Texas RISE to the
Challenge
An Introduction to Human Trafficking
for Education Professionals
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
1
Developed by the Texas Human
Trafficking Prevention Task Force
“Human trafficking is a despicable crime
that is poorly understood and rarely
spoken of. But as education
professionals, we are in a position to
help identify and combat this very
troubling issue in our state.”
- Michael Williams
Commissioner of Education
Texas Abuse Hotline
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2
Purpose of this Training
• Empower education professionals to:
• Recognize risk factors and indicators related to human
trafficking.
• Identify potential human trafficking victims and report
as legally required.
• Provide a foundation to:
• Share knowledge with colleagues, parents, and
community members.
• Engage in local prevention efforts.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Importance of this Training
• In 2013, the Texas Legislature identified education
personnel as a priority profession to be trained on
human trafficking.
• Education professionals serve an important role in Texas
trafficking prevention efforts because teachers,
administrators, and staff interact daily with children who
are at risk of becoming or already victims of human
trafficking.
• You can become our eyes and ears by recognizing human
trafficking and reporting the abuse to the proper
authorities.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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4
Objectives
This training is designed to help education professionals:
1. Understand what human trafficking actually is
2. Understand child trafficking
3. Understand risk factors and vulnerabilities of school-
aged children related to human trafficking
4. Understand human trafficking indicators for school-
aged children
5. Recognize how your legal responsibilities and
obligations apply to potential victims
6. Take the next steps
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Objective
1. Understand what human trafficking
actually is
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What is Human Trafficking?
“Human trafficking is the recruitment, harboring,
transporting, or procurement of a person for labor or
services for the purpose of involuntary servitude, slavery,
or forced commercial sex acts.”
-Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Understanding Human Trafficking
• Human trafficking is categorized as:
• Labor trafficking
• Sex trafficking
• A crossover of both labor
and sex trafficking
• Human trafficking can be prosecuted under federal or
state law.
• Human trafficking is about exploitation and does not
have to involve movement of a person.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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8
Labor
Trafficking
Sex
Trafficking
Human Trafficking Victims
“Since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA) in 2000, law enforcement investigators, social
service providers, and community leaders have reported
cases of forced labor, debt bondage, involuntary
servitude, and sex trafficking, impacting a diverse range of
populations including men, women, and children, who are
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or foreign nationals.”
-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
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Trafficking Can Occur Anywhere
• Our cities and towns
• Our neighborhoods
• Our schools
• Our foster and group homes
• Our shelters
• Our malls and parks
• Our online social networking
A victim can be trafficked without ever leaving their home
or community.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Industries with Known Trafficking Cases
Labor Trafficking Sex Trafficking
Agriculture, manual labor, or landscaping Commercial sex/prostitution
Construction Residential brothels
Domestic servitude Massage parlors
Restaurants and food service Internet-based commercial sex
Factories Sexually oriented business, hostess
and strip clubs
Peddling or begging Escort services
Sales crews Truck stops
Hospitality and tourist industry Pornography
Nail salons Fake modeling agencies
Carnivals Restaurants/bars
Gas stations
Cleaning services
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Trafficking versus Smuggling
Trafficking Smuggling
Crime against a person Crimes against a country
Contains an element of coercion
(unless a child is under 18)
No coercion
Exploitation and/or forced labor Involves entry into the country
only
Persons are seen as victims (one
cannot consent to be a victim)
Persons are seen as criminals
*Smuggling can become trafficking if exploited after a border crossing
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Human
Trafficking
Human
Smuggling
Who are the Traffickers?
Traffickers can be anyone:
• Men or Women
• Parents or Family members
• Neighbors
• Boyfriends/Girlfriends
• Peers
• Employers
• Brothel Owners
• Organized Crime Participants/Gang Members
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Anyone Can be a Trafficker: Media Reports
• A Houston trafficking ring forced minors to work in
businesses labeled as massage parlors, bikini bars, etc.
The victims could not keep their profits, making them
financially dependent on their traffickers.
• In Fayetteville, NC, a mom pled guilty to sex trafficking
her 5-year-old daughter to pay off a $200 debt.
• In White Plains, NY, three members of a suburban family
were convicted of assault and labor trafficking after they
forced a woman into domestic servitude.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
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The Economics of Human Trafficking
• There are two primary factors that drive human
traffickers: high profits and low risk for the trafficker.
