Low Minimum Wages – How it Affects Families

By: Shecondria Duncan

Monthly rent is steadily on the rise in every state in America. Yet, the federal minimum wage is still only $7.25 per hour. A full-time employee earning this amount has a gross monthly income of around $1,160. So how is it that families living on minimum wage can afford their monthly rent, utilities, and other necessary resources when the lowest average rent in America is around $700 or more a month? The answer is simple. They can’t. The truth is millions of families in America struggle daily to provide for their families due to low minimum wages. As a result, they often become homeless and have individuals at high risk of developing anxiety, depression, and nutrition-related health disorders.

Minimum Wage Puts Families at Risk of Homelessness

The most needed resource for any family is a place to call home. Our homes provide the foundation and support we need to function properly at work, school, and even in our relationships with our friends and coworkers. They are where we eat, sleep, and perform the tasks that build and support our self-confidence, like learning how to care for our personal hygiene. The current low minimum wage puts families at risk of losing these livelihoods and widens the gap of the poverty line for millions of Americans.

For a family of two, the poverty line is $17,420. If the family breadwinner only earns minimum wage, their yearly salary before taxes adds up to $15,080. That is $2340 below the poverty line. That gap increases to $11,000 for a family of four. So, not only are some families experiencing poverty, if they are earning $7.25 per hour, they are falling well below the current poverty line. Thus, making it impossible for them to afford rent, utilities, and other necessary monthly resources.

Anxiety & Depression Are Often Symptoms of Low Wages

Think about it, how would you feel if you could not afford your monthly expenses not because you’re unemployed but because your job does not pay enough. It would feel like adding insult to injury, right? Unfortunately, this is true for millions of Americans. They wake up early in the morning, bus their children off to school, and work for 8 hours or more five days a week at a job whose salary won’t pay their monthly bills. Inevitably, most of them fail into depression or experience anxiety more often than they desire. What’s more, their depression and anxiety can affect the way they raise their children.

According to a Yale Medicine article, parents who are depressed interact differently with their children, so much so that it affects the child’s development. They are said to use less emotion and expressivity in their language when interacting with their babies. In addition to that, they often use less eye contact. Unlike parents who are not depressed, they lack the energy and liveliness to interact with their children, hindering them from engaging in fun activities like playing outside or reading books.

Low Minimum Wages Put Families at Risk of Nutrition-Related Health Diseases

When you are down to your last few dollars the last thing on your mind is purchasing healthy food for your family. The biggest goal for families in this situation is simply to put food on the table. While this solves the problem of hunger, it does little for preventing nutrition related health diseases like diabetes. Many will argue here that most of these families receive some form of government assistance.  While this is true, even with government-funded food programs, many families still cannot afford to purchase high-quality foods for their entire families. Consequently, rather than having access to foods that are organic and free of genetically modified organisms or GMOs, low-income families often eat foods that contain unhealthy food additives like high fructose corn syrup and MSG, both found in most processed foods.

In short, besides the few states with an average rent of a little over $700, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in most states is $1080.00. This fact alone reveals that low minimum wage in America has upgraded from a crisis to an epidemic. Why? Because families who earn minimum wage can no longer meet their basic needs even as full-time employees. Before this epidemic gets further out of control, the federal government must take a stand and give the federal minimum wage the increase it deserves.

Building Character Through Youth Mentoring Programs

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By: Shecondria Duncan

Learning how to develop good character is vitally important to an individual’s overall success in life. Above all, possessing these skills early in life will help build stronger relationships, boost self-esteem, and improve school performance. One of the best ways to develop these skills at a young age is to join a youth mentoring program. For years, mentoring programs have helped youth and adolescence strengthen their interpersonal relationships, improve their behavior, and increase their enrollment into college. They have also played a role in decreasing the likelihood of youth substance abuse and gang activity. 

One such program, Horizons for Youth, in Chicago, IL, is helping to lead the charge in building character through youth mentoring. They serve youth from kindergarten through college through mentoring, as well as other programs and support services. Through their program, they have assisted a high percentage of disadvantaged youth in enrolling in college. In addition to this, they are using real-life experiences to enrich the lives of the youth they serve. Periodically, they take them on enrichment outings involving art, science, theatre, and civic engagement. These types of programs expand the experiences of youth in their community by providing them with a vision of what the world has to offer and who they can become.

