Sex trafficking policies in the educational sector help to ensure that at-risk students have a higher chance of identification. In 2016, the Department of Education in the state of Pennsylvania added sex trafficking as a form of child abuse and neglect (S.B. 1311, 2016). Still, mandated reporter bias can shape interaction and perceptions toward youth of color (Jacoby-Senghor, Sinclair, & Shelton, 2016). One important consideration is the impact racial biases may play in warning sign identification of sex trafficking (George, 2015). This pilot pre-test post-test examines how sex trafficking professional development training in the state of Pennsylvania influence educators’ sex trafficking perceptions and the extent to which racial disparities exist when it comes to how likely educators are to report on behalf of children at risk of commercial sexual exploitation. Primary research questions include: 1) Do professional development trainings influence educators’ sex trafficking attitudes? and 2) Does the race of a sex-trafficked child influence educators’ likelihood to report? In total, researchers were able to recruit 149 people to participate in the study. The majority of the participants involved in the study were female. Despite this original sample size, many participants started but did not continue to answer any of the questions. Still, findings revealed 1) likelihood to report; 1a) report based on race; 2) attitudes of agency; and 3) empathy levels toward sex trafficked child. This presentation will reveal the pilot pre-test findings, provide a self-reflective activity which was administered in the intervention, and then go over post-test results and future research direction.
Tashina Khabbaz is a doctoral student at Lehigh University in the Department of Educational Leadership. She is the Educational Specialist for an anti-trafficking organization Valley Against Sex Trafficking. Her research interests target racial inequality within sex trafficking and sex trafficking preparation and response within the K-12 sector.
Sinenhlanhla Zungu is a trained clinical psychologist and PhD candidate in social cognition at Lehigh University. Her research interests sit in the realm of moral psychology, primarily looking at how social identity markers influence how moral judgments are made about harm doers and victims/survivors of harm.