January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

In observance of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), Division of Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY), and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center (RHYTTAC) have prepared a list of resources and tools to assist programs in building their capacity on the intersection of human trafficking, running away incidents, and youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

These young people have experienced multiple traumas and instability throughout their lifetime and, as a result, are more likely to experience a disproportionate level of runaway incidents, homelessness, and unsafe or unstable housing, which puts them at higher risk of being recruited into trafficking situations or engaging in survival activities while living on the streets.

Increase Your Knowledge

Learn about the intersections between youth and young adult homelessness and human trafficking. You can access eLearning and webinars as well as digital resources and factsheets on the RHYTAC website. Learn more.

Watch the newly released human trafficking workshops presented at the 2022 Runaway and Homeless Youth National Grantee Training:

• Equity and Engaging Youth Impacted by Sex Trafficking and Exploitation - This workshop will equip service providers with tools to enhance authentic relationships between service providers and the youth and young adults they work with so that they are better able to identify and intervene when signs of human trafficking are present. This workshop will be a benefit to all RHY programs, but especially those seeking to increase their capacity to engage with underserved youth who are at the highest risk for sexual exploitation and trafficking. Programs that are able to center the experiences of these youth in policies, intake procedures, and programmatic practices have a higher likelihood of preventing and contributing to the early intervention of exploitation and trafficking.
• How Runaway and Homeless Youth Settings are Supporting Youth Victims of Human Trafficking: Experience, Practices, and Challenges - Research suggests that youth who are on the run or experiencing homelessness are at a particularly high risk of becoming victims of trafficking. Programs serving these youth have been building their capacity to effectively identify and support these youth. This session discusses the challenges, experiences, and promising practices on serving youth victims of human trafficking in runaway and homeless youth settings. Panelists will share their innovative approaches, challenges, and how runaway and homeless youth programs are making a difference in the anti-trafficking field.

RHYTTAC Resources

Consider how these resources can assist your programs in addressing human trafficking prevention and intervention to help meet the needs of those you serve:

• In RHYTTAC’s eLearning platform, you can search among hundreds of training topics by creating a free user account. Below is an example of digging deep on a particular topic or category in eLearning:
• Learning Topic: Sex Trafficking/Exploitation/CSEC
• Learning Topic: Labor Trafficking
• These are just a few examples of eLearning modules focused on Human Trafficking:
• Peer-to-Peer Human Trafficking Recruitment in RHY Settings, A Trauma Informed Response
• 2021 RHYTTAC Human Trafficking Series
• Harm Reduction, PYD, and Trauma Informed Care: What Are They and How Do They Operationalize in Youth Serving Programs
• Building Trauma-Informed Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs: Understanding Trauma and Its Effects (Module 1 of 2)
• Building Trauma-Informed RHY Programs: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach (Module 2 of 2)
• Access Digital Resources and Factsheets HERE.
• Human Trafficking Resources
• Human Trafficking Prevention Strategies for Runaway and Homeless Youth Settings Issue Brief
• Sex Trafficking/Exploitation/CSEC Resources
• Labor Trafficking Resources

Resources & Events from National Partners

Resources: 

Events:

• Wear Blue Day – January 11th
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign: Recognizing and Responding to Human Trafficking – January 24, 2023
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign: Human Trafficking Youth Forum – January 31, 2023