• Annual illegal profits worldwide from human trafficking
are estimated at $150.2 billion.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Trafficking is Happening in Texas
• In a recent report from the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center (NHTRC):
• Texas was 2
nd
to California in the number of calls
to the hotline reporting a tip or requesting assistance.
• Texas is consistently in the top tier of states in both
number of calls to the hotline and potential cases along
with states such as California and Florida.
• New York and Ohio are
also in the top five.
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A Snapshot of Human Trafficking In Texas
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Amarillo and Odessa –
A man was sentenced
to 26 years in federal
prison for sex
trafficking. He used
social media to lure a
14 year-old Houston
girl into trafficking.
El Paso – A juvenile probation
officer and five suspected gang
members were charged with sex
trafficking for forcing juveniles
and adults to engage in
prostitution.
Houston – Three people were
sentenced for a labor
trafficking scheme that
targeted immigrants. Victims
were forced to work off their
smuggling debt by selling
pirated CDs and DVDs, and
were subjected to assaults,
threats against themselves
and against family members.
Mission - A bar owner in
Mission, Texas, was
sentenced to 30 years in
prison for a trafficking
scheme that forced
undocumented teenagers to
work at a local bar without
pay and provide
prostitution services to
customers.
Dallas – Five individuals
were charged for a
forced labor scheme.
They confiscated
identification documents
from a woman,
physically threatened
her, and required her to
provide labor and
services for them.
Madisonville – A woman
was convicted for sex
trafficking and
compelling prostitution,
including at least one
child. The woman
provided the victims
with a place to live and
then made them engage
in prostitution.
This is a sample of media
reports from around the
state. Additional cases
have been reported in
other areas.
Elements of Trafficking: Adult (18 and older)
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Action
Transporting
Enticing
Recruiting
Harboring
Providing
Obtaining
Maintaining
Means
Force
Fraud
Coercion
Purpose
Forced Labor or
Services
Commercial Sex
Acts
Elements of Trafficking: Children (under 18)
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
19
Action
Transporting
Enticing
Recruiting
Harboring
Providing
Obtaining
Maintaining
Means
Force, Fraud,
and Coercion
Any Means
Purpose
Forced Labor or
Services
Commercial Sex
Acts
or
Child Sex Abuse
Labor Trafficking:
Adult and Children
Under Texas Law labor trafficking occurs when a person:
• ACTION: Knowingly traffics another person
• MEANS: Utilizing force, fraud, or coercion in cases involving
children and adults
• PURPOSE: With the intent that the trafficked person engage in
forced labor or services
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
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Traffics Force Fraud Coercion
Forced labor
or service
Transports,
entices,
recruits,
harbors,
provides,
obtains, or
maintains.
Physical
restraint or
serious harm.
False promises
regarding
employment,
wages, working
conditions or
other matters.
Threats of
serious harm
to or physical
restraint to any
person if they
fail to perform
a certain act.
Any work or
service
performed by
an individual
against their
will.
Sex Trafficking:
Adult
Under Texas Law sex trafficking occurs when a person:
• ACTION: Knowingly traffics another person
• MEANS: Utilizing force, fraud, or coercion in cases involving
adults
• PURPOSE: With the intent that the trafficked person engage in
commercial sex acts
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
21
Traffics Force Fraud Coercion Commercial Sex Acts
Transports,
entices,
recruits,
harbors,
provides,
obtains, or
maintains.
Physical
restraint or
serious
harm.
False promises
regarding
employment,
wages, working
conditions or
other matters.
Threats of
serious harm to
or physical
restraint to any
person if they fail
to perform a
certain act.
Prostitution, promotion
of prostitution,
aggravated promotion of
prostitution, or
compelling prostitution.
Sex Trafficking:
Children
Under Texas Law child sex trafficking occurs when a person:
• ACTION: Knowingly traffics a child under the age of 18
• MEANS: Causes by any means
• PURPOSE: That the child engage in or become the victim of
commercial sex acts or child sex abuse
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Traffics
Force, Fraud,
Coercion
Commercial Sex Acts or Child Sex Abuse
Transports,
entices,
recruits,
harbors,
provides,
obtains, or
maintains.
NOT REQUIRED for
child under 18.