Mentors Have Just as Much to Gain

The positive effects of youth mentoring programs go both ways. Mentors have just as much to gain as the youth who participate in these programs. Along with youth, mentors also experience enhanced self-esteem and stronger interpersonal relationships. Many report feelings of personal fulfillment and a better understanding of children, especially those that are disadvantaged.

Keeping Students Engaged

By: Shecondria Duncan

Students across the country spent the last year learning virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, school systems are preparing for students to return to in-person learning. But are they ready for the classroom after spending months learning from home? What challenges or obstacles could they be facing this upcoming school year? And how can parents and teachers support their academic success? 

One concerning factor for a smooth transition will be getting students reacquainted with the classroom environment. Some students may have lost sight of what it feels like to sit at a desk for hours engaging in learning with their teacher. In addition to that, students may be experiencing anxiety about returning to school. 

Parents and teachers will have a role in ensuring students are engaged in learning as they make the transition back into the classroom. Working as a team, they can encourage students to become enthusiastic about learning, support their mental health as they return to school, and close any learning gaps caused by virtual learning. 

Collaborating with Your Child’s School and Teachers 

Parents should plan to attend their child’s back-to-school open house. It’s an opportunity to reintroduce your child to the school environment and begin your collaboration efforts with your child’s teacher. Many schools use this event as the first source of providing parents information to ensure student’s success during the academic year. Let your child’s teacher know that you plan to be involved in your child’s learning by being present during the open house. 

Talk to your child’s teacher about the school’s plan for closing learning gaps and supporting students as they transition back. Ask how you can help your child at home. If possible, meet with the school counselor to discuss a plan for coping with any anxiety your child may experience when returning to school. Provide your best contact information and availability so your child’s teacher can contact you, if needed, during the school year. Lastly, set aside time to meet with teachers periodically to discuss your child’s academic performance and needs. 

Tips for Keeping Your Child Engaged at Home

Learning goes far beyond the classroom. Everyday life offers several opportunities for learning as well. Keeping this in mind, expose your child to as many real-world learning experiences as possible. Let your child’s interests lead the way here. If your child enjoys singing and dancing, 

enroll them in a performing arts program or take them to see a live performance. Talk to them about the experience to gain more knowledge on their interests and connect it to anything they may be learning at school. Likewise, if your child loves a particular character, like Sonic the Hedgehog, find them books to read about this character. Depending on your child’s age, you can also teach them how to write and say the letter sounds of the character’s name.

As often as possible, take them out into the community for learning experiences. Visit local parks, museums, the zoo, or anything your child may be interested in that excites and encourages their learning. 

Share your enthusiasm for learning with them. Talk about things you are interested in and create opportunities for your child to observe your learning. If you like to read, keep plenty of books at home and read them often to foster a love of reading in the home environment. 

Given these points, a smooth return to the classroom for students will heavily rely on the collaboration efforts of teachers and parents. Students will need the support of both parties to reach academic success this upcoming school year.

The Challenges of Remote Learning

What have the challenges been and how do we keep students engaged in a difficult remote learning climate?

Remote learning is a role that parents and caregivers were thrown into with little to no warning or ways of preparing. There have been some success and some failure with the process. A big determining factor of whether or not parents have had any success with their children through remote learning plays a lot into the ways their children learn best. Some kids are thriving in remote learning and others work better in a classroom setting where they can be more social. Regardless of whether children are doing well in remote learning is the fact that some of the problems that have come up have been ones that are completely out of their control. Many parents and students in low-income families worried about how they would keep up without any access to the internet or laptops, computers and tablets. Some schools, including CPS, sent out tablets and provided hard copies to students who were unable to get their hands on internet access. Comcast even offered up free Wi-Fi to students with no internet access. Despite all this though, there were still many problems with remote learning that would cause many people to say that it was unsuccessful.

Online Training

Many teachers are trained to teach in the classrooms so transferring their teaching methods to online zoom calls hasn’t necessarily been easy. Some teaching methods may not be as successful online as they would be in person. It’s also harder for teachers to get students to engage and participate. It also makes it harder on the teacher to come up with homework assignments and tests/quizzes and actually ensure that the students are retaining the information.

Solution: Authoring tools have been very helpful for teachers because they provide them with software to create their own e-learning programs. Click here for a list of helpful authoring tools.

