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This news article discusses how Colorado is fighting human trafficking.

This district requires all 350 of its teachers and administration to attend a two-hour human trafficking session to learn how to identify warning signs and keep students safe from pimps, especially through social media.

Interstate 25 also runs through this town and is a hub for human trafficking.

Police in this area focus on juvenile prostitution, which includes boys, girls, and transgender children who are pimped out typically between the ages of 12-14.

Generally, people think human trafficking involves kidnapping, and it does; however, in reality many victims continue to live in their neighborhoods, attend school, and spend time with friends.

Pimps not only groom kids but seem to fit into the community, and once trust is gained with the child and community, the pimp lures victims on social media, in the neighborhood, at malls, or even uses other student victims to recruit new victims.

Administrators and educators  should watch for sudden increases in student absences, new possessions that the student could not afford, another person who speaks for the victim when interacting with school authorities, students who are being picked up or dropped off by a boyfriend or girlfriend who is noticeably older, and a sudden change in the students appearance or dress.

According to the article, administrators should develop protocol on when and how to alert law enforcement when human trafficking is suspected.

There should be collaboration between school district leaders, federal and local law enforcement, mental health agencies, child welfare, and any other appropriate organizations. However, only law enforcement should intervene.

Vercelletto, C. (2018, September 7). Colorado district takes steps to fight human trafficking. Education Dive. https://www.educationdive.com/news/colorado-district-takes-steps-to-fight-human-trafficking/531705/

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Dive Brief:

All 350 teachers and administrators in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in southern Colorado are being required to take a two-hour education session on human trafficking. They'll learn how to identify warning signs and help keep students safe from falling prey to pimps, especially via social media.

The district's proximity to Interstate 25, a hub for human trafficking, brings urgency to the training. It's unusual for such a program to be mandated for an entire district, reports The Gazette.

Police in the area focus on juvenile prostitution involving boys, girls, and transgender youth; the johns; and the individuals, gangs, and cartels who pimp the typically 12-to 14-year-old victims.

Dive Insight:

Training in spotting human trafficking victims is useful anywhere, but especially in schools that serve homeless students. Traffickers tend to prey on students on the fringes of society, including those who are homeless, have substance abuse problems, are in foster care, and in general are without strong family support and community ties.

Such training first puts the scope of the problem in perspective. When one hears "human trafficking," an image of, say, a runaway snatched from a bus depot often comes to mind. And while such scenarios do, of course, happen, the reality is that many victims continue to live in their neighborhoods, hang out with friends, and go to school. The pimp not only grooms the child, but the community. He can appear to fit right in. Once a trafficker has garnered the trust of the students and adults, he lures victims on social media, in the neighborhood, at shopping malls, or even through fellow student "recruiters," who are also victims.

Administrators should be particularly watchful for subtle signs often exhibited by young victims of sex trafficking, experts say. These include: a sudden increase in absences; showing off new possessions that are more expensive than what it seems the student could afford; having another person speaking for him or her in interactions with school authorities (often an adult the student calls a relative); repeatedly "losing" their student ID card; being picked up and dropped off at school by a "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" who is noticeably older, or a sudden change in appearance/dress.

The Department of Homeland Security recommends that school administrators develop a formal protocol on when and how to alert law enforcement to suspect situations. The protocol should be developed in collaboration with school district leaders, federal and/or local law enforcement, mental health agencies, child welfare, or victim services providers, and other appropriate community partners. Only law enforcement, however, should try to intervene.

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Colorado district takes steps to fight human trafficking

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All 350 teachers and administrators in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in southern Colorado are being required to take a two-hour education session on human trafficking. They'll learn how to identify warning signs and help keep students safe from falling prey to pimps, especially via social media.

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Professional Perspective, Audience, and Topic

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Professional Perspective, Audience, and Topic

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Educators are aware of child abuse, but many are not aware of human trafficking, which is a form of child abuse. Professional school counselors have an opportunity to inform teachers and administrators of human trafficking signs to look for in students. This topic was chosen as many educators are unaware that labor and sex trafficking of students frequently occurs in large cities and rural areas, and educators may not be knowledgeable of signs to look for and how to report suspected abuse. Human traffickers are found everywhere as are trafficked children; therefore, by sharing information on human trafficking, educators can help protect students from this form of child abuse.

