Introduction
Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers have increasingly emphasized the importance of a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to human trafficking—one that involves all systems responsible for protecting children and youth, including schools. In 2020, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) established the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education (HTYPE) Demonstration Program and funded the first cohort of eight projects. The purpose of the HTYPE Demonstration Program is to fund local educational agencies to partner with a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization (NGO) to create, implement, and build the capacity of schools to deliver prevention education and skills-based training to educators and other school staff and students; and to establish a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (HTSSP, or “protocol”) that addresses the safety, security, and wellbeing of staff and students. Eight HTYPE Demonstration Program projects were awarded in September 2020, with a performance period of 36 months. In partnership with OTIP, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) oversaw a process evaluation of the HTYPE Demonstration Program being conducted by RTI International.
Purpose
The purpose of this brief is to summarize important considerations for educators, school staff, and school and district leaders who are interested in delivering human trafficking prevention education activities in their schools.
Key Findings and Highlights
- Because schools vary greatly in their student needs, local community, and social context, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to human trafficking prevention education for all schools. A school-based human trafficking prevention program could consider including prevention education for students, prevention education for educators and staff, and a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (HTSSP).
- Prevention education curricula for students and educators/staff include several common components, such as definitions of human trafficking and related terms, risk factors, and resources for getting help for suspected incidents of human trafficking. Who creates these curricula, how they are delivered to their intended audiences, and the types of skills they help audiences build are important considerations.
- An HTSSP standardizes procedures for educators and staff for how to respond to signs or disclosures of human trafficking. Schools can consider how it can be adopted into school and district policy or as a part of existing educator and staff trainings.
Methods
The information in this report is informed by interviews and focus groups with educators and staff who participated in the first cohort of the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Program (HTYPE) Demonstration Grant. RTI International conducted semi-structured interviews with HTYPE project staff and partners in all eight project sites, interviewed at the conclusion of each project year; focus groups with educators and staff who participated in program activities; and interviews with educators and staff who used the HTSSP.
Citation
Rinderle, A., Hendrix, J., & Yu, L., (2024). School-Based Human Trafficking Prevention: Key Components and Implementation Considerations for Educators, Staff, and School Leaders, OPRE Report No. 2024-276, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Glossary
- HTSSP:
- Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol
- HTYPE:
- Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education