The Litmus Initiative - Enabling Teachers to Recognize Domestic Human Trafficking
Date
2018
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Publisher
Western Michigan University
Abstract
Introduction
Litmus paper plays a vital role in the research of scientists of many disciplines: exposing
unseen changes to the acidity of substances. To the naked eye, a solution may appear unaltered,
but the addition of a single drop of an acid or base, or the modification of a miniscule aspect of
natural processes at play may produce vastly different results in a litmus test. It is litmus that
provides consistency, constancy, and comparability in numerous studies. Without such a tool,
dangerous change could go unnoticed until lasting damage had already been done.
Every day, hundreds of thousands of women and children are sold for sex (The Polaris
Project, 2018). This modern day form of slavery, known as human sex trafficking, has escalated
globally at an increasing rate, specifically since the rise of the internet. Although its existence in
developing nations is widely publicized, it is not isolated to these locations; in the United States,
it is estimated that 300,000 individuals are being sex trafficked, with half of those victims under
the age of 18 (Lloyd, 2011). Children from every state, of every race, and of every
socio-economic status are being used and abused, and in many cases, no one outside of their
exploitation is aware. Alarming is not a word for this. Distressing. Tragic. Gruesome.
Catastrophic. A destruction of human life, dignity, and worth before folded hands and unseeing
eyes, spitting excuses of chaotic schedules and overwhelmed minds. Yet amidst the tumult of
everyday life, there exists a group of professionals who are constant in the lives of children, able
to recognize inconsistencies in a child’s behavior, and afforded the opportunity to compare one
day or week to the next: teachers. In a world that does not promote - and sometimes does not
allow - prolonged and regular contact between teens and most discerning adults, school teachers
interact with students five days every week, discuss weekend plans, and have more context than
THE LITMUS INITIATIVE 2
anyone else to recognize changes in attitude, energy, or personality. Teachers are the litmus
paper that can detect minor changes in a child’s well-being early, allowing the chance to act
before lasting damage is carried out. Correctly equipped, teachers could be a central force in
changing the tide of modern day slavery in America.
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Keywords
screening, domestic minor sex trafficking, knowledge, intervention, teachers
Citation
Hansen, B. (2018). The Litmus Initiative-Enabling Teachers to Recognize Domestic Human Trafficking (Master's thesis). Western Michigan University.