SHAC to host East TX Coalition Against Sex Trafficking
Submitted by Casscounty1 on
By Bobby Horn Jr.
The Atlanta ISD School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) is inviting parents and the community at-large to come to their meeting on Feb. 1 where they will learn of a serious issue facing Northeast Texas- child sex trafficking.
The SHAC meeting will be held at the Atlanta ISD Administration Building, beginning at 6 p.m.
“Did you know Texas leads the nation in the sex trafficking industry? Did you know a school in our county identified two separate incidents of child sex trafficking last school year,” asked Linda Howard, Coordinator of School Health Services for Atlanta ISD. “Did you know the recruiting of children for sex trafficking is often initiated by other students? Do you know who are the most targeted victims? Do you know what to look for, or how to help someone being trafficked? Do you know how few victims are rescued?”
Howard said that during the meeting they will provide a written resource that can help a parent discuss the dangers of sex trafficking with their child(ren).
Guest speaker at the meeting will be Stephanie Raymer, with the Health and Human Service Commission Access and Services and co-chair of the East Texas Coalition Against Sex Trafficking,
According to “The State of Human Trafficking In Texas” a 2013 report compiled by the organization Children at Risk, it is estimated that as many as 450,000 children run away from home each year and that one out of every three of those kids is lured into sex trafficking within the first 48 hours of leaving home.
The report found that average age of entry into sex trafficking is 12-13 years old.
“Youth who are runaways, throwaways, or homeless are the most vulnerable to trafficking, especially those with histories of abuse or those within the foster care system and child protective services,” the report read. “Human trafficking is an issue for all socioeconomic levels and does not only...
Read the full article in the midweek edition of the Citizens Journal.
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