Commercial Sex Acts: Prostitution, promotion of
prostitution, aggravated promotion of prostitution, or
compelling prostitution.
Child Sex Abuse: Sexual assault, continuous sexual
abuse of a young child or children, aggravated sexual
assault, sexual performance by a child, employment
harmful to children, indecency with a child, or
possession or promotion of child pornography.
Child Sex Trafficking
• Force, fraud, or coercion is not required for sex
trafficking victims under 18 years old.
• To be a victim of sex trafficking, a child under age 18
does not have to be:
• Deceived
• Manipulated
• Threatened
• Physically harmed
• Controlled
• Forced or coerced in any manner
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
23
Human Trafficking as a Form of Abuse
• Texas Family Code, Section 261.001, specifically includes
human trafficking as a form of child abuse.
• Cases involving abuse or neglect at the hands of a
traditional caregiver may be investigated by Department
of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).
• All other cases must be handled by a law enforcement
agency.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Child abuse
and neglect
Human
trafficking
of children
Objective
2. Understand child trafficking
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Children at Risk
“Among the diverse populations affected by human
trafficking, children are at particular risk to sex trafficking
and labor trafficking.”
-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
26
Understanding Child Trafficking
• Thousands of children in the U.S. are at risk of
trafficking.
• Children have been trafficked throughout Texas.
• Average age a child is recruited or forced into
prostitution: 11-14 years old.
• By understanding the dynamics of child trafficking you
will be better able to identify suspected instances of
human trafficking and report as required.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Child Trafficking Conditions
• Traffickers show little regard for a child’s health or well
being.
• Children may be subjected to inhumane conditions:
• Long work hours for little or no pay.
• Live where they work, usually in very squalid
conditions.
• Subjected to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse.
• Lack basic necessities and have no access to medical
care.
28
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Child Labor Trafficking
Can occur in settings such as:
• Fields (harvesting crops)
• Domestic households (cooking, cleaning, childcare,
caring for elders, or gardening)
• Restaurants or bars
• Motels and hotels
• Traveling sales or peddling crews (selling magazines,
candy, beverages, or household products)
• Entertainment venues such as concerts, traveling fairs,
circuses, or carnivals
29
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
Child Sex Trafficking in the U.S.
“In the United States sex trafficking is the most common
form of trafficking among domestic victims and, within
the realm of domestic sex trafficking, domestic minor sex
trafficking is especially prevalent.”
- Children at Risk
Texas Abuse Hotline
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30
Child Sex Trafficking
Can occur through:
• Online advertisements of children for sex
• Children working in sexually oriented businesses
• Producing, buying, selling, or trading child pornography
• Buying, selling, or trading of children for sexual
exploitation for anything of value
• Fake child modeling agencies
• Children engaging in sex acts to
acquire food, clothing, or shelter
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(Photo courtesy of HSI.)
Preying on Children
• Traffickers prey upon children because they are easier to
manipulate and deceive.
• They often target children with vulnerabilities, including:
• Lack of family support
• Significant familial and school
disruptions
• Parental alcohol or substance
abuse
• Exposure to domestic violence
• Lack of supervision, care or basic necessities (food,
clothing, and shelter)
• Physical or sexual abuse histories
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
32
Children as Commodities
“We’ve seen tattoos not just in visible areas, but in private
areas with dollar signs; which just emphasizes the fact that
this is property and that part of her body is making money
and that is all the pimp or trafficker cares about.”
“The tattoo is used for many reasons…to show that she is
his property, and to tell her that she is not a human being.”
-FBI Special Agent Patrick Fransen
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
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How Does Human Trafficking Affect Our Schools?
• Traffickers may use your school as a place to recruit
victims:
• Students may recruit other students.
• Adults may recruit on or near campus.
• Traffickers may text or contact students in school.
• Traffickers may use
positions of authority
to contact and recruit
children.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
34
Human Trafficking and Schools: Media Reports
• 17-year-old student from Irving, Texas, arrested on
human trafficking charges for recruiting local middle
school students on popular social networking site.
• A former school teacher and coach was arrested for
recruiting juvenile and adult females for sex trafficking.
• A Kentucky couple were charged with human trafficking
after a school teacher recognized two local students
outside a movie theater dressed provocatively and being
offered for sexual services by their father.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
35
Schools Can Help
• Each year, nearly 5 million children attend Texas public
and charter schools.
