2024 Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award seal

Youth on Transportation

WE CAN PROTECT YOUTH FROM TRAFFICKING AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THEIR DAYS.

Traffickers and pimps use lies, threats, violence and manipulation to exploit their victims and make money off of them. They target individuals they can influence and control, which means youth can be especially vulnerable.

As youth travel to and from school, work and other activities, they interact with various forms of community transportation, including school buses, local transit, rideshare, etc. These community transportation systems have an opportunity to help vulnerable youth avoid potential exploitation and help survivors of trafficking access resources, get to a safe place and/or connect with law enforcement.

It is essential that public transportation professionals are knowledgeable about the indicators of human trafficking and grooming. Beyond education, strong communication between all local stakeholders involved in safely transporting youth is critical. Passenger transportation providers can also reach youth and parents with targeted awareness materials.

TAT Department of Transportation award

On July 30, marking UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced TAT as the first-place winner for its $50,000 Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award for 2024. TAT won for its Youth on Transportation (YOT) Initiative, designed to prevent and interrupt youth exploitation at the intersection of public transit and school transportation. The award’s goal is to incentivize individuals and entities to think creatively in developing innovative solutions to combat human trafficking in the transportation industry and to share those innovations with the broader community.

“On behalf of the TAT team and Board of Directors, we are incredibly grateful to receive this prestigious award from the USDOT,” stated TAT Executive Director Esther Goetsch. “Creating innovative solutions to combat human trafficking in the transportation industry is deeply important to us, and the Youth on Transportation Initiative serves as a shining example of that creativity. Through this initiative, and with the support of our dedicated transportation and public sector partners, we believe that more young people in diverse communities across our country will be better safeguarded from exploitation as they travel throughout their day.”

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school districts training with TAT materials.

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public transit agencies training with TAT materials.

TAT’s Youth on Transportation Initiative works at the intersection of public transit and school transportation to leverage those overlaps to protect youth from human trafficking and exploitation.

Display targeted awareness-raising materials for youth and parents.

TAT gathered feedback and input from youth and survivors of trafficking to develop a series of youth-oriented awareness resources, including short videos, posters and social media graphics.

TAT encourages transportation providers and other key stakeholders to share and/or display these resources where youth and the caring adults in their lives may see them. TAT shares its designs free of charge and welcomes requests for co-branding and custom sizing.

Train your employees with TAT’s resources.

All local stakeholders involved in safely transporting youth should be equipped with the knowledge they need to identify and report signs of grooming, exploitation and trafficking.

TAT’s training resources for transit, school transportation and local drivers – including videos, wallet cards, an app, posters, etc. – are free of charge. TAT also offers free, online training modules for law enforcement.

View the trailers to TAT’s training videos:

Co-host or attend a Youth on Transportation Coalition Build.

TAT creates strategic local partnerships to end human trafficking as public and private sector leaders come together for training and networking. TAT’s Youth on Transportation Coalition Builds convene and connect local stakeholders, including public transit agencies, school transportation departments, state or provincial transportation associations (transit or school), law enforcement, rideshare and taxi companies, after-school transportation providers, youth-serving organizations, child and family services, etc. to facilitate community-wide collaboration to protect youth as they move through their days.

Contact TAT to get started.

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