Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention, 1 CE

Understanding the Importance of Human Trafficking Awareness for Massage Therapists

As you engage with the public in your career as a massage therapist, it's essential to recognize the critical role you can play in combating human trafficking. This heinous crime often intersects with the massage industry, making it imperative for professionals like you to be informed and vigilant.

The Intersection of Massage Therapy and Human Trafficking

Human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for labor or commercial sex. Alarmingly, illicit massage businesses have been identified as common venues for such activities. According to the Polaris Project, there are an estimated 7,500 to 9,000 illicit massage businesses currently operating in the United States, many of which are at risk for engaging in human trafficking.

Why Should Massage Therapists Be Informed?

1. Professional Integrity: Being aware of human trafficking helps maintain the integrity of the massage profession. Illicit activities tarnish the reputation of legitimate therapists and can lead to increased scrutiny and regulation.
2. Client Safety: Knowledgeable therapists can identify potential victims among clients or colleagues, providing an opportunity to offer assistance or report concerns to authorities.
3. Legal Compliance: Many states require massage therapists to undergo human trafficking prevention training as part of their licensure. For instance, in Texas, health care practitioners providing direct patient care must complete an approved human trafficking prevention training course to renew their license.

Recognizing the Signs

As a massage therapist, you may encounter individuals who are victims of trafficking. Common indicators include:

• Physical Signs: Unexplained injuries, signs of malnutrition, or poor hygiene.
• Behavioral Signs: Anxiety, fearfulness, or submissiveness; reluctance to speak freely.
• Work Conditions: Individuals who work excessively long hours, have little or no time off, or are unable to leave their work environment.

Taking Action

If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking:

• Do Not Confront the Suspected Trafficker: This could endanger both you and the victim.
• Contact Authorities: Reach out to local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. (Easier to remember as: 1-888-37-37-888.)
• Provide Support: Offer the victim information about resources and support services, ensuring to do so discreetly to avoid putting them at further risk.

As massage therapists, you hold a unique position in the fight against human trafficking. By educating yourself and staying vigilant, you can help protect vulnerable individuals and uphold the standards of your profession.

About This Course 

• Continuing education CEs available: 1
• Course classification: Human Trafficking.  This course classification is only accepted in limited jurisdictions at this time. Please refer to your state regulations for laws that apply to you. Please contact us if your state is not listed below, and has begun requiring a course in Human Trafficking.
• Approved by: This course is approved and valid for Florida. CE Broker Provider # 50-1116, Course # 20-664199.  We believe it is also valid for Michigan, pursuant to Rule 338.732. It is your responsibility to confirm if these hours will count in your jurisdiction.
• Attention Texas massage therapists -- This course does not meet the mandated requirements for Texas. We do have a course that is approved for Texas: The course that is valid for Texas is the 2 CE version found at this link,  click here.
• Although Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider, Human Trafficking is not recognized by the NCBTMB as an accepted course topic, so these hours will not count toward your NCBTMB renewal. Human Trafficking is not recognized by the New York Board of Massage as an accepted course topic, so these hours will not count toward your New York renewal. Anyone is welcome to take this course, although by doing so, you understand and agree that the credit earned may not be valid in all jurisdictions.
  
• CEBroker Notice: We will report to CE Broker only for Florida massage licensees on this particular course. All Florida licensed massage therapists are required to complete 1 CE in Human Trafficking. NOTICE: If you want us to report this course to CE Broker on your behalf, you must follow these instructions: Each student must have their own individual account with us. If multiple students use the same account, only one will be reported to CEBroker.  BEFORE you complete the online exam, be sure that your Floridia massage license number is included in your account details. You should have provided this when you enrolled and created an account with us, and you can also edit it when you are logged into your account. Once the course shows in your CEBroker account, you will have the opportunity to rate the course. If you felt that we earned a good rating, thank you in advance for taking the time to share with others.

Get Started Today

• Tuition: $14. This course is available at a discount through one of our two Florida renewal packages. We have a 7 CE renewal package with the 7 mandated hours, and we have a complete 24 CE renewal package that includes everything you need for renewal in one discounted package. You can also "Customize Your Own Package" if neither of these two packages fit your needs.
• To enroll: Simply click the green "buy now" button. You will see the course in your shopping cart, with the option to continue shopping (if you want to enroll in more than one course) or checkout. Once you click checkout, it will take you through the process of creating a new account if you do not have one, or logging into an existing account if we find an account already associated with your email address. You do not need to have an existing account before you add a course to your shopping cart.
• Testing: You complete your test online, and immediately upon passing, print your own certificate. To see how our online courses and testing work, we invite you to take our free sample course. 

Course Materials: Human Trafficking, Awareness and Prevention, by Judith Koch. External materials provided courtesy of the Polaris Project, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes

Course Description: This course covers all forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking. It teaches how to identify individuals who may be victims of human trafficking. You will learn how to report cases of human trafficking, and where to find resources available to victims. 

Course Outline: 

• Terms and Definitions
• Primary categories of human 
• Statistics: Numbers, demographics of victims, dollar values
• Perpetrators and recruitment tactics
• Signs and identifiers of victims
• Impact on the massage therapy industry
• Potential solutions in the massage therapy industry
• Awareness and Prevention 
• Victim Resources

 Objectives of this course. After completing this course, you will be able to:

•  Define relevant terms including including human trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, child labor
•  Cite Statistics: Numbers, demographics of victims, dollar amounts
•  List general categories of perpetrators and red-flag terms in recruitment ads
•  List signs and identifiers of victims
•  Explain the impact on the massage therapy industry
•  List potential solutions in the massage therapy industry
•  List and locate Victim Resources

(Course photograph above by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  

1. What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for labor or commercial sex purposes.

2. How does human trafficking relate to massage therapy?

Illicit massage businesses are often used as fronts for human trafficking, making it crucial for legitimate therapists to be aware of this issue.

3. Are there legal requirements for massage therapists regarding human trafficking awareness?

Yes, several states require massage therapists to complete human trafficking prevention training as part of their licensure requirements. The states that we are aware of at this time are Florida, Michigan, and Texas.

4. What should I do if I suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking?

Avoid direct confrontation. Contact local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (1-888-37-37-888).

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, you can email us through the "contact" link above. Thank you.