Resources for Teaching About Human Trafficking

On January 11, high school teacher Shelley Wright's students each wore a barcode to school. Their goal? To "represent that people should not be bought and sold, to start conversations with those around them that slavery still exists, and as a visual symbol that our work is not done." January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and recently President Obama declared January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Modern day slavery continues to flourish, including in the U.S., and human trafficking is a topic both relevant and interesting to students. Many aren't aware that it exists. Social studies teacher, Elizabeth Devine, spends three weeks of her semester-long human rights course exploring human trafficking.

There are numerous useful resources available for teaching about human trafficking with older students. Here are just a few selected examples.

Books:

Ending Slavery
by Kevin Bales (2007)
What can people, community and governments do to end slavery now?

Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery
by Jesse Sage & Liora Kasten, eds. (2008)
Collection of first-hand accounts of modern slavery around the world.

The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking & Slavery in America Today
by Kevin Bales & Ron Soodalter (2009)
Documents cases of modern slavery in the U.S., discusses causes, and offers solutions.

Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade -- And How We Can Fight It
by David Batstone (2007)
Reveals accounts of victims of slavery and what people can do.

Free the Children
by Craig Kielburger (1998)
An article in the news led a young man on a crusade that has touched millions and has freed thousands of child slaves.

Films:

Call + Response
”...goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India."

The Day My God Died
“Entering the brothels of Bombay with hidden cameras, The Day My God Died documents the tragedy of the child sex trade, exposing human rights violations and profiling the courageous abolitionists who are working towards change.”

Free the Slaves documentaries
A useful collection of brief documentaries about human trafficking and modern slavery.

Human Trafficking
A fictionalized story of human trafficking; useful introduction for high school students.

Not for Sale: The Documentary
“Covers what modern-day abolitionists are doing to fight the rampant terrors of human trafficking in the US and abroad.” From the book of the same name.

Websites/Organizations:

Anti-Slavery International Teacher Resources
Includes curriculum and resource ideas for teaching about modern slavery.

Free the Slaves
A non-profit leading campaigns, as well as offering videos, survivor stories, and resources for teachers.

Human Trafficking
A blog featuring media and information about modern-day slavery.

Not for Sale Teacher Resources
Includes curriculum and offers other opportunities for students and teachers to get involved in learning about & stopping human slavery.

Polaris Project 
Offers an overview of human trafficking & works toward long-term solutions.

Slavery Footprint
Take the survey and find out how many slaves are working for us, based on the products we buy, foods we eat, sports we play, etc.

Slavery Map
A crowdsourced map that allows people to map documented cases of human trafficking/slavery in their communities.

The U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor & Combat Trafficking in Persons 
Includes the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which reports on the efforts of governments worldwide to combat human trafficking.

Also check out IHE's humane education activity, Do You Want Slavery With That?, which explores modern-day slavery with middle and high schoolers.

~ Marsha

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