Human trafficking is a crime in the United States and globally. The Defense Department is committed to ending this human rights violation through the Combating Trafficking in Persons program.
Human trafficking includes sex trafficking, labor trafficking (also called forced labor) and child soldiering. Though it may seem as if these abuses happen only in faraway places, trafficking in persons occurs in the United States, as well. Here are some ways the military community can do its part to prevent human trafficking:
- Raise awareness of the signs and indicators of trafficking.
- Understand the root causes that create risk for vulnerable populations.
- Avoid prohibited activities.
- Stay informed through the CTIP Program Management Office website, newsletter and resources to learn more about CTIP in the Defense Department.
- View first-hand accounts of trafficking from survivors on the CTIP Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking webpage.
- Know where to go for help and where to refer persons seeking help for trafficking. This includes:
The first step is learning about CTIP. You can explore the resources provided on this page, or visit the program webpage, which provides information, training and resources.
Courses
Take the following courses to learn more about human trafficking:
- Combating Trafficking in Persons — General Awareness (30-minute course): This standalone course is for information only. To receive credit, you must take the course through a learning management system. For more information, visit the course’s login page.
- CTIP Student Guide to Preventing Human Trafficking: This guide teaches military-connected high school students about human trafficking, helping them understand how human trafficking is occurring online and in student settings. It is accompanied by a Parent Resource Guide for military-connected parents, which explains to parents why it is important to educate students about human trafficking and walks parents through the course topics. For more information, visit the CTIP Student Guide page.
- Combating Trafficking in Persons DODEA Web-Based Training (one hour course): This course identifies the relevance of human trafficking to schools and explains how it affects military-connected students. It also identifies risk factors and warning signs in school-age children and explains their role in combating human trafficking and how to report it. For more information, visit this Joint Knowledge Online page.
Joint Knowledge Online provides 24/7 access to the online courses above and more web-based training. You can access these on military classified and unclassified networks. Information on JKO is found at http://jko.jten.smil.mil for classified and https://www.jcs.mil/JKO/ for unclassified access. Direct access to JKO courses is available with a common access card or via login by going directly to https://jkodirect.jten.mil or http://jkolms.jten.smil.mil.
You can self-register for a JKO account if you have a CAC. If you don’t have a CAC but have a government or military email account (ending in .mil, .gov, nps.edu or dodea.edu), you may obtain a login and password account. If you do not have a CAC or government or military email account, you may request a sponsored account. You can find a link to request the sponsored account on the JKO login page.
Resources
Check out the following resources to learn more about human trafficking, including DOD official policy:
Contacts
If you see or suspect trafficking in persons, report it.