Educators have a front-row seat into the lives of young people every day. They are often the first to notice when someone is having a bad day, when behaviors change, or when someone is missing. School personnel are in a prime position to recognize and respond to trafficking and its risk factors, but many lack the training and resources in order to do so confidently and effectively. This presentation discusses the need for comprehensive policies and procedures to support school personnel in identifying and responding to the issue of human trafficking in the school setting. Following recommendations from the Office on Trafficking in Persons’ 2022 Toolkit for Building a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol and integrating survivor voices, this presentation recommends six key components of a school-wide coordinated response to human trafficking, including universal human trafficking education for both students and staff. Attendees will be equipped with practical tools and resources to take back to their communities and empowered to take the first step in bringing a cohesive, multidisciplinary response to trafficking to their schools. This session is recommended for educators, policy-makers, and direct service providers who work alongside school systems.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Hannah Swift is the Director of Community Outreach & Training for Gracehaven, a non-profit serving trafficked and at-risk youth in Ohio. Hannah is passionate about equipping educators to recognize and respond to trafficking in the school setting and is a co-organizer of the Educators’ Human Trafficking Awareness Summit in Columbus, Ohio.