Modern slavery hides in plain sight, but through vigilance and education this January, the community can weave a safety net that protects the vulnerable and restores human dignity.
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month brings together law enforcement and organizations across the nation in a strive to eliminate human trafficking.
Reaffirming a national pledge to protect the most vulnerable, the White House issued a call to end the ‘evil of human trafficking’—prioritizing the safety of the innocent while promising full legal accountability for perpetrators. According to the presidential message, the administration increased funding for the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Additionally, the President signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act and the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. These new laws modernize the fight against trafficking and help survivors rebuild their lives.
Florida is third in the nation for reported human trafficking cases, according to the Florida Department of Education.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act states that it prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence.
The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act states that it allows human trafficking survivors to clear criminal records for offenses committed while they were being exploited. It provides legal procedures to vacate convictions, permits the use of grants for legal help, and recognizes trafficking status as a defense of duress. Additionally, the government will track the law’s impact to ensure it effectively helps survivors rebuild their lives.
The Presidential message stated that they are committed to ensuring American families can live safely and freely.
Osceola County School District leaders say they intend to follow 2025 legislation passed that works to ensure no child falls victim to human trafficking through human trafficking awareness training coming sometime this year.
House Bill 1237 stated that by Dec. 1, 2025, the Department of Education must identify a free training curriculum regarding human trafficking awareness, which must include guidance concerning how to identify students who may be victims of human trafficking, an employee’s role in reporting and responding to suspected human trafficking, and protocols for making such reports to the Department of Children and Families or the Florida Human Trafficking Hotline.
School District of Osceola County Communications Director Dana Schafer said they are still awaiting the Department of Education’s delivery of the curriculum for the human trafficking awareness training. She said once they have that, a plan will be put into place for the training.
Beyond school leaders, there are ways to play a vital role in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking. In the spirit of, “If you see something, say something,” there are points of reference to report potential human trafficking— the Florida Abuse Hotline (1-800-96-ABUSE), The Florida Council on Human Trafficking Hotline (1-855-FLA-SAFE) which connects survivors and concerned community members with trained specialists who can provide guidance, resources, and support, the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737888) and the BeFree Textline (Text “BeFree” to 233733) (Graphic on cover/U.S. Department of Interior)
