Santa Barbara teenagers are gaining new tools to recognize human trafficking and help protect other young people in the community. Teen interns participating in the SAFE program met with local detectives and prosecutors for an educational session focused on exploitation, prevention, and awareness.
Empowering Teens to Make a Difference
The training gave students a closer look at how trafficking can develop, including warning signs that may not always be obvious to friends, classmates, or family members. Participants also learned where young people can turn when something feels unsafe and how trusted adults, law enforcement, and community resources can help.
A key part of the program centers on reaching teenagers through other teenagers. After learning directly from professionals who encounter trafficking cases, the interns can take that knowledge back to their peers and help make difficult conversations easier to understand.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
