National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

 

In today’s episode of School Safety Today by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso sat down with Annabelle Thomson, Program Specialist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) Child Sex Trafficking Team, to discuss the nature and scope of child sex trafficking, misconceptions and warning signs in children, the role of educators and communities in prevention and support, as well as free resources available to help schools proactively combat this growing problem.

Key Points from Russo and Thomson’s conversation:

• Human trafficking includes child sex trafficking and happens across the country.

• Educators play a crucial role in identifying and supporting potential victims. Warning signs include changes in behavior, unexplained possessions, and periods of missing from home or school.

• Community and school engagement, understanding students’ backgrounds, and providing a safe, supportive environment.

Guest Annabelle Thomson is the Program Specialist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) Child Sex Trafficking Team. Previously, Ms. Thomson served as an anti-trafficking subject matter expert and logistics coordinator with the national SOAR to Health and Wellness Training under the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) which is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons.

Recent Episodes

As virtual learning matures and school choice accelerates across the U.S.,the 25th anniversary of Stride Inc. offers a moment to reflect on how far the digital learning ecosystem has come and where it’s headed.. Once known as K12 Inc., the company helped pioneer online education at scale. But in a landscape shaped by evolving…

The U.S. education landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as more states adopt education savings accounts (ESAs), signaling a broader push toward personalized, parent-directed learning and broader educational choice. With over a dozen states now offering universal ESA programs, debates around school choice have reached a new level of urgency. Throughout 2024, enthusiasm for…

In Florida, education is undergoing a radical shift—not just in who can choose schools, but in how education itself is being delivered. With over 500,000 students now receiving state scholarships and more than 80,000 families engaging in a la carte learning through education savings accounts (ESAs), the Sunshine State is no longer just a…