Technical Issues

When dealing with the internet it’s inevitable that problems will arise such as no Wi-Fi, bad internet connections, problems with apps and software and simply people not knowing how to work certain things. These things can be a headache on all parties involved (parents, students and teachers) and interrupt important learning lessons.

Solution: The biggest way to prevent any technical problems is to login to class early to ensure that you have a stable internet connection and your logins/passwords are working. It might also be helpful for schools to have technical support people on standby to help anyone that may be experiencing technical difficulties.

No One-on-One Time For Students

Some students require extra attention and may need to have a one-on-one with teachers to ask questions and get additional help. That is not entirely easy to do through e-learning, which may leave some students falling behind in the classrooms.

Solution: For students who need help during the e-learning session let them know how they can ask questions during class, i.e. using the “hand up” function or using the chat feature. It might also be helpful to have another person on standby to help answer the questions of students that need additional help. Aside from that teachers can elect to hold individual calls with a student if they need more help.

Even with addressing the problems above, remote learning still had some problems that were hard to solve. For starters many students were disinterested and failed to show up to class; and with parents too busy to keep track of their kids’ work and teachers not able to get in contact with them many students fell behind. Some districts even stopped requiring students to do any work at all or told them that no one wouldn’t fail either way, which in turn causes students to stop caring. Many teachers also were putting in minimal effort with their teaching methods hopping on calls for only a few minutes leaving parents to deal with the fallout of how to teach their children in something they weren’t trained for.

In the future, in order for educators to keep children engaged during remote learning the following needs to happen:

1. Allow students to feel like they are actually learning something rather than just doing busy work
2. More strategy and planning
3. Equal opportunity across the board for low-income families and families of color
4. Better support for students without internet access
5. Better support for students with disabilities
6. Unique and creative ways for students to learn and socialize besides sitting in front of the screen all day
7. More enforcement on making sure students are actually attending classes, engaging, learning and getting the help they need
8. More communication and effort between teachers and parents

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/03/18/817691597/as-classes-move-online-what-happens-to-students-without-internet-or-computers

https://www.wsj.com/articles/schools-coronavirus-remote-learning-lockdown-tech-11591375078

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/6/26/21304405/surveys-remote-learning-coronavirus-success-failure-teachers-parents

https://trainingindustry.com/articles/remote-learning/5-remote-learning-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them/

The Truth Behind Microaggressions Including Ones Your Child Might be Facing In the Classroom

Microaggressions are extremely dangerous because in most cases people are unintentionally projecting them unto others. At the same time, microaggressions can also be intentional and used as a passive-aggressive way to spread bias or stereotype about a specific group without coming off too hateful. This includes “hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.” In other words they can be instances of racism, homophopia, sexism, etc. masked as innocent comments, gestures, jokes, etc. They also be often masked as back-handed compliments that compliment you, but bashes the community you belong to. They can cause people to feel slightly uncomfortable. Nonetheless, whether intentional or not, microaggressions are not cool and can cause a lot of damage. Let’s take a look at some variations of microaggressions and what they look like.

Racism	Sexism	Homophobia
You don’t talk like a black person.	Act more like a lady.	It’s just a phase.
You must be good at math.	Women are bad drivers.	You don’t act gay.
Are you the new diversity hire?	Stop being so emotional.	Who’s the man/woman in the relationship?
You all look alike.	Men don’t cry.	You’re too pretty to be gay.
Can I touch your hair?		What are you?
You’re pretty for a black girl.

Microaggressions can also be found in the classroom. According to Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D., these are the microaggressions to watch out for in the classrooms:

