Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention, 2 CEs

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.

Approved by: 

• Texas: This course is approved until August 6, 2025, by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in accordance with Texas Occupations Code as of June 8, 2023. You can see that approval on their website here: With this approval, the Course will remain on the Approved Human Trafficking Courses for Health Care Practitioners list. 
• Michigan: This course is valid for Michigan, pursuant to Rule 338.732, and may also be valid in other states.
• This version of the course is not valid for Florida massage therapists. You must take the exact version that Florida has approved in order to get Florida credits -  click here to be taken to that course description page. We do NOT report this version of the course to CE Broker for any state. Texas and Florida have very different requirements for their human trafficking courses, and do not accept each others' approved version. 
• Although Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch Stapleton) 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.
• The New York Board of Massage does not accept human trafficking 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 CE credits earned may not be valid in all jurisdictions.     

Get Started Today   

• Massage Therapy continuing education CEs available: 2 (Texas professionals from any industry can use this course for their HHSC requirement, but only massage therapists are allowed to use the CEs toward their license renewal. HHSC does not require that their approved human trafficking courses award CEs.)
• Course Classification: Human Trafficking. 
• Tuition: $15 USD
• 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 Stapleton. 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:

• Introduction                                                                                  
• Definitions                                                                
• Human Trafficking Statistics                                                
• Victims: Vulnerable Populations; In Clinical Settings             
• Who are the Perpetrators?                                        
• Identification and Assessment                                             
• Resources and Available Help for Victims                            
• What can be Done?                                                  
• References                                                                                  
• Homework                                                                                   
• Test Questions/Study Guide

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

1)    Define relevant terms related to all major forms of human trafficking, including: sex trafficking, labor trafficking, child labor, human smuggling, force, fraud, coercion, and more

2)    Compare and contrast human trafficking from human smuggling, and human trafficking from consensual commercial sex

3)    Cite statistics, and explain challenges to determining accurate statistics: Estimated numbers, demographics of victims, dollar amounts

4)    List signs and identifiers of victims, vulnerabilities associated with becoming a victim

5)    Explain the health impact on victims, including acute and chronic medical conditions, reproductive and sexual health conditions, mental health and quality of life concerns

6)    List general categories of perpetrators and recruitment tactics

7)    Understand concepts relating to appropriate patient care, including identifying victims and the challenges and opportunities present when treating a trafficking victim

8)    Address patient concerns including immediate safety, communication challenges, long-term safety

9)    Properly document patient charts including mandated reporting data

10) Address follow-up concerns of a heath, legal, and organizational nature:

a)     Health care (completing treatment protocols, patient charting documentation, providing health and community support referrals).

b)    Legal: mandatory reporting, involving law enforcement.

c)     Organizational: creating and enacting protocols for your establishment and educating staff on these protocols.

(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, many states require massage therapists to complete human trafficking prevention training as part of their licensure requirements.

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.