WC Schools implementing child trafficking Awareness education

An uncomfortable truth is child trafficking is happening in America. To comply with a new state law, Warren County Schools will implement child trafficking awareness in its curriculum this coming school year.

Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows told members of the School Board last week that child trafficking education would be added to the Family Life Education curriculum at local schools.

Dr. Swallows said the material will be age-appropriate so information provided to students in lower grades will be much different than in high school.

In a meeting with principals to discuss what this might look like, Swallows said guidance counselors would probably handle this in elementary schools.

“We understand child trafficking is something we’re facing,” said Swallows. “We wish we weren’t, but we are.”

Research from the Department of Justice shows most federally prosecuted child traffickers are male, U.S. citizens, and are frequently known to the victim beforehand.

Statistics show traffickers rarely abduct children out of nowhere. Instead, they look for kids who are vulnerable and work to build trust over time before exploiting them.

The internet has become a particularly common setting for this grooming process.

The School Board voted Tuesday night to add child trafficking awareness to the curriculum. The measure is in accordance with state law which says such education must be in place by the 2026-27 school year.