Human trafficking may seem like a topic torn from the headlines that wouldn't impact our community, but the reality of this issue has the potential to affect anyone at any age in any community.

The Texas Education Agency reports that Texas is consistently the top tier state in the number of calls reporting potential cases of human trafficking, along with states like California and Florida. Read the full report.

No one is immune to the threat of human trafficking. Children and adults of all ages, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds are potential victims. Knowing what to watch for and raising awareness are critical steps in combating this epidemic.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. The U.S. Dept. of State defines it as "the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion."

Human trafficking is a form of abuse and includes sex trafficking, bonded land-forced labor and involuntary domestic servitude. Human trafficking involves exploitation and does not necessarily include the movement of a person. Victims can be trafficked from their own homes. Traffickers can be anyone.

View an infographic about human trafficking from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Evidence of human trafficking can be varied and challenging to detect. The following range of warning signs could indicate someone is a victim of human trafficking:  poor school attendance, physical and emotional abuse and/or dramatic behavior changes.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicator card explains the difference between trafficking and smuggling, lists common indicators of trafficking and provides information on how to report suspected trafficking.

Traffickers benefit from the difficult and, sometimes, complicated nature of talking about abuse, sex, love, trust and relationships. Conversations about abuse can be scary, awkward and uncomfortable. As a parent, what can you do to create a positive, sustained conversation with your child?

• Talk to your kids about love and relationships. The way you define and demonstrate love in your relationships and family shapes your child's self-image, confidence and expectations and opinions of future relationships. Sex traffickers often use cheap gifts or empty promises as methods to manipulate victims.
• Talk to your kids about sexual abuse. Explain what sexual abuse is and that it's never acceptable. Let your child know he/she can always talk to you about abuse without fear of judgment. Create an open-door policy and revisit the conversation as part of a regular dialogue about safety.
• Talk to your kids about sex trafficking. Explain what sex trafficking is and how promises of a better life, money, trips, attention and beautiful things are often gateways to abusive and exploitive relationships. Inform your child that sex traffickers can be adults or, even, other children.
• Talk to your kids about online safety. Social media is a real threat when it comes to human trafficking. Kids need guidance when defining and understanding what friendship means, especially online. Traffickers use sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to lure victims.
  • Teach your child what a friend is and what a friend is not.
  • Establish boundaries for online behavior and use.
  • Remind your child that it's never OK to share personal information with someone they don't know, accept friend requests from unknown individuals or share nude photos or sexual content online.
  • Remind your child that it's never OK to agree to meet someone they don't know without consulting you or a trusted adult (parent, teacher, counselor).
  • Let your child know that he/she should leave situations (in person or online) that make him/her feel uncomfortable and should let an adult know about the situation.
  • Pay attention to your child. Make every effort to meet and get to know your child's friends. If your child has much older friends or friends that try to isolate your child, take notice. If your child has new clothing, makeup, a cell phone or other items, ask where he/she acquired them.
  • Remind your child to contact the police and report abuse. If he/she is in immediate danger, call 911 for help. If your child suspects a friend is at risk of trafficking, encourage him/her to report the abuse.

Do you know which APPS your child has access to?
View 15 APPS about which parents need to know.

TRAFFICK TOK is an instructional resource created by Street Grace to help lead conversation in the classroom and online about human trafficking. Download The Traffick Tok Challenge to start a conversation and take action.

If someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 for help.

If you suspect a friend is at risk of trafficking:

• Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text BeFree to 233733.
• Contact your teacher, school counselor and school and/or district administrators.
• Contact the SBISD Police Department at 713-984-9805.

• Children at Risk
• Crime Stoppers Houston
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• National Human Trafficking Hotline

Sincerely,

Bruce Dareing
Chief of Police
Spring Branch ISD Police