HURON — Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, is a prominent issue around the world, but also in our very own communities, according to Raleigh Larson, the school nurse at the Huron Middle School and Washington Elementary Center, who made presentations to both parents and students in order to educate the people about the issue.
The topic of human trafficking was brought to Larson’s attention at the 2016 South Dakota School Nurse Convention in Sioux Falls.
“I was lucky to be able to attend as a first-year school nurse,” said Larson. “That is when I first learned what human trafficking was and then realized how naive I was about it.”
Larson’s presentation was given first to eighth-grade classes to educate the students of what trafficking is, where it happens, means of prevention, how to spot red flags and what to do if something seems wrong.
Four presentations for parents followed, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, where Larson explained human trafficking from a parental point of view, what she shared with the students and what are the warning signs.
“If you see something, say something,” was a phrase that Larson reiterated during the presentation, defining why is important for both students and parents to pursue communication and education, which are both powerful means of prevention.
“If children are educated now they carry that with them. That way they can identify when they are not in a good spot,” explained Larson.
Different cases and scenarios were examined during the presentation, including a case that took place in Sioux Falls, where a freshman girl was a victim of human trafficking for three years before anything surfaced.

“Everyone knew something was wrong, but nobody was communicating it. Had everybody come together and had a group meeting, possibly an intervention could have happened,” explained Larson. “The ultimate thing that I took away from that is prevention is key, so it is necessary to educate our youth, but it is also important to communicate with each other.”
More factors of which everyone should be aware are that traffickers seek out those who are vulnerable and may often use violence, threats, lies and false promises to manipulate someone.
Trafficking exists in diverse places. It can happen at malls, hotels, schools and large-group events, such as concerts and fairs. Larson noted that while there are no known cases of this happening in Beadle County, it still could happen at any time and people need to be aware.
“I hope it’s not happening here, but I also want our youth to be educated,” said Larson.
While this can happen in person, in a significantly large number of cases, victims are targeted online, such as through social media websites, where traffickers can learn about individuals’ likes and dislikes, among other personal information. She stated that up to 82 percent of sex crimes against minors originate through contact online or through social media.
“I want kids to be aware that if they don’t know somebody and their gut is telling them not to get involved. Just don’t get involved,” said Larson.
During the presentation, Larson showed videos demonstrating how it may look when someone is being victimized by a trafficker. “I talked with the students about the tactics that were used to lure in the victim,” said Larson.
Tactics are not always going to be the same, but one scenario included a stranger approaching two girls. The stranger offered gifts and asked for one of the girl’s phone numbers, which she provided. He then used guilt as a means of manipulation, which was followed by a significant change in behavior in the victim, such as sadness and anger. These are two of the warning signs for which parents and friends should be aware.
“We see changes in behavior a lot growing up, but if it’s consistent then it’s probably time to reach out,” Larson explained. “Trafficking can happen very quickly, or it can happen over a period of time. A lot of times it is not a situation where someone is snatched away and they are gone forever. It can be that way, but it could also but subtle and happening here in our community.”
Larson made her first presentations to eighth-grade students, but Larson hopes to start at a sixth-grade level in the future as the average age of children being targeted is between 12- and 14-years-old.
She added that there are organizations within our state that are in place to fight and get rid of human trafficking, such as The New Colossus and Call to Freedom, plus many online resources for parents and students to learn about prevention, such as internet safety tips.
“My really big takeaway is communication. If you know or even feel something is not right, the chances are your gut is probably telling you the truth, so reach out to the school, teachers, parents and friends,” she said. “Come together as a team and talk about what’s going on. Prevention is key, so even though we had this discussion with students, it doesn’t hurt for parents to have this same conversation with their children as well. Remind them that if they ever find themselves in a position - even if it’s something as simple as somebody talked to them in the store or online - it is important for them to tell an adult; someone they trust who can explain how to handle the situation. And this would also make the adult aware something is going on,” Larson said.
“Trafficking looks different in every situation. We need to be understanding of that and know that we have to take a stand against it.”

PHOTO BY ANGELINA DELLA ROCCO/PLAINSMAN
Raleigh Larson, the school nurse at Huron Middle School, made several presentations about the warning signs of human trafficking and what to do if human trafficking is suspected in friends and students.