• These children are all targets for
traffickers.
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As an education
professional, you have a
unique opportunity to
observe, identify, and
report possible victims
of human trafficking.
Educators are Essential
• Children may still attend school while being trafficked.
• At school they are outside of the trafficker’s presence.
• This provides an opportunity to identify and report.
• Educators are already trained to look for:
• Potentially dangerous behaviors.
• Changes in behavior and emotional state.
• Signs of abuse and neglect.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Recognizing Exploitation
• Recognize that all kids are at risk of exploitation.
• There is no such thing as a “good kid” or a “bad kid” when it
comes to exploitation.
• Recognize that traffickers, recruiters, and victims cross ethnic,
racial, gender, socioeconomic, and age lines.
• Recognize that traffickers brutalize the children that they
traffic.
• Understand our children are being exploited.
• REPORT WHAT YOU OBSERVE.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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YOU Can be the Missing Link
• When educators report abuse or neglect, children can be
linked to vital services, including:
• Counseling or mental health services
• Medical care
• Shelter or housing
• Immigration or legal services
• Safety planning
• Education and training
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Educators Identifying Victims: Media Reports
• Several children rescued and 4 individuals charged with sex
trafficking of minors in Houston, Texas after school counselor
noticed an older man picking the girls up and condoms in a
middle school girl’s bag.
• Counselor at Fort Worth ISD identified sex trafficking victim;
the 73 year-old offender was then indicted for sexual assault
of a child.
• School Resource Officer in Laredo, Texas, identified nine
potential human trafficking victims from one household
through their falsified records.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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40
Objective
3. Understand risk factors and
vulnerabilities related to human
trafficking
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Traffickers Target Children
“It is not surprising that young children and adolescents
are the primary targets of traffickers/pimps, given their
operational methods. Youth have less life experience,
fewer coping mechanisms, and smaller social support
mechanisms. This can work to the trafficker’s favor as he
implements different recruitment and control tactics.”
- Shared Hope International
Texas Abuse Hotline
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42
Individual Factors
Individual Characteristics or Experiences May Increase Risk
History of child abuse,
neglect, or exploitation
In a new unfamiliar country
or location
Runaway Stigma and discrimination
Disability Mental illness/mental health
Homeless Low self-esteem
Truancy Poverty or limited resources
Delinquency Language barriers
Substance abuse Distrust of authority
Foster care Adolescent development
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Relationship Factors
Relationship Characteristics or Experiences May Increase Risk
Family conflict, disruption, or
dysfunction
Unhealthy social relationships
Peer pressure to engage in
risky behavior
Social isolation
Lack of long-term connections
or sense of belonging
Family and friends living
elsewhere
Self-esteem not supported Gang affiliation
Texas Abuse Hotline
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44
Community Factors
Community Characteristics or Experiences May Increase Risk
Reluctance to believe
trafficking occurs in the
community
No clear understanding of
human trafficking
No dedicated resources to
identify victims or provide
services
Limited community resources
to assist at-risk populations
Gang presence Lack of school resources to
provide prevention or referral
programs
Texas Abuse Hotline
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45
Societal Factors
Societal Characteristics or Experiences May Increase Risk
Biases against human
trafficking victims
Stigmas against prostitution
Prevalence of sexual
violence
Racism/racial inequality
Glamorization of pimp
culture
Children viewed as property
or commodities
Apathy toward homeless
and runaway youth
Social norms
Texas Abuse Hotline
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Texas Abuse Hotline
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Physical or sexual
abuse
Homelessness
or running
away
Being in foster
care
67% of children identified as likely child
sex trafficking victims were in the care
of social services when they ran.
-NCMEC (2012 data)
“Traffickers often prey
on people who are
hoping for a better life,
lack employment
opportunities, have an
unstable home life, or
have a history of sexual
abuse.”
-Polaris Project
Targeting the Most Vulnerable
Homeless and runaway youth are
targeted because they often lack
the skills and basic necessities to
survive on their own.
