Recently released data from the U.S. Census estimate there are nearly 10,000 18 to 24 year olds in Jefferson County, KY without a high school diploma or GED.
This represents a significant decline in the percentage of young women without a high school credential from 2005 to 2015 (from 26.26% to 13.35%). However, the percentage of young men who have not completed high school declined only slightly over the same period, from 18.3% to 16.5%.
The UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative, developed in 2015, is an interdisciplinary, community-engaged research partnership that includes faculty and graduate students from the University of Louisville, made up of the Kent School of Social Work, the Department of Criminal Justice, the Speed School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and the Brandeis School of Law. The goal of the Initiative is to be a central source of research on human trafficking to inform the decisions made by those who contact victims, survivors, and perpetrators of human trafficking including law enforcement, prosecutors, educators, medical services, and social services.
How are victims identified?
One of the first aims of the Initiative is to work with community partners to more
effectively identify victims of sex trafficking in our community. It can be difficult to identify victims due to general lack of public awareness, as well as a lack of awareness, or reluctance, of many exploited children to identify themselves as victims. In order to address these challenges and provide targeted services, the Initiative is launching a sex
trafficking prevalence study of youth and young adults who are most at-risk in our
community.
What is the YES study?
Phase 1 of the YES study is currently launching in city of Louisville. The proposed study is based on Arizona’s successful YES prevalence study, which has been updated to include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questions. The Kentucky YES study will be conducted in three phases to include homelessness/runaway youth, justice-involved youth, and child welfare-involved. Youth and young adults aged 12-25 will be invited to complete the 10-minute survey, which asks questions about drug/alcohol use, family history, childhood trauma, mental and medical diagnoses, sexual exploitation, and service use. Participants will receive a $5 gift card and a resource guide as part of their participation in the study.
Why initiate this type of study?
The purpose of the study is to determine the prevalence of sex trafficking among youth and young adults in Kentucky and southern Indiana. Preliminary research obtained from
Arizona’s YES (Youth Experiences Survey) found of those surveyed, 35% of homeless
young adults identified as being a sex trafficking victim, with LGBTQ young adults
reporting higher rates of sex trafficking versus non-LGBTQ young adults.
The data from the Kentucky YES study will be published and shared statewide, to assist with the development of targeted, trauma-informed programs, to aid in the development of funding opportunities (e.g., collaborative grant proposals), and to highlight the prevalence of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of our most vulnerable youth populations.
How can you help?
If you are an organization that serves at-risk young people in the greater Louisville
community, and you are interested in being a potential survey site, please contact:
Dr. Jennifer Middleton
Co-Director of the UofL HTRI
jennifer.s.middleton@gmail.com
Cell: 303-648-1825
According to the recently released Project Aware Issue Brief, Homeless Students and Mental Health Cultural Competency, youth and young adults experiencing homelessness suffer significant barriers to full participation in school. When homeless youth attend school they are unlikely to have eaten or slept sufficiently. They often lack medical and dental care, and are more susceptible to common illnesses like skin diseases and upper respiratory infections. Compared to their peers, they have higher rates of depression, low self-esteem, suicide, substance abuse, and anxiety. They are often alienated and experience difficulty making friends. In the classroom, they may have difficulty listening, asking for help, and following directions, and they often have to repeat grades, especially because they may rarely turn in homework and often suffer from one or more learning disabilities.
Effective Strategies for Schools
Ineffective Strategies
Civic Enterprises and Johns Hopkins University recently released For All Kids: How Kentucky is Closing the High School Graduation Gap for Low-Income Students, a report on how Kentucky achieved the highest graduation rate for low-income students and the smallest graduation rate gap between low-income and non-low-income students in the United States in 2013.
Report Authors: Joanna Fox, Senior Policy Analyst at Johns Hopkins; Erin Ingram, Policy Advisor at Civic Enterprises; and Jennifer DePaoli, Senior Education Advisor at Civic Enterprises
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes several provisions that support state and district efforts to prevent students from dropping out of high school and to reengage out-of-school youth.
For instance, federal funds are available to schools to coordinate efforts to address aspects of school climate that contribute to students leaving school, such as school-based violence and excessive use of suspensions. These funds encourage schools to work with community-based organizations to introduce violence-prevention programs and train staff in disciplinary strategies that reduce exclusionary discipline.
Additional provisions address the needs of court-involved, homeless, disabled and foster care youth.
Read a brief overview of the ESSA here.
Could we help teachers, parents, police officers, and any other adults who impact young people recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma and the potential paths for recovery? What would our schools, jails, courts, workplaces and community look like if we all took a trauma informed approach to raising the next generation?
Learn more about Trauma Informed Care from Child Trends and tell us what you think in the comments below…
Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky (AOKY) is a career pathways program that combines basic skills education (math, reading and writing) with technical skills training to prepare students for a high demand job. The AOKY program is designed for students who have not completed high school or need to take basic skills courses along with their technical courses.
At JCTC, the AOKY program is available for students interested in earning a college certificate in Allied Health, Automotive Technology, or Computer Information Technologies (A+ certification).
Students in the program enroll in a College and Career Ready class with an adult education instructor to get the math, reading and/or math skills they need to be successful in their technical courses. Additionally, students work with a Success Coach and a Career Coach for assistance with:
For more information, contact Gina Embry at (502) 213-5163 or gina.embry@kctcs.edu.
The National League of Cities Re-engagement Network held its fifth annual convening in Iowa in March 2016. Attendees representing state and local governments, school districts, and community organizations discussed dropout prevention and reengagement strategies, policies and programs.
Some of the “big ideas” presented included:
To learn more about the 2016 Reengagement Plus! or to join the National League of Cities Reengagement Network, contact Zachia Nazarzai.
Mayor Greg Fischer has announced the launch of the Cradle to Career AmeriCorps VISTAs program that brings 36 new VISTA positions dedicated to eliminating barriers that interfere with lifelong learning and success. These VISTAs will commit to performing a year of service at a partner site in Louisville and will implement key projects and programs linked to the Cradle to Career pipeline.
Partner Organizations include the Louisville Free Public Library, Jefferson County Public Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana, StageOne Family Theater, 55,000 Degrees, Jefferson Community and Technical College, KentuckianaWorks, Degrees Work, Louisville Metro Government, Greater Louisville Project, 15,000 Degrees, and the Louisville Urban League.
What Our VISTAs Have to Say
Joining Our VISTA Team
We’re actively recruiting motivated and passionate individuals to join our VISTA team either by performing a summer or full-year of service. VISTAs receive benefits like a monthly living allowance, housing allowance, end of service award, YPAL membership, and health coverage to help support them during their period of service.
If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for these positions, visit www.ctocvistas.org or contact Ayla Murrell at amurrell0013@kctcs.edu for more information.
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or force labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women. After drug dealing, human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing.
Human Trafficking Local Helpline
1(888) 574-0224
Answered 24 hrs a day, everyday
Emergency Situation? Dial 9-1-1
For more information on human trafficking, check the resources at: Rescue and Restore
