San Diego Unified School District has updated reporting protocols and entered a new partnership with San Diego Youth Services (SDYS) that will expand support resources, enhanced training and better protect students from falling victim to the dangers of Human Trafficking.
This new coordinated and collaborative response model works with students who are vulnerable to being exploited. Students will have the ability to seek help and receive wrap-around support services from the school district and a multidisciplinary team of internal and external partners.
Utilizing expertise and a trauma-informed approach, the ICA Human Trafficking Prevention Program aligns with the District’s student achievement goal to Improve Student Wellness and are part of a broader effort to prevent harm, increase awareness, and ensure students and families know how to seek help and report concerns safely.
In 2021, California had 1,334 cases of human trafficking, of which 1,108 were female, and 1,023 were sex related, and 246 were minors according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
San Diego Unified’s ICA aimed for these enhancements to be completed in January during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The enhancements that have been made are:
- Updated Reporting Protocols: Make reporting clearer, more accessible, and more consistent across school sites with a form that can be easily accessed on the website. The information received will be assessed by an ICA expert in human trafficking that has the capacity to respond with empathy and resources. They are also collaborating and coordinating responses to reports with the San Diego Human Trafficking Taskforce to ensure that safety concerns are handled.
- Staff Training Districtwide: Train staff starting in February to support consistent understanding and implementation of the updated protocols and information about the new Human Trafficking Prevention Program and website.
- Community Town Halls: San Diego Unified and its partners will also host community town halls for students and families to share information, answer questions, and promote awareness of reporting options and available resources.
- Refreshed Focus by San Diego Unified Police Department: Implemented a formalized written protocol, establishing clear and consistent procedures. Additionally, they have assigned a liaison officer with the San Diego County Human Trafficking Task Force.
- New Partnership with San Diego Youth Services: To ensure students, families, and employees have immediate access to services and resources.
Human Trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation or exploitation of a person for forced labor or commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion, or when a minor is involved. Local research underscores the scope of the issue: a 2023 study by the San Diego County Office of Education found the average age of entry into San Diego’s underground commercial sex economy is 16.
The District encourages students and families to learn more about reporting options and available resources by visiting the new Human Trafficking Prevention Program website, here.