AWARENESS, ASSESSMENT, ASSISTANCE: COMBATTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGH EDUCATION REFORM

Modern-day slavery, in the form of human trafficking, is an issue that affects countries, communities, and individuals around the world. In the United States, the National Human Trafficking Hotline receives an average of 141 calls per day, a number that doesn’t even encompass the many victims without access to or knowledge of this resource. Despite the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States, many Americans are uninformed and unaware of the realities of human trafficking. In the face of this growing concern, the United States must employ new tools and tactics to raise awareness, support victims of trafficking, and prevent future victims from being targeted. This paper evaluates anti-trafficking education reforms within four sectors: professional counseling, the healthcare system, the public education system, and law enforcement. These reforms would help to directly combat the negative effects of misinformation that allow traffickers to go unnoticed and victims unsupported, and increase understanding of human trafficking. The four sectors were evaluated based on efficacy, cost efficiency, practical feasibility, and political and public acceptability. This thesis concludes that education reform for law enforcement best fulfills the criteria, as law enforcement officers often act as the “front line” of human trafficking identification, prevention, and response