 Failing to learn to pronounce or continuing to mispronounce the names of students after they
have corrected you.
 Scheduling tests and project due dates on religious or cultural holidays.
 Disregarding religious traditions or their details. (Ex. Impacts of fasting)
 Setting low expectations for students from particular groups, neighborhoods, or feeder
patterns.
 Calling on, engaging and validating one gender, class, or race of students while ignoring other
students during class.
 Assigning student tasks or roles that reinforce particular gender roles or don’t allow all students
flexibility across roles and responses.
 Anticipating students’ emotional responses based on gender, sexual orientation, race or
ethnicity.
 Using inappropriate humor in class that degrades students from different groups.
 Expressing racially charged political opinions in class assuming that the targets of those opinions
do not exist in class.
 Using the term “illegals” to reference undocumented students.
 Hosting debates in class that place students from groups who may represent a minority opinion
in class in a difficult position.
 Singling students out in class because of their backgrounds.
 Expecting students of any particular group to ‘represent’ the perspectives of others of their race,
gender, etc. in class discussions or debates.
 Denying the experiences of students by questioning the credibility and validity of their stories.
 Assigning class projects or creating classroom or school procedures that are heterosexist, sexist,
racist, or promote other oppressions, even inadvertently.
 Using sexist language.
 Using heteronormative metaphors or examples in class.
 Assuming the gender of any student.
 Continuing to misuse pronouns even after a student, transgender or not, indicates their
preferred gender pronoun.
 Assigning projects that ignore differences in socioeconomic class status and inadvertently
penalize students with fewer financial resources.
 Excluding students from accessing student activities due to high financial costs.
 Assuming all students have access to and are proficient in the use of computers and applications
for communications about school activities and academic work.
 Assuming that students of particular ethnicities must speak another language or must not speak
English.
 Complimenting non-white students on their use of “good English.”
 Discouraging students from working on projects that explore their own social identities.
 Asking people with hidden disabilities to identify themselves in class.
 Forcing students with non‐obvious disabilities to “out” themselves or discuss them publically.
 Ignoring student‐to‐student microaggressions, even when the interaction is not course‐related.
 Making assumptions about students and their backgrounds.
 Featuring pictures of students of only one ethnicity or gender on the school website.
 Having students engage in required reading where the protagonists are always white

Now that you know exactly what microaggressions are, I’m sure majority of you can say you’ve experienced it at least once. So, how do you react the next time someone hits you with one? How you respond is up to you. You can either let it go if you decide it isn’t that big of a deal or if you feel the person meant no harm or you can decide to address it. If you do decide to address it, you have the power to decide how and how much time you want to spend on it. You can simply tell them not to do that anymore or you can decide to challenge and educate them. The point is to not allow these microaggressions to consume you and take up your life, but to use them as a teaching point especially in a time when race relations and conversations are so pivotal.

8 Tips for Parents Starting the Homeschooling Journey

This year has been unlike any year before. As majority of schools have already started the fall semester, some have opened classrooms back up while others remain remote. Some parents refuse to send their children back to school in the middle of a pandemic, understandably so. We’ve just seen a alarming number of children test positive for coronavirus and frankly for some parents it’s hard to put your faith in the schools that they are doing everything necessary to keep your child safe. For very young children, who are prone to touch everything and are walking germs, it’s going to be harder to get them to follow the rules, social distance, wear a mask, etc. because they don’t understand the extent of the virus. For those reasons many parents are opting to home-school their children whether their child’s school is back open or not. For those embarking down that journey, we’ve got you covered with some helpful tips.

1. Schedule: First things first a schedule is very important for both you and your child. You can start by creating a schedule similar to one your child would have in school. This will help them keep that same sense of routine. A schedule will also help you as well because you can map out when you have time to tackle your tasks (perhaps when they’re taking a nap or eating lunch).
2. Get Creative: We know it’s not going to be easy, especially if you have no experience being a teacher, but your best bet will be to get creative. As parents you have the luxury of knowing your child better than any teacher could, try incorporating their likes/hobbies into the lesson as a way to get them excited to learn.
3. Patience: Patience is a virtue, so remember to be patient with both yourself and your child. It might take some time to get into a good rhythm.
4. Work Space: For parents of younger children, it could be helpful to create a small workplace with a desk, supplies, etc. to resemble the classroom. This can help them feel like they are at school and not home.
5. Set Goals: It can be helpful to set some beginning of the year goals for your child based off of their age (for example maybe you want your child to be able write their name by the end of the year). This will allow you to track your child’s progress throughout the year and keep them up to date with other children their age. Also make sure they are on target for their age group with math, writing and reading skills.
6. Keep in Contact with your child’s teacher: Older children are homeschooling, so their teacher is still available for contact. Use this to your full advantage for any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s learning.
7. Family Activities: Have multiple children or a big family? Try making everyday family activities into a learning experience. This kills two birds with one stone. It is helping the children learn, but can also be something fun for the family to do together as everyone struggles to stay entertained in a pandemic.
8. Allow Break Time: Everyone needs a break, including children. Allow them some break time much like the recess they would have in school. You can come up with different activities everyday. This will help keep them active as well.
9. Work with other parents: The best thing about this, is that you aren’t going through it alone. There are parents all over the country embarking on the same journey. You can try contacting a friend with children or even contact one of your child’s parents to share what works for you and get some advice or tips from them. If nothing else, it may help you feel better to just know that they’ve experienced the same challenges as you.

