time,” said Tanenbaum, explaining the need for this upcoming technology. He explained that technology has been utilized to “Teach kids to value sexuality,” taking advantage of likes to release dopamine, and how photo editing has reached an extreme, creating unattainable levels of perfection for impressionable youths.
The workshop mainly discussed the positive effects of having a strong father figure, serving both as a role model and as a protective force against the risks of trafficking.
Alan Smyth, Executive Director of Saving Innocence, an organization dedicated to combatting child sex trafficking, spoke about the importance of spending quality time with daughters, and how he would take his daughter on a vacation every year, just the two of them, and how this creates lasting memories and strengthens father-daughter bonds.
“You don’t have to be perfect,” said Erlandson. “We want to focus on the positives. There are plenty of negatives from an unengaged father. On the flipside, we want to address all the positive good that can be done. You can be imperfect but still have a positive impact on your children.”
“I was born a son. I was born a brother. I was made into a father,” said speaker and former NFL player Scott Galbraith.
The event included several short talks from a variety of speakers involved in the trafficking industry, an interaction section as well as an open mic. Dozens of research and social services organizations also attended, aiming to bridge the gap and connect attendees to available services.
Notable speakers included Armand King, a former pimp and author of “Raised in Pimp City,” Superbowl champion Scott Galbraith, Rodney King’s daughter Lora King, and trafficking victim Stacy Jewell.
Erlandson said the event is targeted towards “men changing their attitudes.” FatherCom aimed to answer, “How do we reach this person and have them become a responsible father? We leave behind this abusive, toxic past to get to something satisfying.”
The event also included a segment about pornography, led by father of 8, Jeremy Green. It addressed how men’s views of women and sex become impacted as a result, particularly regarding those introduced to porn at a young age, creating a “hypersexuality in our culture.”
This culture of entitlement is directly related to trafficking, and the usage of people as products, he explained.
This event brought men together to explore the significance and obstacles of fatherhood in an age of local and online threats to our children and communities from human trafficking.
The convention concluded with various Heart of the Father Awards, given to notable members of the community who have consistently fought trafficking in the area. Recipients included Downey Mayor Rick Rodriguez, former FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Clark, and principal of Valley High School in Santa Ana Dr. Hector Galicia, who was able to rescue five students at his school from trafficking.
Pastor Donald Parish Jr. was also awarded a certificate, for his work with “Breakfast With Dads,” the event that received national attention for having almost 600 men volunteer to have breakfast with 11-13 year-old male students.
A toast concluded the event, “Whatever we’ve experienced, we can take this forward. We want God to bless our relationships with our children, and bless our children. What we’ve heard repeatedly today is our children really need us. This toast says this is a new beginning for me, I’m going to be better, I’m gonna be more engaged and more present this is for our children, our country and our world, and the community we want to build,” said Erlandson, to a room of raised sparkling cider glasses.