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Prevention Action Alliance
Teen Sex Trafficking—KNOW! To Educate Them to Protect Them
The following Know! Tip discusses the sex trafficking of children.
There is no graphic content or description below, but it could still be
difficult for some readers. If you suspect human trafficking might be
occurring near you or need help, call the National Human Trafficking
Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, TTY 711, text 233-733, or chat with the
hotline at humantraffickinghotline.org/chat.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says more than 300,000
of our nation’s young people are considered at-risk for sexual
exploitation annually. An estimated 150,000 U.S. born children are
formerly recruited into sex trafficking each year, with 14 being the
average age of recruitment.
In the previous tip, Teen Sex Trafficking – What Parents Need to KNOW!,
we defined teen sex trafficking, discussed the wide range of youth who
are at-risk, and talked about the fact that traffickers prey upon the
vulnerabilities and naiveties of children.
In talking with your students on this subject, they should be made
aware of the clever and highly manipulative ways in which sex
traffickers operate. It is the recruitment, grooming and seasoning of a
victim.
Recruitment: A trafficker typically befriends the victim and gains
their trust. They may even pretend to be the victim’s romantic love
interest. They tend to shower the young person with gifts and an
overabundance of compliments.
Grooming: The trafficker slowly begins to isolate the victim from
friends and family. The trafficker may supply the victim with drugs and
alcohol and starts controlling how the victim dresses, behaves, and
spends personal time. At this stage, the victim is encouraged to
participate in sexual activities that involve modeling, stripping, and
pornography.
Seasoning: This is the final phase, where the victim experiences
emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Depending on the
situation, there may be confinement, forced sexual education, re-naming
or re-programming of the victim, and removal from familiarity. Through
manipulation, the victim feels increasingly dependent on the
trafficker. At this point, the trafficker typically has some leverage
that keeps the victim from running away or seeking help, including
threats made against the victim’s loved ones.
It is important for children to know that a “trafficker” may be male or
female, of any age, and could even be a classmate recruiting on behalf
of a trafficker. Popular recruitment areas include parks and
playgrounds, schools, walking to and from bus stops, shopping malls,
gas stations, truck stops, and online—including through social media.
In addition to TALKING about teen sex trafficking, you can further protect your students by taking these steps:
Make it clear that a youth manipulated into sex trafficking is never
the one at fault. They are a victim and need help, not punishment.
Be a person they can turn to. One in four girls and one in six boys
will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old, according to the
National Sexual Violence Resource Center. A student needs to hear it
from you that if anyone exhibits inappropriate sexual behavior toward
them in any way (including past occurrences), they can and should come
to you.
Warn them about the dangers of social media. We assume students know
not to send naked photos, share personal information online or agree to
meet up with anyone they meet on the internet, but they need to be
reminded. It is also essential that students be made aware of the
difference between an online “friend” and an established friendship.
Pay attention to your students. Take notice of friendships/relationships that seem to isolate a student from others.
Additional red flags that may signal a student is being trafficked include:
Signs of physical abuse such as burn marks, bruises, or cuts.
Unexplained absences from class.
Less appropriately dressed than before.
Sexualized behavior.
Overly tired in class.
Withdrawn, depressed, distracted, or checked out.
Brags about making or having lots of money.
Displays expensive clothes, accessories, or shoes.
New tattoo (tattoos are often used by traffickers as a way to brand
victims. Tattoos of a name, dollar sign, or barcode could indicate
trafficking).
Older boyfriend or new friends with a different lifestyle.
Talks about wild parties or invites other students to attend parties.
Shows signs of gang affiliation (preference for specific colors, notebook doodles of gang symbols, etc.).
If you suspect a student is being trafficked, follow your school’s
protocol for reaching out to the authorities. If you sense immediate
danger for a child, call 911 without hesitation. It is better to err on
the side of caution.
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