Trusting Your Instincts as a High School Counselor: Spotting the Signs of Child Exploitation


Have you ever been out and about—maybe on a trip or just running errands—when your "counselor senses" suddenly start tingling? It’s that feeling in your gut telling you something isn’t quite right. This has happened to me more times than I can count. Often, by the time I realize I might be on to something, the moment has passed, and I’m left wondering why I didn’t catch on sooner. And if I had, what could, or should I have done?

As educators and mandated reporters, we've all had those moments where we feel helpless—when we suspect something’s wrong but aren’t sure what. It’s tough to know you might have missed an opportunity to advocate for someone who could be facing abuse or exploitation. Sometimes, the signs are obvious; other times, they’re so subtle we’re left questioning whether what we noticed was real or just our imagination. This doesn’t just happen out in the community; it can also happen right within our schools. We may sense something is off but lack the concrete evidence to back up our instincts. We know there’s a possibility something is happening, but we don’t feel confident or knowledgeable enough to report it.

One area where many school counselors feel uncertain is in identifying and understanding sex trafficking.

Understanding Sex Trafficking: A Call to Action for School Counselors

So, what exactly is sex trafficking? Sex trafficking, or Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), is defined as the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age” (Source: Ending the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Call for Multi-System Collaboration in California). Because this exploitation involves minors, school counselors will inevitably encounter students who are victims. Unfortunately, we may not always recognize the signs of exploitation or abuse.

CSEC is a massive industry, often hidden or normalized in society. According to statistics from California and Georgia, the sexual exploitation of minors is a $32 billion-a-year business, with exploiters earning up to $32,000 per week. To sustain this income, traffickers exploit over 100,000 youth annually. The main recruitment ages are shockingly young—12-14 for females and 11-13 for males and transgender youth. These children are trafficked in various industries, including prostitution, massage parlors, pornography, and stripping.

So, who would do such a thing to a child? Disturbingly, it’s often people close to the youth: parents or relatives, neighbors, significant others, gang members, and even peers.

Recognizing and Preventing Trafficking in Our Schools

Yes, it’s true—even peers can be traffickers. While we can’t control recruitment efforts that happen outside of school, we can focus on what’s happening within our own walls. Traffickers may be recruiting students on or near campus, using other students to lure their peers into vulnerable situations. Once a youth is caught in the world of CSEC, they’re often hard to identify because they’re not looking for help, distrust authority, and may be fleeing difficult home situations. This makes spotting a CSEC victim particularly challenging. To make matters worse, many schools lack policies to respond effectively to these situations.

Despite these challenges, school counselors are uniquely positioned to spot youth exploitation. We can pick up on warning signs and red flags that others might overlook or dismiss. Here are a few warning signs that may indicate a student is involved in CSEC:




















By trusting our instincts and deepening our knowledge, we can better protect our students and be the advocates they need. Let’s stay vigilant and committed to making our schools safe havens for all students.

Taking Action: How You Can Help Combat CSEC in Schools

Now that you are aware that CSEC is happening in schools, what can you do to help? There are three levels of prevention that you can participate in to help students and staff be more aware.

1. Primary Prevention
Raise awareness in your school among both staff and students. For example, each year in January, you can bring attention to CSEC by participating in the Blue Campaign, a federal initiative to increase awareness of trafficking in various sectors, including schools. You can order materials such as posters, brochures, and tip cards—many of which are available for free. The Department of Homeland Security also offers short videos that you can add to your school’s website.

2. Secondary Prevention
Provide training for both staff and students to raise awareness about CSEC. Below are some valuable resources for this purpose:

3. Tertiary Prevention
Assist your administration in creating or administering policies to protect students. It is crucial to be familiar with your district's policies regarding mandated reporting and assisting students who may be victims of sex trafficking. Below is a sample protocol for school counselors from Safe Supportive Learning.

By engaging in these levels of prevention, we can make a significant impact in our schools, ensuring that we are not only aware of the signs of CSEC but also prepared to act effectively. Let's work together to create safer environments for our students and protect them from the dangers of exploitation.



Comments

Post a Comment