Got some more tips for homeschooling share? Share them below.

8 Ways to Keep your Mental Health in Order While Dealing With Racial Injustice

These past few weeks have been trying. We’ve had to see countless black people killed (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, etc.) We’ve had to deal with the racist comments and overall ignorance of others, one of them being the President of the United States. We’ve had to deal with this all while fighting for justice in our own way, whether it be through protesting, donating, educating, etc. We’ve had to deal with the backlash of peaceful protesting, be sprayed with tear gas, rubber bullets, etc. All of this has been very painful, but at the core of it all; the lives lost and lives we are continuing to lose as I write this serve as a reminder of all the lives we’ve lost in the past that have not gotten the justice they deserve. It also serves a reminder that we’ve been dealing with oppression for over 400 years and it goes much deeper than racism and white privilege. It lies withing our justice system as well. Despite what some may think, America has never been great for us and we’ve been fighting for as long as we’ve been alive and before that it was our parents and our parents’ parents.

We know all this can be heavy and weigh down on many people’s mental as people try to find the right balance between doing their part and taking a much needed break to decompress. Here are some ways you can keep your mental health in order right now:

 

1. Self-care

We’ve heard the phrase you can’t help anyone if you don’t take care of yourself first. That phrase is just as relevant now. Take the time for yourself to just be, relax and do what makes you happy.

 

 2. Connect with other Black people

During these times it’s important that you have someone to talk to that understands what you are going through and how you feel.

 

3. Limit your Social Media Intake

It’s okay to turn your social media off or choose to not watch or engage in certain things you may see. You may also seek to follow more lighthearted or upbeat pages as well.

 

4. Blocking/Unfollowing

We live in a society where cancel-culture can be overbearing, but at this time give yourself permission to distance yourself from anyone who you feel isn’t behind you without worrying about what others may say. This applies to both social media and real life.

 

5. Celebrate your culture/Support other Black people

Now is the time more than ever to celebrate how great black culture is. It’s also important to stick together as a community. One of the best ways of doing that is supporting black artists and creators, buying black, etc.

 

6. Remind yourself that you don’t have to discuss things when it gets too heavy nor is it your job to educate others.

 

7. Mantras

It’s important to remind yourself that you matter in a world that on a daily is trying to convince us otherwise. Mantras/positive affirmations are a great way to do that. Find one that’s good for you and repeat it daily.

 

8. Let yourself have feelings. Everyone is going to react in different ways. There is no right or wrong way. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

 

Know of any other ways to protect your mental health during difficult times? List them below.

What You Should Teach Your Children About Black Culture Ahead of Black History Month

With January quickly coming to an end, that can only mean one thing: Black History Month is approaching. Of course we celebrate our culture and our people year round, but February gives us a chance to really reflect and bask in our accomplishments a little more than usual. It’s also a good time to celebrate with your kids and teach them about our history as well as why February is an important month. Here are a list of things you should talk to your child about to prepare them for Black History Month:

1. Jim Crow laws
2. Ancestry
3. Important black leaders
4. The history of black artists/musicians/actors/authors, etc.
5. Black scientists
6. Slavery
7. The history of racism
8. Civil Rights Movement
9. The Black Panthers
10. Africa
11. HBCU’s
12. Black Lives Matters
13. Black Veterans
14. African Americans and politics
15. Juneteenth
16. Thurgood Marshall/Supreme Court Cases that helped African Americans secure rights

Know of any more things that are important to teach children about Black History? Share them below.

How to Get the Most Out of a Parent-Teacher Conference: Questions You Should Be Asking

Although parent-teacher conferences tend to be a short opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher and learn about their progress as a student, there is still an opportunity to make the most out of it. If you are looking to be hands on with your child’s education, learn about their progress and where there can be room for improvement; the objective should be to go in with an agenda. Don’t just wait to find out what the teacher has to say. Come in with your on set of questions based off of what you already know to be true about your child. This will give you insight into how your child behaves in the classroom versus at home. You can also give the teacher a little insight into how your child behaves at home. This allows both parties to gain an understanding of the best possible way to teach a child and allow them to reach their full potential. It’s also important that prior to the conference you have been keeping up with each day of your child’s life by asking them questions such as “How was school?” and “What happened at school today?” that way if there are any concerns or issues about something, you are prepared to bring them up and ask questions.

Here are a list of starter questions you can think about asking at the next parent-teacher conference, but again the best way to make the most of this is to tailor the questions to fit your individual child:

1. How is my child doing socially/emotionally?
2. What are my child’s academic strengths and weaknesses?
3. Is my child performing at his or her’s grade level?
4. Are there any areas my child can use extra help in?
5. How can I help at home?
6. What’s the best way to communicate with you?
7. How can I stay on top of what is happening in the classroom?
8. Is my child giving his or her best effort?

It may also be a good idea to take notes of everything addressed in the conference so that it can be referenced at a later date. You can also schedule a follow-up if you would like more time with the teacher or would like to see if your child has made any improvements since the last conference.

If you are looking for more personalized questions that more closely fit the concerns you have for your child, click here.

Everything You Should Know About Trafficking From Avoiding Becoming a Victim to Learning the Signs of Someone Being Trafficked

If you keep up with news, then you’ve probably heard about the growing trafficking epidemic and the warning signs for women and young girls to be safe when going outside and take preventative measures to ensure it doesn’t happen to them. So what exactly can you do avoid trafficking especially if you must travel alone or in dangerous/secluded areas.

Here are some things you can consider to ensure your safety and avoid becoming a victim of trafficking:

1. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

This is probably one of the most obvious things you can tell someone, but the reality is that most people don’t pay attention to what is going on around them. A lot of times people are looking down when walking or are in their phone. This video gives an in depth look at how you can better be aware at all times.

2. Take a Self-Defense Class

It’s important that you know at least some basic fighting skills. So that if worst comes to worst, you have the ability to fight off an attacker.

3. Carry A Safety Kit

Carry a small kit with easily accessible items such as a flashlight, tactical knife, pepper spray, a taser, etc. But before you try to use any of these items make sure you understand how to properly use them.

4. Conceal to Carry

If you are looking to carry a firearm, take the necessary steps to understand what that means, how to get licensed, the laws in your state and lastly but most importantly train on how to use a firearm.

5. Avoid Going To Nightclubs, Deserted/Bad Areas and Parking Lots Alone Especially At Night

If you must attend any of these places, try to do so in groups when able.

6. Keep Control of Your Drinks

While on the subject of nightclubs/bars, make sure your are aware of your drink at all times. Never leave it unattended. If you do, it’s best to order another one rather than take your chances.

7. Stay Aware From Unknown Drugs, Especially From Unknown People

8. Don’t Get In The Car With Someone You Just Met

It’s best to call a cab, Uber, Lyft or get a ride from someone you know. If you call for a Uber or Lyft, make sure the driver and car matches the description in the app. Also make sure the child locks are off the car in case you need to make a quick escape and/or jump out of a moving vehicle.

9. Help Someone in Need

If you see other women or young girls in a potential dangerous situation offer to help in anyway you can or point them in the right direction to get the help they need.

10. Know What Countries Are Safe To Travel To

When traveling abroad it’s best to educate yourself on the countries you’re planning on visiting, especially if you’re traveling alone. Make sure to avoid ones that pose a high threat to crime, economic crisis, genocide, etc. Also note that women between the ages of 15 and 23 pose the highest threat of being trafficked, so they should never travel abroad alone.

For other informative tips on how to avoid being trafficked watch these videos:

 

Another important part of putting an end to trafficking is knowing the signs that someone is already being trafficked, if it’s to late to prevent them from being trafficked in the first place. Here are signs someone is being trafficked and may need your help:

1. Signs of physical abuse such as cuts, marks, bruises, etc.
2. Avoids eye contact/Social Interaction with law enforcement and figures of authority
3. Appearing malnourished/poor physical health
4. Lack of identification documents
5. Tattoos/Branding
6. Not allowed to go out alone or speak for themselves
7. Measures of keeping people trapped on houses, buildings, etc. such as barbed wire and bars around windows
8. Checking into hotel with males
9. Scripted or rehearsed responses
10. Working long hours

Trafficking is at an all time high so it is important that we all do what we can to prevent it from happening to ourselves, those around us and even strangers. Know of some more ways we can put an end to trafficking? List them below.