PREVENTION & INTERVENTION PILOT PROGRAM Prevention and Intervention of Child Sex Trafficking

MSDE & Araminta Trafficking Knowledge Survey 88.3% of survey respondents misunderstood Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, stating they believed minors should be considered “prostitutes” and legally responsible if force, fraud, and coercion could not be proven. 39.6% misunderstood “commercial sexual exploitation” believing it to be only “sexually exploiting a person through media outlets” rather than “giving and receiving of anything of value in exchange for a sex act.” 57.1% said they were “very interested” in learning more about DMST. 39.6% of the attendees said they were “somewhat interested” in learning more about DMST.

Pilot Program Goals Increase identification and prevention of DMST in schools Develop collaborative protocols for responding to suspected DMST that address the current gaps in the response Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention/intervention trainings for educators and other staff

Goals, continued… To raise awareness of DMST in terms of a basic overview of the issue, including definitions, statistics on scope and prevalence, and trafficking laws Training for potential first responders or service providers to identify DMST and how to conduct communications for prevention/intervention purposes Articulated protocol for each school, LEA and State agency to handle communications, media strategies, campaign events, data exchange and reporting

Pilot Site Selection Problem Analysis: 30 schools will be identified in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County Selection was based on targeted risk factors: Truancy rates Delinquency rates Sexual offenses, by students

Target Audience Individuals who interact directly with students, playing a vital role in protecting and assisting students at risk of exploitation: School Administrators Instructional Staff School Resource Officers/School Police Officers Social Workers, Psychologists, PPWs Support Staff (Cafeteria Workers, Bus Drivers) LEA Student Services Administrators and Staff

Key Components Training for identified stakeholders including: school administration, counselors, teachers, staff, and corresponding school officers Development of collaborative reporting procedures of suspected trafficking informed by school administration and school police officers Pre-post assessments of trafficking understanding and knowledge Tracking of reported incidents of trafficking Identification of children with high risk factors Tracking of number of high-risk children reported or referred for other services Referral to support services for confirmed trafficking cases Support for school personnel and officers FREE School Certification for all 30 schools

Monitoring and Evaluating Success Pre and post measures regarding awareness, knowledge, and protocols for addressing DMST, including a preliminary survey to gauge current reporting procedures Percentage of target population receiving pilot training (demographic info from target schools, percentage trained versus total within each school) Pre and post measures of DMST incident reports Pre and post measures of the quality of sustainable communications protocols and reporting systems Pre and post measures of the quality of sustainable prevention and intervention media

Results and deliverables: Updated School Policies and Procedures Standardized report of how to respond to suspected DMST Comprehensive protocols and reporting policies and procedures Safety plan updates to reflect recruitment concerns on or near school grounds Collaboration with local agencies and organizations, with guidelines determined by all vested parties Statewide guidelines and FAQs for handling DMST incidents and reporting procedures

Implementation Timeline Phase 1: Partners Commitment; MOU Development; Identification of Target Schools August 2014-December 2014 Phase 2: Preliminary meetings and contracted commitment from 30 schools; Reporting Procedures and Protocol development; Evaluation/Assessment Development January 2015-June 2015

Implementation Timeline Phase 3: Training of School Resource Officers/School Police Officers, Administration and Student Services staff for each school June August 2015 Phase 4: Training for all staff in each of the 30 schools; Pre/post test assessments; Data Collection; On-going consultation with school staff and officers; Referral for services September 2015 – December 2015

Implementation Timeline Phase 5: On-going consultation and referral services; Data collection and analysis; Production of final report January April 2016 Phase 6: Awarding of FREE Certification to all 30 schools and MSDE; Release of pilot results; Determination of future implementation May 2016 – June 2016

FREE Certification Federation to Responsibly End Exploitation