February 6, 2025 3:30 a.m.

The Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force will preview a new curriculum on educating youth to avoid becoming a victim of exploitation during an event Thursday night.

The program, hosted by the task force and the Zonta Club of Roseburg will feature an educational video intended for high school students. It will be presented at the Roseburg Public Library from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In 2022, DCHTTF and Zonta combined forces to provide a trafficking prevention curriculum to local middle and high school students. This made Douglas County the first county in the state to provide this material to its students. The task force believes the county is particularly vulnerable to human trafficking because of its proximity to major traffic corridors such as Interstate 5, and highways 101, 38 and 42, increasing use of social media and a social-economic dynamic that increases potential familial trafficking.

Nationally half of trafficked victims are between the ages of 12-17, and the average age of being recruited is 13. Schools who have used the Teens Against Trafficking curriculum were very positive about the material. A survey noted that nearly 100 percent of the students reported it taught them to recognize signs of trafficking, triggers that make people vulnerable, and how anyone, regardless of gender, race, or social status, can be trafficked.

The task force and Zonta have continued to work with In Our Backyard, the creators of Teens Against Trafficking to improve the material. The completed curriculum for both high school freshmen and seniors is available on video. Teachers can show it to provide a 26-minute program that defines forms of trafficking and provides real-life examples.

The event at the library is free and open to the public. Parental discretion is advised for youth that are under age 12 due to the topic. For more information on the task force, go to: https://endtraffickingdouglascounty.org/