West Springfield High School and Just Ask Prevention Project will hold an awareness night to address the issue of sex trafficking in the region on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at West Springfield High School, 6100 Rolling Road, Springfield.
Learn about local issues in Fairfax County; common recruitment scenarios, risk factors; how to seek help; the connection between social media and trafficking; how to protect teens online; and prevention measures being implemented in your community
Guest Speakers include:
- Detective Bill Woolf, FCPD Child Exploitation Unit, Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, Chairman of the Board and co-founder of the Just Ask Prevention Project
- Dr. Elizabeth Payne, Coordinator, Health, Physical Education, and Family Life Education (Fairfax County Public Schools)
- Chrissy Cunningham, MSW Prevention Coordination specialist (Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services)
Northern Virginia has become a major hub for teen sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is the second fastest growing crime in the United States, according to the FBI. In 2015, more than 50 Northern Virginia teens trafficked were identified, and approximately 30 new traffickers were identified, of which 14 have already been taken into custody.
For more information, help, resources, local news, stories from survivors, and to learn what can be done to stop teen trafficking, visit justaskprevention.org.