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How Human Trafficking Impacts Student Education

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How Human Trafficking Impacts Student Education

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It is imperative that schools be a safe learning environment for student success. However, when students are trafficked, exploitation and violence are experienced by victims and many suffer from physical, emotional, and psychological trauma. This trauma can impact students' learning experiences and result in problematic behaviors at school. According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), research has shown a correlation between human trafficking of children and school-related issues, as well as learning disabilities (TEA, 2020).

Read the "Training and Resources" section from the following website to gain knowledge of how serious human trafficking is.

Texas Education Agency. (2020). Human Trafficking of School-aged Children. Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/human-trafficking-of-school-aged-children.

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Emerging Issues Educators Should Watch For

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Emerging Issues Educators Should Watch For

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The latest information from the TEA (2020) states that Texas was second to California in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline reporting a tip or asking for assistance, and is consistently in the top five states in the number of calls to the hotline for both labor and sex trafficking cases. Labor trafficking of children typically occurs in settings such as the harvesting of crops, cooking and cleaning of homes, and working at restaurants or bars. Children have been sex trafficked in sexually oriented businesses, fake modeling agencies, and are forced into sex acts for basic needs. The average age a child is recruited for sex trafficking is 11-14! Educators should be aware that trafficked students typically have lack of family support, parents who are alcoholics or drug users, students exposed to domestic violence, and students who lack adult supervision (TEA, 2020).

Texas Education Agency. (2020). Human Trafficking of School-aged Children. Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/human-trafficking-of-school-aged-children.

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According to the National Education Association (NEA), the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 is a federal statute passed into law by the U.S. Congress in 2000 to combat human trafficking. The Polaris Project included a 2019 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which provides a comprehensive policy review of the new or renewed authorities impacts on survivors and victim services. This also looks at how these bills work together to change the U.S. Government policy and laws related to human trafficking (NEA, 2019).

NEA (2019). The 2019 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Polaris-TVPRA-2019-Analysis.pdf

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This article discusses the human trafficking hub in El Paso ,TX and suggests:

connecting with students who are not part of a specific group as they are the most vulnerable to human trafficking

the crucial understanding and awareness of human trafficking as the local superintendent stated she was unaware that Interstate 25, which runs through El Paso, TX was a hub for human trafficking and a local hotel was a well-known place for human trafficking

teachers and students do not necessarily have the knowledge needed to be safe from human trafficking

human trafficking is a much larger issue than people think

human trafficking is referred to as a diverse and hidden crime that is under-reported

while not common, this district requires all teachers and administration to participate in a two-hour human trafficking training

many victims are in the American school system and it is imperative educators learn how to identify and report suspected abuse as stated by T.E.C. § 38.004

Kelley, D. (2020, June 14). El Paso County school districts taking steps to protect students from human trafficking. https://gazette.com/education/el-paso-county-school-districts-taking-steps-to-protect-students/article_dd10e580-ac97-11e8-b778-6303fadd3d4d.html

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Schools aren't taking the issue of children being forced into prostitution - essentially modern-day slavery - as seriously as they should, say members of the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, who are working to change that.

Pimps usually target adolescents on social media and trick or force them into having sex for money, threatening to expose them if they tell anyone.

Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in Monument is on the radar of such illicit activity because of its proximity to Interstate 25, Superintendent Karen Brofft said.

"I-25 has become a hub for human trafficking," she said, adding that a now shuttered hotel in Monument had been a well-known site for human trafficking.

"If we can provide enough information for our staff members to be aware of the warning signs that might be a signal students need help, we can get them people to talk to," Brofft said.

Lisa Brandt, chairwoman of education awareness for the task force, said teachers and students don't always have the knowledge they need to identify and be safe from human trafficking.

"Without consistent, frequent education, this crime will continue to thrive," she said.

Human trafficking, defined as when someone is forced, coerced or tricked into working for the profit of someone else, primarily as a prostitute, is a much larger issue than people think, Brandt says.

Since the Colorado Springs Police Department formed a Human Trafficking Unit in 2014, the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office has seen a 50 percent increase in the prosecution of crimes related to human trafficking, spokeswoman Lee Richards said.

"It's often referred to as a diverse and hidden crime," she said, "and one that often goes underreported."

