Though human trafficking is hidden, victims may be in plain sight. This includes those in schools within our community. Children may be victims of sex trafficking, through gangs or other traffickers. Heartbreakingly, some victims are trafficked by their own families. Children may also be victims of labor trafficking in agricultural labor or other forms of labor. Trafficked children may be kept from going to school, but others may continue as students and that is way it is important for educators to not only be aware of child trafficking, but to learn the red flags that may indicate victimization and  how to respond.
Last year, a Clovis student was rescued after it was found that she was a victim of domestic servitude, working at a family’s house, though they told everyone she was an adopted daughter.
She shared an insight from her experience with future teachers at Fresno Pacific, “If a student can’t explain or doesn’t say what he or she does after school or on the weekends, that is a red flag.”
There are other signs and a teacher with an awareness of the signs can play a part in bringing freedom to a juvenile victim. We also have a national hotline, 888-3737-888, that educators and other can call if they suspect possible human trafficking. The operators are trained and can answer question, advise callers, and dispatch to the appropriate authorities.
On our website is a wealth of simple yet comprehensive resources on our Educators’ page.
We encourage teachers and other educators to attend our trainings during Freedom Week and other times, to request training at their school, and help in the fight against human trafficking of children.