DAVID HUMPHREY

MELANIE HUMPHREY

SHAWN SELLERS

Chief Academics Officer
Director of Education & Child Safety

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I'm so excited and proud to be the one to take on the task as Director of Education & Child Safety for Alabama Alliance for Human Trafficking and child safety. It is hard and challenging for many of us to understand and accept. Conservative figures indicate that about 500,000 children are active every day in any way, but that the real numbers could be closer to 1.2 million.  While some are nabbed by kidnapping, they found that they are often recruited through places like Boys and Girls Clubs and even churches. The U.S. is ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for human trafficking. Only 1% of these crimes are ever reported, and sometimes up to three decades after they occur when the evidence is much more difficult to uncover or follow. He said that even suburban children from supposedly stable homes are not safe since they can be recruited without the parents' knowledge. Children who are withdrawn, loners, children who do not have the best relationship with their parents" can be targets for recruitment, The average age of the children is 12-15 years and that their life expectancy can be very short. Many die, he reported, from abuse, drug overdoses, or even suicide. We at Alabama Alliance for Human Trafficking and Child Safety want to spread our message of hope and compassion. My goals are to increase awareness among students of sex trafficking, recognize at-risk young people and potential victims, and provide students and parents with the ability to prevent, identify, and respond to human trafficking. We believe that a single decision will make a difference in the world and that concerted action can have a huge effect. Along with many others, our team will work tirelessly every day through advocacy and outreach activities in order to give their share to the common good.