-U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services
Texas Abuse Hotline
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48
Physical or sexual
abuse
Homelessness
or running
away
Being in foster
care
30,740 children in foster
care in FY 2013
66,398 confirmed cases
of child abuse/neglect
in FY 2013
Most Vulnerable in Texas
• 94,624 homeless students
enrolled in Texas schools in
2011-2012
• 10,254 juvenile runaways
taken into custody in FY 2012
Trafficker Recruitment Methods: A Survivor’s Story
“He was able to lure me away from home with
things like he could help me become a model, he
could help me become a songwriter because I
really wanted to join a rock band. Things that
might sound not so real to an adult. They worked
well on me at fourteen. And so he lured me away
from home, and within hours of running away, I
was forced into prostitution…”
-Holly, Survivor
Excerpt from MADE IN THE USA:
The Sex Trafficking of America’s Children
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
49
Trafficker Recruitment Methods
Pick
recruitment
location
Identify and
exploit
vulnerabilities
Assert and
maintain
control
Texas Abuse Hotline
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50
Recruitment Opportunities
Places Internet
School campuses
Social networks
Foster homes and residential
Treatment Centers
Gaming or other electronic devices
with internet capabilities
Bus stops
Texting apps
Train/Metro stops
Computers/tablets/laptops
Shopping centers
Smartphones and cell phones
Parks/playgrounds
Street
Concerts/sports/public events
Court houses
Shelters
Restaurants and bars
Juvenile detention
Texas Abuse Hotline
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51
*If a trafficker does not have access to a recruitment location,
the trafficker may send in another child as a recruiter.
Using Technology for Recruitment
• Technology has facilitated exploitation of children.
• 75% of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones
• 93% of 12- to 17-year-olds go online
• Technology can be used to “reach children anywhere,
anytime” and traffickers use it to their advantage.
Texas Abuse Hotline
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52
Traffickers and Technology
Technology allows traffickers to more easily:
• Make contact or stalk victims
• Groom and recruit victims
• Control victims
• Employ sexting or sextortion tactics
• Advertise and market victims
• Connect with potential buyers
• Complete transactions
• Move victims
• Maintain anonymity
• Distance the trafficker from the crime
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
53
Trafficker Recruitment Methods
Pick
recruitment
location
Identify and
exploit
vulnerabilities
Assert and
maintain
control
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
54
Traffickers Exploit Vulnerabilities
• Children from an abusive home life may fall prey to false
love and affection provided by the trafficker.
• Children who are impoverished may believe in the
trafficker’s promise of a better life.
• Children who have runaway or are living on the street
may be taken in by the trafficker who provides food and
shelter.
• Children using online social networks may be lured by
the trafficker as they strike up friendships.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
55
Love and Attention
“Any player can tell when a girl has the look of desperation
that you know she needs attention or love. It’s something
you start to have a sixth sense about.”
-Chicago Ex-Pimp
Excerpt from MADE IN THE USA:
The Sex Trafficking of America’s Children
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
56
Trafficker Recruitment Methods
Pick
recruitment
location
Identify and
exploit
vulnerabilities
Assert and
maintain
control
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
57
Trafficker Tactics
• Provide false feelings of love and affection.
• Create a dependency on drugs or alcohol.
• Isolate the victims from others.
• Physically, sexually, or verbally abuse the victim.
• Confine the victim.
• Control access to food or shelter.
• Place the victim in “debt.”
• Exhaust victims with long work hours and quotas.
• Threaten friends, family, or other victims.
• Convince child that engaging in commercial sex or other
forced labor is better than the life they have at home.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
58
Power &
Control
Coercion,
Threats
Intimidation
Emotional
Abuse
Isolation
Denying,
Blaming,
Minimizing
Sexual
Abuse
Physical
Abuse
Using
Privilege
Economic
Abuse
Source: The National
Human Trafficking
Resource Center and
Polaris.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
59
Trafficker Manipulation of Basic Needs
Texas Abuse Hotline
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60
• Self-Actualization (problem solving,
reaching one’s potential or goal)
Self-
Esteem
Love, Friendship,
and Family
Safety and Security
Food, Water, Shelter
Adapted from Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs
Traffickers or Pimps
will completely
eradicate victims’
sense of self esteem
or self-value.
Traffickers provide victims
with basic necessities and
often create a false sense
of love or affection; they
build dependence and
control, and they
emphasize complete
loyalty to the trafficker.
Traffickers are Control
“The pimp is not the glamorized pimp we see in
the movies. The pimp is controlling, persuasive,
and manipulative…”
“The pimp controls the way the child thinks, the
environment, what they eat and where they sleep,
where they can utilize the bathroom…the pimp is
control.”
