Prince William school division raises awareness about preventing teen trafficking

“Stop. Teen. Trafficking.” A billboard created by Prince William County Schools is now at the intersection of Cardinal Drive and US 1 . It “subtly but starkly introduces the growing problem of teen trafficking to the local community while avoiding unduly frightening anyone. Teen trafficking is the use of force, fraud, and coercion to manipulate youth into the world of commercial exploitation,” according to a PWCS news release.

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is taking the lead in bringing this issue to the attention of the public, students, and families. This fulfills a non-funded mandate from the Virginia Board of Education to provide training in human trafficking and strategies for prevention.

PWCS sought and received funding from the Potomac Health Foundation for a public awareness campaign related to the mandate.

The billboard has generated over 49,000 impressions during its 30-day display and lists two help line numbers to call—703-368-4141 for the county’s Sexual Assault Victims Advocacy Services (SAVAS), and 1-800-THE-LOST, for The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“Impressions” is a term used in the media industry to describe how many times a message has been communicated.

“Teens are roped into this world through methodical and intense psychological manipulation,” said Jessica Woelkers, a PWCS social worker on special assignment for Human Trafficking Prevention. “An older individual will pose as an older boyfriend who uses a powerful combination of love and fear to keep the teen under his control.”

School social workers, counselors, psychologists, and school nurses are carrying this message to 3,000 ninth graders in six high schools in eastern Prince William County, the Potomac Health Foundation’s service area.

Support agencies and activities will provide a continuum of services to youth who have been trafficked, are at risk of being trafficked, or at risk of gang involvement. Anyone who knows of any students who have been approached or victimized by trafficking is encouraged to contact Woelkers at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

“We are the first School Division in the state to roll out a lesson for students,” said Woelkers.

She will participate, by invitation, on an educators’ panel on prevention at the National Trafficking in America Conference in July.

The PWCS classroom lesson, designed by a multidisciplinary team,  has been accepted by The National Educators to Stop Trafficking for inclusion in its online curriculum warehouse.