Students learn how to safeguard their community from human trafficking

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — CFCC reports North Carolina ranks in the top ten states for human trafficking violations and Wilmington is not immune to this epidemic.

Just Ask and Safe Place are organizations educating young people on this hot topic.

The Not4$ale Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, Community Involvement and Service-Learning Alliance, Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society, and the Honors Program at Cape Fear Community College hosted a forum Tuesday at CFCC’s Union Station on human trafficking and safety with the Bill Woolf, the executive director of Just Ask. Hes is a former detective that directed the Human Trafficking Task Force in northern Virginia.

A Safe Place is an organization that provides a space for women to heal.

In 2018, Safe Place worked with over 129 people in our community from ages 15 to 59. 77% of them were from North Carolina.

Just Ask travels the nation offering programs to increase human trafficking and exploitation knowledge.

Woolf says prevention starts with education.

“I find that the life altering effects are really traumatic and it’s very difficult for victims to recover from these cases, ” said Woolf.

Every 30 seconds a child or teen is sold into slavery in the U.S.

February 7 is National #EndItMovement Day.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society is encouraging the community to wear a red ‘X’ on their hand to join the fight for freedom.