Sandie:
In a review of 72 cases from STAR Court (Succeeding through Achievement & Resilience), 56 of the girls (78%) “had prior involvement with the child welfare system, including contact through child protective service investigations or placement in foster care” (California Child Welfare report, “Ending the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Call for Multi-System Collaboration in California. Pg. 10).
The question then arises, if the girls were on the “radar screen” of social services, how did they fall off the radar? How can we find a way forward to better follow students with high potential to be targeted by recruiters?
One answer is to develop stronger communications between educators and social welfare. One new tool to move this forward is the Human Trafficking in American Schools. This guide for school based professionals was recently released by the Department of Education.
The guide details recruiting strategies, some of which Rhonda and I have discussed in this column. But the most significant aspect of this guide is that it addresses schools, the one place our children are required to be on a regular basis. Youth being groomed for exploitation exhibit some common signs that are noticeable even before the exploitation begins.
Who needs to know and understand those signs?
Teachers, of course. But what about the rest of the school community? For example, food service workers see students in line every day and may raise an eyebrow and even comment out loud to a colleague, “Did you see those boots ‘Suzie’ was wearing?
Where did she get the money for that?”
You’re reading this column, so you know that’s a red flag and you know you need to report that to someone.
The Human Trafficking in American Schools guide will help your local school begin the conversation to develop a plan that will include teachers, janitors, librarians, and everyone who might see something. Prevention and early intervention serves to protect the well-being of our already marginalized students.
Your next step is to download the guide and take it to your school. Advocacy for at-risk students is as simple as asking your local school principal, “Is our school using this guide?”
You don’t need to know all of the answers, but you can start the conversation.
safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/human-trafficking-americas-schools
Rhonda:
I hope that everyone who reads this article will download the HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS guide and forward it to every teacher, school principal, PTA member, school district office, and board of supervisors in every community across the US.
After that’s done, let’s focus for a moment on a very important question that Sandie asked—How are the at-risk youth and foster kids in our communities sliding off the radar screen of social social services?
I don’t know the answer to this question, but what I do know is that social workers can’t keep every kid safe. Teachers can’t do it alone. Police officers can’t. Foster parents and child welfare professionals can’t do it all. Medical professionals and others who interact with kids can’t do it unilaterally. Who’s going to do it then? Who’s job is it anyway? Some say, “aren’t my tax dollars paying for this?” Or “this is too big and too old a problem.
It’s always been around, and it’ll always be around…after all, what we’re talking about here is referred to as ‘the oldest profession.’”
Here’s what I have to say about that. We need to change (heal) our culture. We have to reduce the demand for sex with kids. We need to change what we think is all right.
Tolerance can be a good thing when it’s tolerance of someone who is disadvantaged in some way. But tolerance of behavior that is harmful to someone else is NEVER OK. We have to be bold and unafraid to speak up.
If not us, then who? If not now, then when? How many more children have to be raped for money before we do something more than “raise awareness.”
The time for raising awareness has passed. Our culture is largely aware of the issue now. It’s time to shift gears and DO SOMETHING! And we can’t leave the work to the “professionals.” WE THE PEOPLE in communities all over the US have to stand up, step up, and speak out.
We have to be willing to make the call when we see something that doesn’t look quite right—like a 38 year old man taking a 13 year old into the abortion clinic saying he’s her “boyfriend.” Healing our culture starts will calling things as we see them. A 38 year old is NEVER a healthy “boyfriend” for a 13 year old.
Not all that long ago in our culture, it was totally acceptable in segregate people based on skin color. That was too big an issue to take on. That way of thinking had been around a long time. And yet some very bold, brave people took a stand.
Our culture didn’t change overnight, but it did improve in tiny but measurable increments leading all the way up to an African American man as President.
So, don’t get stuck in the thought that the problem is too big. Let’s do what we can and make tiny incremental changes in the world around us.
Owner/Editor - Chris Chmielewski