-Withelma Ortiz, Survivor of Child Sex Trafficking
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
61
Traffickers control
victims
in many ways.
Examples include using
physical, sexual, and
emotional abuse, threats of
violence, destroying the
victim’s self-worth, and
denying basic necessities
Traffickers
recruit victims
by exploiting risk
factors through
manipulating
victims’ needs
The presence of
risk factors
makes children
vulnerable to
traffickers
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
62
The Trafficking
Machine
School personnel are well-
positioned to break the
machine by recognizing risk
factors, noticing indicators,
and reporting suspected
trafficking as required by
law.
Objective
4. Understand human trafficking indicators
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
63
Why is it Difficult to Identify Victims?
• Victims may not be looking to be rescued.
• Victims may be misidentified by social service
agencies.
• Victims mislabeled as criminals instead of victims.
• Technology can disguise the real age of a victim.
• Traffickers train victims to tell lies and false stories.
• Victims trained to distrust authority.
• Victims may be running away from something worse
at home.
• Traffickers maintain physical and psychological hold
over the victim.
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
64
Why Don’t Victims Ask for Help?
Limited
Family/social
support
False promises of
security, love a
better future
Trauma bonding
Language and
social barriers/
unfamiliarity
Normalization of
sex for
survival/abuse
Juvenile arrest
histories–
treatment as a
criminal
Fear and distrust
No personal ID or
documents
Confined or
monitored
Feeling that no
one will
understand
Threats of
violence and
reprisal against
loved ones
Shame, self
blame,
hopelessness,
resignation
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
65
Children may not self-identify as a victim or ask for help due to:
How Can Educators Help Identify Victims?
Education professionals can help identify potential victims
by learning about human trafficking indicators, including :
• Physical Signs
• Behavioral Signs
• Academic Signs
• Use of Trafficking-Related Language
Texas Abuse Hotline
800-252-5400
66
Human Trafficking Indicators:
Physical Signs
Sex Trafficking Labor or Sex Trafficking
Branding tattoos such as “daddy” or
bar code designs, or any symbol for
the pimp
Malnourishment
Gifts from unknown sources (clothes,
hair styles, makeup, manicures,
purses, shoes, etc.)
Lacerations (hanger whippings),
carvings or bruises from beatings
(often with makeup used to cover the
injuries), and injuries in less visible
locations
Motel keys/cards in the victim’s
possession
Sexually transmitted infections
Large amounts of cash on hand Pregnancy or history of pregnancy
New or pre-paid cell phones Burns, cuts, or bruises
Bald spots, rotting teeth, or other
indicators of poor health
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Tattoo Examples
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Branding Tattoo found on a
woman involved in sex trafficking
ring based in Reno.
(Source: Reno Police Department)
A sex trafficking victim shows her
tattooed lip with the name of her
pimp.
(Source: Amita Sharma, KPBS)
Human Trafficking Indicators:
Behavioral Signs
Sex Trafficking Labor or Sex Trafficking
Victim has an older “friend” or
“boyfriend” (likely appears fearful of
him or her)
Victim avoids eye contact
Uses advanced sexual terms (not age-
appropriate)
Fear of social interaction, signs of
anxiety, depression, or nervousness
Victim has low self-esteem Truancy, runaway, or homelessness
Young age with high number of sex
partners
Frequent travel
Distrustful of law enforcement,
disrespectful or indifferent toward
authority
Scripted answers or inconsistent
stories involving work, injuries,
whereabouts, or home life
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Human Trafficking Indicators:
Academic Environment
Sex Trafficking Labor or Sex Trafficking
Social media usage or internet
browsing history related to sexual
advertising
Truancy or frequent tardiness
Peer conversations about older
boyfriends
Frequent changes in schools
Rumors about someone offering a
place where youth can party or live
Declining grades
Comments about leaving to meet
someone they met online
Tiredness throughout daytime; falling
asleep in class
Use of street language (see next slide) Changes in usual activities or friends;
changes in hobbies, demeanor, or
economic circumstances
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Human Trafficking Indicators:
Language
Caught a case: When pimp or victim has been arrested and charged with a crime.
Daddy: What traffickers often call themselves and how victims often refer to them.
Exit fee: What pimp will charge victim for her to leave; usually high amount and victim is
unable to leave.
