Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
which may provide domestic servants or agricultural workers, or force students to sell magazines or candy door to door without pay and under abusive conditions. Many youths in forced-labor situ- ations — a form of modern-day slavery — are also sexually abused and trafficked for sex, according to the report. No community is immune, but it's shock- ing when it happens in yours. "We had a storefront just six blocks from the high school that was shut down because human trafficking was taking place," says Sara Neze-Savacool , a French teacher at Antioch High School. "We know it's happen- ing here around us in Contra Costa County. But it's a tough topic to learn about, and it's not well publicized. I would like our district to find resources to start an education campaign, so children can learn to protect themselves." Nearby Oakland is the No. 1 city in the world for human trafficking, says Heather Hoffman of 3Strands Global Foundation, an El Dorado Hills-based nonprofit dedicated to prevention. Other hotspots are Los Angeles, Sacramento, Long Beach, San Francisco and San Diego. Hoffman is one of several experts who addressed educators during San Diego High School's multiday training for teachers, counselors and administrators this spring. e workshop focused on prevention, recognizing the signs that a student is being trafficked, and how to help students if you think they are being exploited. San Diego Education Association member Rickeena Boyd-Kamei helped organize the event, which included a former human trafficking victim and a workshop for parents to increase awareness. She was instrumental in San Diego High's decision to implement curriculum for students in AVID classes (where students learn skills to be successful in college), so they won't be naive if they encounter sex traffick- ing recruiters online, in shopping malls or even on campus. Malcolm Robinson, an 11th-grade AVID teacher at the high school, is glad to see his district take a "cohesive approach" rather than having every teacher taking an individual stance. "ere's never enough time to teach everything, but you have " If students are intercepted by human traffickers, all [educators'] work could be for naught, and the psychological and physical effects are immense." — Rickeena Boyd-Kamei, San Diego Education Association Participants at the San Diego High School training include school staff Sylvia Villegas, Laura Huezo, Jennifer Ruffo and Catherine Serrano. 23 J U N E / J U L Y 2 018 HUMAN TRAFFICKING WARNING SIGNS H O W C A N Y O U tell if a student may be a sex trafficking victim? According to the U.S. Dept. of Education report "Human Trafficking in America's Schools," signs educators should be aware of include: • Chronic absenteeism. • Frequent running away from home. • A graphic online profile. • Drug use. • References made to frequent travel to other cities. • Bruises or signs of physical trauma. • Withdrawn behavior, depres- sion, anxiety and fear. • Hunger, malnourishment or inappropriate dress. • Coached or rehearsed responses to questions. • A sudden change in material possessions, such as a second cellphone, designer clothing, and other expensive items. • A "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" who is noticeably older, or secret relationships. • Tattoos (a form of branding) displaying the name or mon- iker of a trafficker, such as "daddy." Tattoos may be hid- den in the inner lip. • Distractedness and inability to bond with others. Sara Neze-Savacool