Thousands of school-aged children in the United States and Canada are vulnerable to being trafficked. Some victims continue attending school during the day — and riding the school bus — even while they are being trafficked or groomed behind the scenes. School transportation professionals may observe red flags that a child on their bus is being exploited or can play a preventative role by noticing signs that a child is being groomed for trafficking.

School transportation plays a crucial role in identifying and responding to potential cases of child trafficking, especially as it is an integral component of the school environment.

A TAT-trained employee at Sunset Empire Transportation District (SETD) in Oregon received calls from both a concerned father and the Seaside Police Department, who were looking for two 14-year-old girls. The father believed they had run away to meet an “Internet friend.”

Working with law enforcement, the SETD team reviewed the video surveillance and found the two girls were on a bus en route to Portland. The supervisor immediately called the TAT-trained bus driver on the route, who was able to confirm that the two girls were on the bus. The driver, SETD staff and law enforcement were able to coordinate holding the bus at a scheduled layover. The driver, a former school bus driver, engaged the girls in conversation until police arrived and were able to escort them safely home.