Preventing and Responding to Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Schools:

The Teach2Reach ProjectC y nth ia F ra ga R i zo, B r i t tn ey Ch e sworth ,

L B K le in , Ha n n a b eth Fran ch in o - Ols en , San d ra Mart in , L i l y S teve n s ,

Re b e cca Macy, JP Przewozn ik , Ch r i sty Crof t

SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL WORK AND RESEARCH 2020 ANNUAL CONFERENCE / JANUARY 19, 2020

Growing Concern about Sex Trafficking Among Youth

Growing policy and practice attention focused on addressing sex trafficking

Limited information regarding prevalence, but we know ...

Schools: A Setting for Prevention and Response

Why School Settings?• Time in schools

• Student-educator interaction

• School social workers/nurses

• Sex trafficking recruitment in/close to schools

Recommendation:

Awareness Prevention Response

As a result, some states have enacted laws requiring sex

trafficking content and resources in their schools

NC Legislation – October 2015: Requirement for NC Schools, Grades 7+

“Teach about sex trafficking prevention and awareness.

Each local school administrative unit shall:

a. Collaborate with a diverse group of outside consultants where practical, including law enforcement with expertise in sex-trafficking prevention education, to address the threats of sex trafficking.

b. Collaborate with a diverse group of outside consultants, including law enforcement with expertise in sex trafficking, on a referral protocol for high-risk pupils and minors.”

NC Department of Public Instruction Healthful Living Essential Standards

GRADE 7: Recognize that sexual harassment may contribute to sexual abuse, sexual assault and sex trafficking and the feelings that result from these behaviors

GRADE 8: Identify reasons that people engage in violent behaviors (bullying, hazing, dating violence, sexual assault, family violence, verbal abuse, sex trafficking) and resources for seeking help

GRADE 9+: Explain how power and control in relationships can contribute to aggression, violence and sex trafficking

Barriers to Implementation

No gold standard evidence-based sex trafficking prevention and response program for schools

Teachers may know little about sex trafficking

Teachers are already swamped!

Partnering to Develop Sex Trafficking Education and Response Protocols

Others....

Formative Research

Literature reviews

Stakeholder discussion groups

Survey NC school principals

Survey purveyors of existing school-based sex trafficking education programs

Synthesis of Formative Research Findings

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

Development

Stakeholder Feedback (Survivors, Providers, Partners)

Revision

Teach2Reach (T2R) ProgramEvidence informed school-based program consistent with NC legislation & NC DPI standards, focused on:

Educating teachers

Preparing schools

Educating students

Teach2Reach (T2R) Program Manual

“Sex Trafficking 101” to educate teachers/trainers about sex trafficking and implementation of the training

Information to Prepare Schools◦ Parent Letter

◦ Response protocols

◦ Reporting protocol

◦ NC resources

Training Materials for Grades 7, 8 and 9◦ Five 45-minute sessions per grade

◦ Powerpoints (with scripts)

◦ Interactive exercises, worksheets

◦ “Exit tickets” for evaluation and discrete disclosures

Teach2Reach Shared Content Across Modules

Lesson 1:Foundation

Lesson 2:Understanding Sex Trafficking

Part 1

Lesson 3:Understanding Sex Trafficking

Part 2

Lesson 4:Finding Help

Lesson 5:Helping Others

Create safe space;Contrast healthy and

unhealthy relationships

Review safe space;Define sex trafficking

and/or identify different forms of sex

trafficking;Emphasize that sex

trafficking is never the victim’s fault

Review safe space;Identify warning signs

that someone is trying to engage you or someone else in

sex trafficking, or that someone is already being sex trafficked

Review safe space;Describe steps for

help seeking;Identify safe persons to talk to about sex

trafficking;Identify resources for

sex trafficking

Review safe space;Role of peers in prevention (and

intervention);Steps to intervene

(while staying safe);How to overcome barriers to helping

others

Examples of Teach2Reach Training Materials (7th Grade Module)

Guidelines and Tips for Reporting

Step 1: Sex trafficking is disclosed or suspected

Step 2: Inform and involve all relevant school staff (e.g., teacher, school social worker, counselor, administrator)

Step 3: Collaboratively decide who else to inform/include in the reporting process

Step 4: Make DSS report

Step 5: Following-up after DSS report (e.g., School-level campus climate assessment)

Recommendations for Engaging Diverse Stakeholders

Partner early on in the process

Engage in transparent and consistent communication

Find ways to give back and compensate stakeholders

Be flexible

Seek input on ways to make partnering and providing feedback less burdensome

Implementing Sex Trafficking Programming in Schools

Seek buy-in and support

◦ Ensure gatekeepers are aware of legal mandates

◦ Partner with districts and administrative leadership

◦ Educate parents

Prepare schools and communities for identifications/disclosures

◦ Provide sex trafficking training for school personnel

Next Steps & Questions

Please see our website for updates: http://teach2reach.web.unc.edu/

Contact Information

Dr. Cindy Fraga Rizo

cfraga@email.unc.edu

Dr. Sandy Martin

sandra_martin@unc.edu

Dr. Rebecca Macyrjmacy@email.unc.edu