Guest blog: Steven Baule, Superintendent of the Muncie Community Schools in Muncie, Indiana: The Internet has made so many things better that it is essential to remember that there are also some bad people out there using the Internet for criminal purposes. At one end of the continuum, Amazon is suing “fake” reviewers for driving business towards specific products on Amazon. At the other end of the continuum is the upswing in sex trafficking via the Internet. Children sometimes as young as 10 or 12 are being forced into prostitution; the average is 14 to 16 years old. Working with juvenile justice officials, it is important to understand the warning signs about this issue and how to ensure your parents and students are aware of the warning signs and where to go for help. Polaris, an organization designed to fight human trafficking, provides a range of resources. Online Dating Safety Tips.com has a list of warning signs about sex trafficking. Shared Hope International provides more information about the practice. The Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University provides a guide to recognizing the signs of sex trafficking in schools. The state of Washington provides similar resources for educators. Some presentations by an Indiana judge, prosecutor and psychologist for parents on the subject are also available. This is important information for our students, staffs, parents and the wider community to have.
