Not In Georgia: Combating Human Sex Trafficking 2012 Poster Contest for Grades 9-12 MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org - Follow us on Twitter and Facebook January 31, 2012 -- Students in grades nine through twelve are invited to submit their work for a statewide poster contest to promote a national hotline for reporting and preventing Human Sex Trafficking. It is estimated that 5,000 girls a year are victims of sex trafficking in Georgia. Because of its international airport and sprawling landscape, Atlanta is the center for this atrocity. We cannot stand by and allow sex trafficking to continue. Therefore, we have worked with a number of state and non-governmental organization partners to host seminars that are designed to help Georgia educators and social services workers recognize key indicators of possible human sex trafficking activities, as well as sex trafficking victims. We also want to equip students with resources to help call attention to those that may be victims. A poster contest has been developed to promote the national hotline where individuals can report any suspicion of sex trafficking in their school or community. The primary focus of the posters should be the national hotline, presented in a creative way that would grab the attention of students and teachers. The national hotline phone number is 1-888-373-7888. Submissions will be judged by a panel of state officials representing multiple areas of expertise. There will be two winners from each of our 16 Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) areas one for an English poster and one for a Spanish poster (can't be a duplicate poster translated). The winning posters from each region will be printed and sent to the respective RESA for distribution to the schools in that area. The regional winners will receive a cash prize in each of the following categories 1st place wins $100, 2nd place wins $50, and 3rd place wins $25. The regional winners will be notified by May 1, 2012. Additionally, the winning posters in each region will be prominently displayed in schools within their respective region. The 1st place winning posters will be judged at the end of the year to determine one state winner for the English poster and one state winner for the Spanish poster. The state winners will be announced in December 2012. State winners will receive $250 (taxpayer funds are not used for any prizes). More Information and Details Attached HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES A FACT SHEET FOR SCHOOLS What Is Human Trafficking? Human trafficking is a serious federal crime with penalties of up to imprisonment for life. Federal law defines "severe forms of trafficking in persons" as: "(A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or (B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery." [U.S.C. 7102(8)] In short, human trafficking is modern-day slavery. What Is the Extent of Human Trafficking in the United States? Contrary to a common assumption, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked to the United States for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. An unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor. How Does Human Trafficking Affect Our Schools? Trafficking can involve school-age children--particularly those not living with their parents--who are vulnerable to coerced labor exploitation, domestic servitude, or commercial sexual exploitation (i.e., prostitution). Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Those who recruit minors into prostitution violate federal anti-trafficking laws, even if there is no coercion or movement across state lines. The children at risk are not just high school students--studies demonstrate that pimps prey on victims as young as 12. Traffickers have been reported targeting their minor victims through telephone chat-lines, clubs, on the street, through friends, and at malls, as well as using girls to recruit other girls at schools and after-school programs. How Do I Identify a Victim of Human Trafficking?* A victim: Has unexplained absences from school for a period of time, and is therefore a truant Demonstrates an inability to attend school on a regular basis Chronically runs away from home Makes references to frequent travel to other cities Exhibits bruises or other physical trauma, withdrawn behavior, depression, or fear Lacks control over her or his schedule or identification documents Is hungry-malnourished or inappropriately dressed (based on weather conditions or surroundings) Shows signs of drug addiction Additional signs that may indicate sex-related trafficking include: Demonstrates a sudden change in attire, behavior, or material possessions (e.g., has expensive items) Makes references to sexual situations that are beyond age-specific norms Has a "boyfriend" who is noticeably older (10+ years) Makes references to terminology of the commercial sex industry that are beyond age specific norms; engages in promiscuous behavior and may be labeled "fast" by peers * It is important to note that this list is not comprehensive of all signs of human trafficking, nor are all students who exhibit these signs most certainly trafficking victims. The list is meant to be a guide to help determine if further action is appropriate. How Do I Report a Suspected Incidence of Human Trafficking? In cases of immediate emergencies, it is best to call your local police department or emergency access number. You can report suspected trafficking crimes or get help by calling the national 24/7 toll-free Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888. This center will help you determine if you have encountered a victim of human trafficking; identify local resources available in your community to help victims; and coordinate with local social service providers to help protect and serve victims so they can begin the process of rehabilitation and restoring their lives. When appropriate, the Resource Center makes referrals to local organizations that assist victims with counseling, case management, legal advice, and other appropriate services, as well as to law enforcement agencies that help trapped victims reach safety. For sexually exploited or abused minors call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST to be connected with the most appropriate assistance in your area, or you can report incidents at http://www.cybertipline.org. You can report suspected instances of trafficking or worker exploitation by contacting the FBI field office nearest you at http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm or by contacting the Department of Justice's Human Trafficking Office at 1-888-428-7581. How Does the United States Help Victims of Human Trafficking? The U.S. government supports a victim-centered approach. It funds a national public awareness campaign and a number of nongovernmental organizations that assist victims. The U.S. government seriously pursues human trafficking cases and prosecutes the traffickers. For a complete assessment of U.S. government efforts to combat trafficking in persons, please visit the U.S. Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_ctip.html. Resources and Publications One of the best ways to help combat human trafficking is to raise awareness and learn more about how to identify victims. Information on human trafficking can be found on the following Web sites: U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons http://www.state.gov/g/tip U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Campaign to Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/index.html U.S. Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_ctip.html http://www.ovc.gov/help/tip.htm http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigative Programs, Crimes Against Children http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/crimesmain.htm National Center for Missing and Exploited Children http://www.ncmec.org Polaris Project http://www.polarisproject.org United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc-sale.htm NOTE: This fact sheet contains resources, including Web sites, created by a variety of outside organizations. The resources are provided for the user's convenience, and inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any views, products or services offered or expressed in them. All Web sites were accessed on June 26, 2007. U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202 (202) 260-3954 www.ed.gov/osdfs "Not In Georgia: Combating Human Sex Trafficking" 2012 Poster Contest for Grades 9-12 Students in grades nine through twelve are invited to submit their work for a STATEWIDE poster contest to help promote a national hotline to report and prevent Human Sex Trafficking. It is estimated that 5,000 girls a year are victims of sex trafficking in Georgia. Because of its international airport and sprawling landscape, Atlanta is the center for this atrocity. We cannot stand by and allow sex trafficking to continue. Therefore, we are working with a number of state and nongovernmental organization partners to host seminars which are designed to help Georgia educators and social services workers recognize key indicators of possible human sex trafficking activities, as well as sex trafficking victims. We also want to equip students with resources to help call attention to those that may be victims. That is why we have developed a poster contest to promote the national hotline where you can report any suspicion of sex trafficking in your school or community. The primary focus of the posters should be the national hotline, but in a creative way that would grab the attention of students and teachers. The national hotline phone number is 1-888-373-7888. Submissions will be judged by a panel of state officials representing multiple areas of expertise. There will be two winners from each of our 16 Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) one for an English poster and one for a Spanish poster (can't be a duplicate poster translated). The winning posters from each region will be printed and sent to the respective RESA for distribution to the schools in that area. The regional winners will receive a cash prize in each of the following categories 1st place wins $100, 2nd place wins $50, and 3rd place wins $25. Regional winners will be notified by May 1, 2012. Additionally, the winning posters in each region will be prominently displayed in schools within their respective region. The 1st place winning posters will be judged at the end of the year (November 2012) to determine one state winner for the English poster and one state winner for the Spanish poster. The State level winners will be announced in December 2012 and will receive $250 (taxpayer funds are not used for any prizes). Posters should be created on paper or foam board no larger than 22" x 28". All submissions should be drawn horizontally and should be original art work (no computer graphics). Any artwork that is inappropriate will not be accepted. The artwork should focus on the toll free number. Each student's name, grade, school, school address/phone number and name of supervising teacher/principal must be firmly affixed to the back of each submission. Instructions 1. Categories: The two categories for the 2011-2012 poster contest are grades 9-12 in English and Spanish. 2. Deadline: To be eligible for the contest, all school submissions must be delivered to the appropriate RESA no later than March 16, 2012. 4. Materials: Posters should be no larger than 22" x 28" and should be created on paper or foam board. All submissions should be drawn horizontally and should be original art work (no computer graphics). Any artwork that is inappropriate will not be accepted. Poster designs may not incorporate any copyrighted characters (i.e., comic and/or television characters), photographs, and magazine or newspaper illustrations. The artwork should focus on the toll free number. Each student's name, grade, school, school address/phone number and name of supervising teacher/principal must be firmly affixed to the back of each submission. 5. Submissions from schools will be delivered to the appropriate RESA. The posters will be picked up at the RESA by a GaDOE employee and hand delivered to: Diane Burrell Georgia Department of Education Suite 2062 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr., Drive Atlanta, GA 30334 6. Selection of Winners: Winners for each of the categories will be judged at the GaDOE. 7. Cover Sheet Form: Please send all school entries with the attached cover sheet to the appropriate RESA. (Please note: Only one cover sheet per category should be submitted per school). 8. Notification/Awards: Regional winners will be notified in writing by May 1, 2012. 9. Use of Artwork: Artwork becomes the property of the Georgia Department of Education. 10. For more information: Please contact Diane Burrell at 404-463-1543 or dburrell@doe.k12.ga.us. "Not In Georgia: Combating Human Sex Trafficking" 2012 Poster Contest for Grades 9-12 Cover Sheet Please complete form and enclose it with the posters submitted to the Georgia Department of Education. Name of School: _____________________________________________________________ Main Contact Name: ___________________________________________________________ Main Contact Email: ___________________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________________________________________________ School Street Address: _________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________________________________________ State: ______________________________________________________________________ Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________ School Telephone Number: _____________________________________________________ Print Name of Principal: ________________________________________________________ Number of Posters Submitted From School: _________________________________________ Number of Posters Submitted for English Category ___________________________________ Number of Posters Submitted for Spanish Category:__________________________________ Total Number of Students Participating In Poster Contest: _____________________________ Submissions will be picked up at the RESA by the GaDOE staff. Diane Burrell Georgia Department of Education Suite 2062 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr., Drive Atlanta, GA 30334