In 2017, the first year the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline began taking calls about child sex trafficking, 307 potential cases were reported, the Colorado Department of Human Services released in January.

Brofft said she didn't know much about the problem until some students in her school district became involved.

"It has impacted some kids in our district," she said. "We've had students identified as at-risk for human trafficking or showing some of the warning signs that they are susceptible."

Brofft said she had no idea the issue was so widespread and so prevalent in El Paso County.

"Some of our most vulnerable kids are ones that may not stand out," she said. "They're the sort of students that may not be part of a specific group, and those are the kids we need to connect with."

Brofft decided the topic is so important that all 350 teachers and administrators in her district are being required to take a two-hour training session on Friday, when students are off.

The Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado presented a training session in January for Manitou Springs School District 14 and Academy School District 20, which was videotaped and is now being used by school districts in all 50 states for training on "digital citizenship," Brandt said.

The training gives information on cyber predators and cyber bullying, along with an in-depth look at the realm and scope of human trafficking, using real-life cases about local teens.

Speakers include Douglas County Deputy Jay Martin, the lead instructor for the office's Youth Education and Safety in Schools program; and Sgt. Craig Simpson, who heads the Colorado Springs Police Department's Vice and Trafficking Unit.

Police focus on juvenile prostitution involving boys, girls and transgender youths; the johns who pay to have sex with the kids; and individuals, gangs and cartel members who pimp the adolescents to turn tricks, Simpson told school leaders at the January presentation.

The average age of children involved in sex trafficking is 12 to 14 years old, he said.

National laws protecting victims are in place, as are many anti-trafficking programs, including six federal departments, such as the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security.

In a 2015 instructional document called Human Trafficking in America's Schools, the Education Department said many child victims are in the American school system, and it's imperative that school personnel learn how to identify and report suspected abuse by looking for indications of the crime, warning signs and proper response.

Brandt said it's unusual for an entire school district to make such training mandatory.

"We applaud Superintendent Karen Brofft's commitment to make her staff aware of the human trafficking signs and hope other El Paso County school district leaders will follow her leadership," Brandt said.

The Colorado hotline for child abuse, neglect and sex trafficking is (844) 264-5437.

Contact the writer: 719-476-1656

Contact the writer: 719-476-1656.

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El Paso County school districts taking steps to protect students from human trafficking

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Schools aren't taking the issue of children being forced into prostitution - essentially modern-day slavery - as seriously as they should, say members of the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, who are working to change that.

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The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was enacted to combat human trafficking, mainly of women and children, which states:

Trafficking is modern day slavery with at least 700,000 people trafficked each year.

Fifty thousand women and children are trafficked into the United States each year.

These individuals are trafficked into the international sex trade that involves sexual exploitation of women and girls related to prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, and other sexual services.

Trafficking also involves forced labor that includes major violations or labor, public health, and human rights standards.

Women and girls who are affected by poverty, no access to education, are unemployed, or face discrimination are primary targets.

Traffickers make false promises of good working conditions at decent pay as nannies, maids, dancers,  models, etc.

Traffickers buy children from poor families and sell them into prostitution or various types of labor.

Traffickers transport victims to unfamiliar destinations leaving them defenseless and vulnerable.

Victims are forced to engage in sex acts for slavery-like labor through physical violence.

Traffickers threaten victims stating physical harm may occur if they attempt to escape.

22 U.S.C. § 7101

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This image is from the public law print or enrolled bill, not the Statutes at Large volume. Enrolled bill images labeled as such in red.

If an enrolled bill image has a lower part of the page with an "x" or line through it, add an "x" to the page number to see the second image of the page. For example, page "123" would become "123x".

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This image is from the public law print or enrolled bill, not the Statutes at Large volume. Enrolled bill images labeled as such in red. If an enrolled bill image has a lower part of the page with an "x" or line through it, add an "x" to the page number to see the second image of the page.

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61 T.A.C. § 1051 states that every school employee who suspects a child’s physical or mental health has been adversely affected by abuse or neglect must report to the appropriate authorities within 48 hours. The definition of child abuse or neglect include the trafficking of a child in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.004.

Consequences of not reporting suspected abuse:

Educators who do not report suspected child abuse may be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability.

Failure to report child abuse is a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 180 days.

Failure to report can also result in sanctions to your professional certificate.

