Human Trafficking is one of the largest criminal enterprises in the United States. The average age of entry into sexual slavery is 12-13, particularly those made vulnerable by challenging family situations. National Educators to Stop Trafficking (NEST) equips teachers and youth leaders with age-appropriate curriculum and resources for Grades K-12 to educate and empower youth so that sexual exploitation and human trafficking become a thing of the past.

Understanding that youth become vulnerable at a very young age, the NEST advisory committee has spent the last several weeks reviewing and vetting numerous K-6 Grade human trafficking prevention curriculums. After much deliberation the committee approved programs created by four highly credited organizations. We are proud to announce the following as K-6 NEST curriculum providers: Child Lures Prevention’s Think First & Stay Safe™ School Program (VA); MBF Child Safety Matters™ Program (FL). Sexual Abuse Prevention Program created by KidSafe Foundation (FL); and Safe@Last, a program of the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville (TN) have been approved as additional resources.

All of the approved curriculum and resources for Grades K-6 offer a variety of age-appropriate safety tips. Each aim to establish common goals such as: child sexual abuse and exploitation are against the law, how to identity trusted adults, setting personal boundaries, teaching and practicing proven prevention strategies from lures used by unsuspecting adults, guidance for disclosure, and more. Summaries of each of the four programs can be viewed on the NEST website. Connection to the organizations can be made via the K-6 curriculum and resource chart.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, traffickers frequently lure victims by making false promises of love or protection, restricting contact with family and friends, and using threats and violence. These are also tactics common among individuals who sexually abuse children. National research indicates that a child who has been sexually abused is four times more likely to be trafficked for commercial sex than his or her peers (Brantley), thus preventing child sexual abuse is one of the keys to preventing human trafficking.

NEST applauds the creators of the K-6 programs and their undying efforts to prevent children from sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation (which is human trafficking).