13 Jan National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

By Rennay Marshall, Director of Communications at Family and Children’s Place

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention month, and it is important to recognize it can and does happen in many different ways in our community and to the people we care about. According to the US  Department of State, “Every year since 2010, the President has dedicated the month to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime.” Through Child Advocacy Centers and counseling services at Family & Children’s Place, youth impacted by human trafficking have safe, effective, and holistic options available to help them build stable futures. For nearly 140 years, Family & Children’s Place has proudly served on the front lines of child abuse  prevention and directly assisted in prosecuting cases of human trafficking helping families and children to heal. 

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, “Kentucky’s location and major interstates make it a location conducive to the crime. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that 86 percent of the cases they worked within 2015 were endangered runaways. One in five of these children were likely victims of sexual trafficking.” It is so important for all adults to recognize the signs of trafficking and protect the youth in their lives from potential danger. 

The Office of the Attorney General’s initiative, Your Eyes Save Lives, helps us understand signs when an individual may be involved with different types of trafficking. These individuals may show signs of physical or psychological abuse, may appear fearful, submissive, or unable to speak on their own behalf or unable to answer simple questions regarding their identity or location. 

So what can be done? One of the most important things adults can do to protect children is continuously cultivating positive, healthy, and honest relationships. Open lines of communication ensure adults are aware of developing relationships and online activities to ensure child safety. Positive relationships between adults and children make it easier to detect changes in behavior that could be a sign of personal problems youth are experiencing.  

For more resources to learn more about human trafficking and its impact, visit Your Eyes Save Lives. To learn more about Family & Children’s Place and the services we provide, please visit our website today!

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Rennay Marshall is the Director of Communications at Family & Children’s Place and enjoys working with  children, families, and the incredible program staff at FCP who dedicate their lives to the community.

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime