Creating Safe Spaces for Students to Learn About Trafficking and Ask Questions

During the months of January and February, Sandy Esparza, ZOE’s Training & Prevention Specialist, provided human trafficking prevention trainings to students at Assurance Learning Academy across five locations in the San Fernando Valley.

The San Fernando Valley is considered a high-risk area for human trafficking, partly because of its large population and major freeways that connect to the rest of the region. This makes it especially important for young people in the area to learn how to recognize unsafe situations and know where to go for help.

Assurance Learning Academy campuses serve students who benefit from a more flexible and personalized approach to education. These schools provide supportive learning environments and individualized plans that help students stay on track and continue their education in a way that works best for them.

When ZOE provides prevention trainings in schools across Los Angeles, students often have very different reactions. At the beginning of each presentation, Sandy asks students if they have heard about human trafficking before. For some, human trafficking is something they have only heard about in movies or on the news. Hearing that it can happen in their own communities can be surprising or difficult to process.

At these schools, almost every student raised their hand. However, although most are aware of the issue, far fewer know the warning signs or what to do if they or someone they know were ever in danger.

Throughout the trainings, many students were attentive, curious, and eager to learn. Several approached Sandy afterward with thoughtful questions, and some even confided in her about concerns in their own lives. Their openness showed just how important it is for young people to have a safe space to ask questions and talk about difficult topics.

At ZOE, we believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for prevention. When young people understand the warning signs of trafficking and know where to turn for help, they are better equipped to protect themselves and look out for others. Sometimes it only takes one student who knows the signs and speaks up to make a life-changing difference.