Author: Hera, content writer, Headline Diplomat eMagazine

Human trafficking is prevalent across the United States and particularly targets children and young adults. Traffickers use manipulation and exploitation tactics to lure vulnerable school-aged children. Shockingly, trafficking cases have been confirmed on school grounds, during events, and even carried out by classmates. Victims of trafficking often suffer severe and life-altering manipulation and control, such as threats of violence, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, and deprivation of basic needs.

The International Labor Organization estimated that approximately 1.2 million children are trafficked annually, which raises concerns about identifying high-risk groups and locations where trafficking occurs. The education sector can play a vital role in preventing this crime.

As trafficking victims may continue to attend school, they frequently interact with school personnel. Therefore, schools have a unique opportunity to prevent child trafficking.

Educators Positioned to Identify and Respond

The United States has compulsory education laws that mandate children to attend school until they are at least 16, except for homeschooled children. Consequently, children spend most weekdays interacting with the same adults for hours. Teachers have extended periods to get to know their students and can easily sense when something is wrong. Additional support is available from school counselors and other support staff. Educators have always played a vital role in reporting child abuse and neglect. However, few have been trained to identify and report suspected human trafficking.

Train Educators About Human Trafficking

School staff in several states are required to receive education on human trafficking. For example, Virginia released guidelines for such training in 2017. In Texas, Ohio, and California, school personnel must undergo human trafficking education or training. The federal government also recognizes schools’ vital role in fighting child trafficking.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Education, schools have the following responsibilities in addressing child trafficking:

Raise staff awareness and provide education on the indicators and nature of the crime.
Increase awareness among parents and students about the risks of trafficking.
Establish clear district and school-wide policies and protocols for identifying suspected victims and responding to disclosures from them.

Resources are available to instruct school personnel on human trafficking, which is the first recommendation. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education has created a guide to assist educators in addressing trafficking in schools knowledgeably and compassionately.

A Framework For Child Trafficking Prevention

The trafficking prevention framework follows the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ prevention model, which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention levels. Additionally, it incorporates multilevel violence prevention strategies created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Primary Tier

The objective of primary prevention is to stop violence from occurring. Primary prevention tactics focus on developing and creating positive relationships, reducing risks in the students’ surroundings, and bolstering defenses against violence. These measures involve teaching social-emotional skills, promoting a safe school environment, and delivering courses or messages to students to prevent human trafficking. Through this tier, establishing connections between schools and community-based mental health providers provides a stronger base for supporting victims and survivors in subsequent tiers. Primary prevention has the greatest potential to impact the outcomes of numerous children positively.

Secondary Tier

American schools implementing multi-tiered support systems like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports should also address the spreading issue of domestic sex trafficking in children through the same approach. This resource complements the existing guide by providing information on using the same multi-tiered strategies to prevent domestic minor sex trafficking and offer aid to affected students and their families.

The multi-tiered approach involves identifying and responding to suspected cases of child trafficking. All school staff must undergo basic training in child trafficking, including dynamics, prevalence, risk factors, and indicators. Certain staff members require more in-depth training due to their direct interaction with students. Several organizations, such as SOAR for School-based Professionals, offer training in human trafficking for educators and are available online.

Tertiary Tier

In this stage, survivors of trafficking are aided in their recovery and supported to continue their education by schools and social service providers. Children who have been impacted by trafficking require significant mental health and social-emotional support on an ongoing basis, and schools can facilitate and provide this support. While alternative educational programs may be beneficial in some cases, they are not always the best solution.

Referring survivors to these programs risks removing them from healthy social interactions that could support their recovery. Therefore, regardless of whether survivors remain in their original schools or alternative programs, schools must play a central role in reintegrating them into the educational environment by coordinating care and assisting them in completing their education. It is crucial to recognize that every case of human trafficking is unique and requires individualized attention.

Conclusion

Educators and schools must acquire the skills and knowledge to recognize and prevent child trafficking within their communities. Through education, they can raise awareness among their peers about the signs of exploitation and take measures to safeguard all students from harm. Prioritizing the safety of students entails ensuring that administrators, teachers, and learners alike understand the behavioral patterns, situations, and characters of child traffickers.

Featured photo: cottonbro studio Pexels.