Square: Trying to go straight and get out life, or that describes law enforcement and those
that don’t understand “the game.”
Stable: Those under the trafficker’s control.
The Life: Being commercially or sexually exploited (prostitution); the game.
Stroll or Track: Common area where street prostitution occurs.
Trick: Also called a John or date; a customer.
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Source: Polaris and Shared Hope International.
Objective
5. Recognize how your legal
responsibilities and obligations apply to
potential victims
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Texas Mandated Reporting
• Under Texas law:
• All individuals are required to report suspected abuse
or neglect.
• Certain professionals, including teachers and nurses,
are required to report suspected abuse or neglect
within 48 hours.
• Your report cannot be delegated to a superior,
administrator, or other individual.
• Reports must be made to:
• Law enforcement, or
• Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
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What to do if a Child Makes an Outcry
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1. Make sure you and victim are safe.
2. Remain Calm.
3. Assure the child that they did the right thing in telling you and that
they are not to blame for the abuse.
4. Do not make promises about what will happen to them or the
trafficker.
5. Let the child tell their story, but leave the questioning to the
professionals.
6. Never confront the suspected trafficker.
7. Report. Texas law requires reporting to law enforcement and child
protective services within 48 hours.
Student Safety Concerns: Additional Assistance
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Contact www.iWatchTX.org (operated by Texas Department of
Public Safety which has human trafficking analysts on staff).
Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at
1-888-373-7888.
Provide tips or leads on suspected child sexual exploitation
crimes to CyberTipline® at
www.cybertipline.com or
1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
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2
3
RISE to the Challenge
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Recognize
• Cases of trafficked minors occur in all types of school districts.
• Adults in schools have regular contact with youth.
• Understand what human trafficking looks like.
• Know high-risk groups and indicators.
Identify
• School environment serves as window of opportunity to identify
victims.
• Use existing school safety policy and procedures for crime victims.
• Notify law enforcement and Department of Family Protective
Services.
Share
• Share your knowledge with other professionals and community
members.
• Educate others on human trafficking, high-risk groups and
indicators.
Engage
• Get to know resources.
• Join community organizations and task forces.
• If there is a gap in resources, establish partnerships to address the
gaps.
Objective
6. Take the next steps
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What Else Can We Do?
“One of the best ways to combat human trafficking is to raise
awareness and learn more about how to identify victims.”
-U.S. Department of Education
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How Can School Districts Help?
• Implement human trafficking training for all staff
including mandated reporting.
• Implement identification and response policies for at-risk
youth and potential victims.
• Work with District Foster Care Liaison (find your Liaison
here).
• Consider developing policies related to phone and
internet usage.
• Provide student education on human trafficking.
• Join community coalitions or organizations.
• Utilize trafficking awareness, prevention and intervention
community resources.
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Model School-Based Initiatives
• Florida
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools developed website
dedicated to trafficking awareness, including a fact sheet
for educators, awareness poster, and prevention resources.
• Ohio
• Mandated human trafficking as a required topic in its Safety
and Violence Prevention Curriculum in-service training
• Developed a website with human trafficking prevention and
awareness materials.
• Idaho
• Developed training for education professionals.
• Recommended schools establish protocols addressing
computer and cell phone usage on campus to help prevent
human trafficking.
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Training in Action: A Counselor’s Experience
“In 2011, I took a training class on [domestic minor sex
trafficking], thinking that I wanted to be educated should I
possibly have contact with a victim. The very next day, I
had a student in my office whose story was riddled with
the ‘red flags’ I was taught in the previous day’s training. I
immediately contacted the trainer and discussed the ‘red
flags.’ We then contacted law enforcement, and it was
confirmed that the child was being trafficked. From that
day forward, I was determined to get the word out and
educate our staff.”
-Excerpt from MADE IN THE USA:
The Sex Trafficking of America’s Children
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Texas School-Based Trainings
• Texas regional anti-trafficking coalitions and
organizations have developed and provided trainings for:
• Teachers and staff
• Parents
• Students
• Familiarize yourself with
established organizations
in your area which offer
training opportunities.
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National Human Trafficking Resource Center
You may also contact the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center (1-888-373-7888) to get additional
information:
• Provide confidential tips.
• Connect with anti-trafficking services.
• Request training and technical assistance, general
information, or specific anti-trafficking resources.
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