(ATPE, 2020)

Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect, Including Trafficking of a Child, 61. Tex. Admin. Code § 1051

ATPE. Reporting Child Abuse. (2020). https://www.atpe.org/en/Protection/Legal-Guide/Reporting-Child-Abuse

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(a) The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, have the following meanings. (1) Child abuse or neglect--The definition of child abuse or neglect includes the trafficking of a child in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.004. (2) Other maltreatment--This term has the meaning assigned by Human Resources Code, §42.002. (3) Trafficking of a child--This term has the meaning assigned by Texas Penal Code, §20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8). (b) The board of trustees of a school district or governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and annually review policies for reporting child abuse and neglect. The policies shall follow the requirements outlined in Texas Family Code, Chapter 261. (1) The policies must require that every school employee, agent, or contractor who suspects a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been adversely affected by abuse or neglect submit a written or oral report to at least one of the following authorities within 48 hours or less, as determined by the board of trustees, after learning of facts giving rise to the suspicion: (A) a local or state law enforcement agency; (B) the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services Division; (C) a local office of Child Protective Services, where available; or (D) the state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers the facility in which the alleged child abuse or neglect occurred. (2) The policies must require a report to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services if the alleged abuse or neglect involves a person responsible for the care, custody, or welfare of the child and must notify school personnel of the following: (A) penalties under Texas Penal Code, §39.06; Texas Family Code, §261.109; and Chapter 249 of this title (relating to Disciplinary Proceedings, Sanctions, and Contested Cases) for failure to submit a required report of child abuse or neglect; (B) applicable prohibitions against interference with an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect, including the following: (i) Texas Family Code, §261.302 and §261.303, prohibiting school officials from denying an investigator's request to interview a student at school; and (ii) Texas Family Code, §261.302, prohibiting school officials from requiring the presence of a parent or school administrator during an interview by an investigator; (C) immunity provisions applicable to a person who reports child abuse or neglect or otherwise assists an investigation in good faith; (D) confidentiality provisions relating to reports of suspected child abuse or neglect; (E) any disciplinary action that may result from noncompliance with the district's reporting policy; and (F) the prohibition under TEC, §26.0091, against using or threatening to use the refusal to consent to administration of a psychotropic drug to a child or to any other psychiatric or psychological testing or treatment of a child as the sole basis for making a report of neglect, except as authorized by TEC, §26.0091. (3) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and implement a policy addressing sexual abuse, trafficking, and other maltreatment of children. The policy must be included in any informational handbook provided to students and parents and must address the following: (A) methods for increasing staff, student, and parent awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse, trafficking, and other forms of maltreatment of children, including prevention techniques and knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim; (B) actions a child who is a victim of sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment should take to obtain assistance and intervention; and (C) available counseling options for students affected by sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment. (4) The policies must be consistent with Texas Family Code, Chapter 261, and 40 TAC Chapter 700 (relating to Child Protective Services) regarding investigations by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, including regulations governing investigation of abuse by school personnel and volunteers. (5) The policies may not require that school personnel report suspicions of child abuse or neglect to a school administrator prior to making a report to one of the agencies identified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. (6) The policies must include the current toll-free telephone number of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. (7) The policies must provide for cooperation with law enforcement child abuse investigations without the consent of the child's parent, if necessary, including investigations by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. (8) The policies must include child abuse anti-victimization programs in elementary and secondary schools consisting of age-appropriate, research-based prevention designed to promote self-protection and prevent sexual abuse and trafficking. (c) The policies required by this section and adopted by the board of trustees shall be distributed to all school personnel at the beginning of each school year. The policies shall be addressed in staff development programs at regular intervals determined by the board of trustees. (d) Training concerning prevention techniques for, and recognition of, sexual abuse, trafficking, and all other maltreatment of children, including the sexual abuse, trafficking, and other maltreatment of children with significant cognitive disabilities, must be provided as a part of new employee orientation to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school employees and to existing school district and open-enrollment charter school employees not previously trained as required by TEC, §38.0041. (1) The training must include: (A) factors indicating a child is at risk for sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment; (B) warning signs indicating a child may be a victim of sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment; (C) internal procedures for seeking assistance for a child who is at risk for sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment, including referral to a school counselor, a social worker, or another mental health professional; (D) techniques for reducing a child's risk for sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment; and (E) information on community organizations that have relevant research-based programs that are able to provide training or other education for school district or open-enrollment charter school staff, students, and parents. (2) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school must maintain records that include the name of each staff member who participated in training. (3) To the extent that resources are not yet available from the Texas Education Agency or commissioner of education, school district and open-enrollment charter schools shall implement the policies and trainings with existing or publicly available resources. The school district or open-enrollment charter school may also work in conjunction with a community organization to provide the training at no cost to the district or charter school. (e) Using a format and language that is clear, simple, and understandable to students, each public school and open-enrollment charter school shall post, in English and in Spanish: (1) the current toll-free Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Abuse Hotline telephone number; (2) instructions to call 911 for emergencies; and (3) directions for accessing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website (www.txabusehotline.org) for more information on reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation. (f) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall post the information specified in subsection (e) of this section at each school campus in at least one high-traffic, highly and clearly visible public area that is readily accessible to and widely used by students. The information must be on a poster (11x17 inches or larger) in large print and placed at eye-level to the student for easy viewing. Additionally, the current toll-free Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Abuse Hotline telephone number should be in bold print.

