Here you will find curricula, conversation starters, and other tools to expand your own understanding of human trafficking and help educate your family and community on the issue.
“Conversation with my daughter about human trafficking,” a HuffPost article by Stephanie Hepburn
“How to Talk to Your Kids About Human Trafficking” by Bridging Freedom
“Girls Like Us,” a memoir by Rachel Lloyd of GEMS
“Walking Prey: How America’s Youth are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery,” by Holly Austin Smith
2014 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws by Polaris
“Empower Youth” program by iEmpathize
Global Centurion–curriculum for middle and high school students
“Prevention Project” by Richmond Justice Initiative–6 lesson curriculum for middle and high school students
Toolkits for many segments of the population provided by the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
“Bodies are Not Commodities” curriculum by the A21 Campaign
“Chosen” DVD curriculum by SharedHope
“Freedom’s Journey: Understanding Human Trafficking,” an interactive site from the online MSW program at the University of Southern California
The Typology of Modern Slavery by Polaris
Únete a la Solución by Polaris: An awareness campaign entirely in Spanish directed toward empowering Latino and Hispanic communities to join the fight against human trafficking.
National Runaway Safeline: The National Runaway Safeline (NRS) serves as the federally designated nation hotline for runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth, and provides 24/7 nationwide hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY) and online services (1800RUNAWAY.org). NRS’ Home Free service provides free Greyhound Lines bus tickets to qualifying runaway and homeless youth, as well as victims of trafficking ages 12-21.
Pimp Culture Glorification and Sex Trafficking: An article from Psychology Today
Why should I call the NHTH instead of 911?
Always start by calling the NHTH. However, when you report a potential trafficking situation to the NHTH that is occurring in the moment at a truck stop, especially in a remote location, in order to ensure the most immediate response our Hotline Advocate will typically ask you to hang-up, call 911 and then call us back to report the tip. The Hotline Advocate will then pass this information along to our trained federal, state, and local law enforcement contacts who are available to respond to tips 24/7 and will do so with an informed, victim-centered trafficking investigation.
**Reminder: consent from a victim and the safety of all individuals involved are key factors in determining whether or not an immediate law enforcement response is appropriate. The Hotline Advocate will assess for these factors during your initial phone call.
Why aren’t all tips reported to law enforcement?
Each tip the NHTH receives is unique and reporting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis to determine the most appropriate next steps that prioritize the safety and consent of individuals involved in the case. The nature of response to a potential trafficking tip depends on multiple factors: the urgency of the situation, the unique needs and wishes of the victim (if known), the specificity of the information provided, the presence of indicators of severe forms of trafficking in persons, relevant state and/or federal laws, and the referral and reporting protocols established between the NHTH and the local actors in a given area.
The NHTH will inform appropriate authorities if we suspect child abuse, have reason to believe there is imminent harm to you or others, or if we are required by law.
**Reminder: even if the NHTH doesn’t report your tip to law enforcement, your information is still valuable, as it helps us map trafficking trends and hotspots. This information is available to law enforcement and anti-trafficking providers who use it to strengthen their responses to the issue.
I know you report cases involving minors to law enforcement, but what about adults? If the NHTH can’t speak to an adult victim directly, can you still report to law enforcement?
When reporting a tip, the Hotline Advocate will always ask to speak directly to the potential victim in order to obtain explicit consent to make a report on his/her behalf and discuss the reporting and referral options. However, we understand that there are many barriers to speaking directly with trafficking victims. In these cases the Hotline Advocate will ask you to describe the situation in as much detail as possible and use this information, along with assessing the various levels of danger and immediate threats of harm to the potential victim, to make the report. If the NHTH has knowledge that significant harm to a potential victim is imminent, a report to law enforcement will be made immediately.
**Reminder: reporting to law enforcement without the knowledge or consent of a potential victim can put the potential victim in more danger. A potential victim of trafficking is likely to deny she needs help if her situation is reported without her knowledge, leaving her subsequently vulnerable to abuse from her trafficker who may blame her for the report.
Why are you asking for my name and phone number? What are you going to do with it?
We take your privacy seriously – all calls to the NHTH are confidential.
When you call the hotline to report a tip we might ask if you are willing to provide us with your name and phone number. We ask for this information so that we can follow-up with you if we need additional information. The NHTH will not share your information or confirm that you have called the hotline with anyone, including law enforcement, service providers, or other individuals or agencies, without your consent.
If you prefer, you can report a tip anonymously. You do not need to provide your name or any identifying details about your situation unless you are comfortable doing so. If you wish to report a tip anonymously, the NHTH will protect your anonymity when sharing information about a potential trafficking case with appropriate authorities.