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Abolition Ohio

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Youth Prevention Education and Programs

Human trafficking is a serious social issue and human rights violation that impacts everyone — including youth. More than 3,000 Ohio youth are at risk of being trafficked. The average age that a minor is first sex trafficked is 13 years old. Parents, teachers and other concerned adults need to be aware of the issue and have the training and tools to respond. Youth must be educated on how and why human trafficking takes place. Reducing vulnerabilities, spreading knowledge and reducing demand for victims all are needed to prevent human trafficking.

Abolition Ohio has worked for the past decade on youth prevention programming and education. In addition to materials that we have developed over the years, we also are the repository of curricula and resources formerly housed at National Educators to Stop Trafficking (NEST). All resources have been vetted by national experts and are evidence-based or show promising practices. Many also are informed by survivors' voices.

In addition to being a resource for educators across the country, Abolition Ohio supports local schools and youth programs in the Miami Valley with our School Trafficking Outreach Program (STOP).

Youth Programs

Human trafficking prevention programs require significant planning and preparation prior to any outreach or education of youth. Abolition Ohio and the Prevention Education and Awareness subcommittee of the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission developed guidance that covers recommended procedures, basic educational standards, tools, resources, training materials and a list of recommended curricula and outreach programs. This guide represents the best practices model of youth anti-human trafficking education.

About the Program

This manual contains guidelines, resources, and best practices to assist with development of anti-human trafficking youth education and outreach.

Human trafficking affects Ohio youth. Approximately one-third of all cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline involve minor victims. The US Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education both recognize human trafficking as a form of violence against children that needs to be addressed in school settings.

This guide is designed for school personnel, youth counselors, after school program personnel, anti-human trafficking organizations, concerned community members and others.

The guidelines are primarily aimed at middle and high school students but resources are available for children from preschool to college level.

Key Steps to Follow for Any Program
  1. Training and Preparation of Trainers
  2. Community Readiness Assessment
  3. Prepare Assessment Plan
  4. Educate School Personnel and Parents
  5. Identify At-Risk Student Populations
  6. Educate At-Risk Groups
  7. Educate General Student Population
  8. Assess and Report
Curriculum Comparison

The Curriculum Comparison was created to provide a list of human trafficking prevention curricula available around the country as well as a way to compare their features so that you can easily find the curriculum that best fits your particular needs and student/youth demographic.

Some curricula are for sale and some are free. A curriculum that is for sale can be purchased directly from the providing organization and used by educators in any location. Those that are not for sale are either offered by trained professionals in a particular area, or are free web-based materials. Choose the curriculum that best suit your needs, and then contact those curriculum providers for further information.

All listed curricula were reviewed and vetted by the NEST Educators advisory board — a national group of anti-human trafficking education experts and advocates.

Curriculum FEATURES:

  • Service Learning (SL): Curriculum in which students participate in a service project
  • Gender Violence (GV): Addresses violence against women in human trafficking
  • Demand (D): Addresses the demand of human trafficking
  • Media (M): Addresses the role social media and pornography in human trafficking
  • Risk Factors (RF): Addresses risk factors, as well as other vulnerabilities such as self esteem and grooming tactics 
  • Education for Teachers (ET): Provides tools for teachers to recognize and respond to trafficking
  • Labor Trafficking (LT): Addresses labor trafficking or fair trade issues

Abolition Ohio | SL, GV, D, RF, ET, LT

CAASE | SL, GV, D, RF, M
  • Website: https://caase.org/
  • Program Website: https://caase.org/workshops
  • Name of Program: Empowering Youth to End Sexual Exploitation
  • City and State: Chicago, Illinois
  • Program Length: 4 Sessions
  • Ages: 14-18
  • Gender: All
  • Cost: Varies
  • Delivery Method: Contact Organization

Fair Girls (Fair Fund, Inc.) | SL, GV, D, RF, M

i-empathize | SL, GV, D, RF, M
  • Website: https://iempathize.org/
  • Program Website: https://iempathize.org/eyp/
  • Name of Program: Empower Youth Program
  • City and State: Boulder, Colorado
  • Program Length: 5+ Modules
  • Ages: 12+
  • Gender: All
  • Cost: Full & Partial Scholarships Available
  • Delivery Method: iEmpathize helps you facilitate

Justice Research Institute - MyLife My Choice | GV, D, RF, M

Richmond Justice Initiative | SL, GV, D, RF, M, ET, LT
  • Website: www.prevention-project.org
  • Name of Program: Prevention Project
  • City and State: Richmond, Virginia
  • Program Length: 6 Lessons
  • Ages: 12-18
  • Gender: All
  • Cost: Varies
  • Delivery Method: Contact Organization
School Trafficking Outreach Program (STOP)

Abolition Ohio's STOP is aimed at preventing human trafficking in the Dayton area through awareness and education.

STOP educates, equips, and empowers youth, school personnel, and community members through interactive, engaging, and comprehensive anti- human trafficking program materials presented to local schools and other youth programs.

Contact Abolition Ohio for further information.

Abolition Ohio's STOP is designed as an awareness raising program for a general student population. It is not intended as prevention programming for at-risk youth. We recommend the University of Toledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute's Prevention Curriculum.

Current UD students interested in becoming STOP certified please contact Abolition Ohio or check Porches for additional information.

Program Information

STOP is a free human trafficking awareness program of activities, education, and training to area high schools and middle schools. In Fall 2016, Abolition Ohio started distributing STOP materials to high schools across the Miami Valley. Many superintendents including Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Dayton Public Schools have expressed their support for this program.

Educators should be interested in the materials due to the prevalence of human trafficking and its impact on their students. Human trafficking is the modern day slave trade. It is the exploitation of human beings for profit and can take the form of labor or sex trafficking. We estimate that there are over 40.3 million slaves in the world today. 75% of human trafficking victims are women and girls and 25% are children. It is an equal opportunity crime — modern day slaves can be of any race or ethnic group. Human trafficking has been reported in over 160 countries and all 50 US states. Hundreds of cases have been reported in Ohio — including the Miami Valley.

STOP Materials

The following materials are available in packets that are distributed free of charge to school and youth programs:

Contact abolitionohio@gmail.com for more information.

Additional Programming
  • Awareness materials, resources, and activities for school and community (websites, reading lists, posters, brochures, factsheets and awareness pins)
  • Awareness training for all faculty, staff and administrators
  • School-wide assembly
  • Ohio Department of Education human trafficking awareness webinar series (developed in conjunction with Abolition Ohio)
Contact Human Rights Center
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 2790
937-229-3294 email