This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Human trafficking occurs in every state and is vigorously prosecuted here in Utah. On the prevention side is the 3Strands Foundation, led in Utah by Terry Palmer, who is here with more.
TERRY PALMER:
One strand of string can be easily broken, but three strands woven together are strong. At the 3Strands, we bring together the three strands of employment, education, and engagement to strengthen the fight against human trafficking and exploitation.
One of the key strands is education and through our PROTECT program, Utah educators are trained to identify physical signs and behaviors that might indicate a student is being victimized. Participants are also equipped with the resources needed to report cases of exploitation and help connect victims with services.
We also offer age-appropriate curriculum to students to help prevent the crime before it starts. Students are taught to identify abusive tactics and signs of exploitation that occur both online and in person.
In Utah, over 50,000 school staff have taken the PROTECT program and we look forward to teaching tens of thousands of students this year through this Utah State border Education approved training.
DEREK MILLER:
The FBI estimates that more than 100,000 children in the United States are victims of human trafficking. To join the fight, search the internet for the 3Strands Foundation. I’m Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business.
