Washington, DC – Across the United States and around the world, children from all communities are being exploited before and after school, regardless of socio-economic class, race, gender, and religion. The average age they are exploited is only 12–15 years old. Anti-Trafficking International (ATI) aims to change these statistics by hosting an online event open to the public called Back to School Basics: Childproofing our Communities from Human Trafficking on Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 PM EDT. Dr. Stephanie Streat will address how student behaviors differ today as a result of the pandemic, how social communication and engagement have fundamentally shifted, what behaviors could be a reason for concern, and how parents can engage with their children more effectively to keep them safe.

Dr. Streat is a school social worker with over 20 years of experience in the public school system in Virginia. She has also worked in the Fairfax County Juvenile Court System as a probation officer. She earned her doctoral degree from Walden University in social work with a specialization in disaster, crisis and intervention and is currently a contributing faculty member in their Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work program.

To register for this free event, visit ATI’s website at https://www.PreventHT.org/events.

“The world has changed dramatically for everyone—especially our children,” says Kristine Grow, Team Leader of ATI’s Let’s Talk Community Outreach and Engagement program. “Kids are likely experiencing new people, new social situations, and new insecurities that traffickers will try to take advantage of. This webinar will help every adult understand what our children are thinking and feeling, and how we can best work together to protect the children in our lives from bad actors who would traffic and exploit them.”

About ATI

Anti-Trafficking International is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-driven organization focused on ending human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world, through education, prevention, and intervention. Let’s Talk is ATI’s quarterly webinar series where ATI partners with experts in the field to present an in-depth analysis and discussion on varied topics related to human trafficking. To learn more about human trafficking, ATI’s anti-human trafficking programs, or past and upcoming Let’s Talk events, visit https://www.PreventHT.org.