Become a part of CAT -
Community Awareness Team
Action Items to Prevent Grooming and Trafficking
For Parents and Guardians
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Start early conversations about body safety, boundaries, and consent — use age-appropriate language.
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Monitor online activity — know what apps, games, and social platforms your child uses and who they communicate with.
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Set clear rules for technology use and keep devices in shared family spaces when possible.
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Teach critical thinking — help kids question flattery, gifts, or attention from older peers or adults.
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Stay emotionally connected — children who feel safe talking to their parents are less vulnerable to outside influence.
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Know your child’s friends and mentors — online and offline.
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Recognize red flags such as secrecy, sudden changes in behavior, or expensive items they can’t explain.
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Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is — act immediately, not later
For Teachers, Coaches, and Professionals
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Learn the signs of grooming and exploitation — both physical and behavioral.
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Create safe reporting environments where students feel believed and protected.
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Document and report suspicious behavior immediately — don’t wait for “proof.”
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Watch for boundary violations between adults and students (excessive attention, gifts, favoritism, private meetings).
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Integrate grooming prevention education into safety lessons and staff trainings.
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Collaborate with parents and community partners to share concerns and resources.
For Communities and Faith Organizations
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Host educational workshops on grooming prevention, online safety, and healthy relationships.
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Support local prevention efforts like Pearl at the Mailbox’s Community Awareness Team (CAT).
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Distribute awareness materials at schools, churches, and youth centers.
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Encourage open discussions about exploitation to break stigma and silence.
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Volunteer or donate to survivor-led organizations that focus on prevention and education.
For Policymakers and Advocates
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Push for laws that define grooming with intent to exploit as a criminal act.
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Ensure survivor voices are included in policy development and prevention strategies.
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Support funding for prevention education, survivor housing, and trauma-informed care.
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Hold buyers and enablers accountable through legislation and prosecution.
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Promote consistent training for law enforcement, CPS, and educators on recognizing grooming patterns.
For Everyone
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Stay informed — grooming and trafficking evolve with technology.
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Speak up — silence protects the predator, not the victim.
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Be the light — share prevention messages during Human Trafficking Awareness Month (January) and beyond.
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Remember: Grooming prevention is trafficking prevention.
1. Do not allow your child's electronic devices become your babysitter.
2. Ask your child who they text with and ask them to show you the text thread.
3. Make sure your child understands that a profile photo does not mean that is the actual person they are texting with.
Enforce in your children that groomers are like chameleons. The texting style and words used are tailored to draw a child in and they know that what works on one child may not work on another.
Today children have to be taught a different form of 'Stranger danger'. In the past it was teaching your child to remain aware in public places, which is still the case. However, now they need to learn about 'Stranger danger online'.
Today it is important to talk to your children about online stranger danger. Groomers troll apps, social media and online games with chat features to gain access to children.
Online games are fun and your child doesn't need to stop playing them, the key is that you play with them.
This way you can monitor any potential communications, plus it's valuable time you are spending with your child.
Dock all Devices
Never allow the use of electronic devices behind closed doors, this includes your child's room or the bathroom.
Never allow the use of electronic devices in the car or in public where you cannot supervise.
Doc all electronic devices at night in one central location in your home. If needed, lock all devices in a drawer or other secure location.
Set a time frame that your child is permitted to use their electronic devices. Such as in the evening between 6-8pm.
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Get your Law Makers Involved
Contact your local and state representatives asking them to draft legislation to include harsher penalties for buyers of children. If buyers face extensive prison time, the demand will decrease & children can be saved.
Get your School Board Involved
Encourage your local schools or school district to include human trafficking in their lesson plans and develop a plan for identifying and reporting a suspected case of human trafficking .
Did you know that what you post on social media will be there forever & can impact future employment?
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Learn how to be smart online with Josh from Smartsocial.com
More Action Items!
Think about whether your workplace is trauma-informed and reach out to management or the Human Resources team to urge implementation of trauma-informed business practices
Use your social media platforms to raise awareness about human trafficking, using the following hashtags: #endtrafficking, #freedomfirst.
Give thought to where you shop and what you buy because trafficked people could have been involved.
College Students: Take action on your campus. Join or establish a university club to raise awareness about human trafficking and initiate action throughout your local community. Consider doing one of your research papers on a topic concerning human trafficking. Request that human trafficking be included in university curricula.