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(a) The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, have the following meanings. (1) Child abuse or neglect--The definition of child abuse or neglect includes the trafficking of a child in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.004. (2) Other maltreatment--This term has the meaning assigned by Human Resources Code, §42.002.

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18 U.S.C. § 1591 states that whoever knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, maintains, patronizes, or solicits a person or benefits financially from trafficking children under age 14 will receive imprisonment not less than 15 years or for life.

If the child is 14 or older, but not 18, imprisonment will not b less than 10 years or for life.

If an individual obstructs or attempts to obstruct the enforcement of this, may be imprisoned not to exceed 25 years.

It is imperative for many reasons to report ANY suspected abuse, including human trafficking!

Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1591. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:18 section:1591 edition:prelim) OR (granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1591)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

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The local administrative law at Cranfills Gap ISD (2019) states that  “all employees are required by state law to report any suspected child abuse or neglect, as defined by Texas Family Code §261.001 to a law enforcement agency, Child Protective Services(CPS), or appropriate state agency (e.g., state agency operating, licensing, certifying, or registering a facility) within 48 hours of the event that led to the suspicion. Alleged abuse or neglect involving a person responsible for the care, custody, or welfare of the child (including a teacher) must be reported to CPS" (p. 27).

Cranfills Gap ISD Handbook. (2019). Teacher Handbook. https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/1864/2019_employee_handbook_1.pdf

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TED Talk

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How to spot human trafficking | Kanani Titchen | TEDxGeorgeSchool

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This resource summarizes what educators need to know about sex and labor trafficking of children. Included is a definition of trafficking, forms of trafficking, and dynamics of trafficking. Also included is information about traffickers and victims, warning signs to look for in victims, and additional resources available to search for further information.

National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE. (2014). Sex trafficking of minors:What schools need to know to recognize and respond to the trafficking of students. https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/trafficking.pdf

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Watch vulnerable children for signs of human trafficking, which include children who lack family support, have parents who are alcoholics or drug users, lack of supervision, are exposed to domestic violence, and those who suffer physical or sexual abuse.

Be aware that traffickers may utilize schools to have victims recruit other students or may use adults to recruit on or near campus.

Recognize that traffickers, recruiters, and victims come from different ethnic, racial, gender, socioeconomic, and age areas.

Be aware of your surroundings outside of school when children are present like at parks, shopping malls, and restaurants as these can also be recruitment opportunities for traffickers.

Traffickers have a physical and psychological hold over victims; therefore, victims may not want to be rescued or not understand that they are victims of human trafficking.

Educators can help identify victims by learning to look for  physical, behavioral, and academic changes in students.

Red flags all educators should watch for in students include a sudden increases in student absences, possessions the student could not afford, someone who speaks for the student, students who are being picked up or dropped off by and older "boyfriend" or "girlfriend," and a sudden change in a student's appearance.

Under Texas law all individuals are required to report child abuse or neglect (human trafficking is a form of child abuse) within 48 hours to law enforcement or the department of Family and Protective Services.

Not reporting suspected human trafficking of children may lead to misdemeanor charges for you and loss of your teaching certificate.

Educators who do not report suspected child abuse may be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability.