The Department of Defense Combating Trafficking in Persons Program Management Office continues to create innovative approaches to eradicate the crime of modern day slavery. Trafficking in persons, also known as human trafficking, is an insidious crime that permeates societies across the globe, including the United States, as millions of men, women and children are trafficked each year. Human trafficking involves compelling a person using force, fraud or coercion to gain some type of labor or commercial sex act. The three most common forms of trafficking in persons DOD personnel may encounter are sex trafficking, labor trafficking and child soldiering.
The CTIP PMO is at the forefront with a broad spectrum of initiatives to build prevention efforts, strengthen interagency and community partnerships, and create survivor-centered awareness materials. Over the past year, the Department revitalized the CTIP website and launched several new resources and tools with a multi-faceted approach to combat TIP.
As the Department promotes zero tolerance for TIP, the DOD CTIP PMO office created tailored trainings for a variety of audiences to provide an overview of TIP including, signs of trafficking, key laws, policies, regulations and reporting procedures. Tailored trainings are available on the CTIP website for acquisition personnel, investigative professionals, DOD Education Activity school personnel, legal counsel and there is a resource module for leaders. The CTIP includes general awareness training and a standard curriculum toolkit for DOD services and components to customize for their populations are also available on the CTIP webpage. Additionally, the CTIP PMO enhanced efforts in the following areas:
Educate Target Audiences
- Acquisition Resource Page: Content includes forced labor information and resources, awareness materials, tools and guides, list of laws, policies, regulations and the TIP reporting process.
- Acquisition Resource Kit: The kit outlines the role and responsibilities of acquisition personnel at each stage of the contract process. This kit functions as a "grab and go" collection of job aids for busy acquisition personnel and includes action cards with videos, resource guides, infographics, case studies, pocket cards, 32 downloadable resources and links to other U.S. Government resources pertaining to prevention of trafficking in government contracting and labor supply chains.
- CTIP Student Guide to Preventing Human Trafficking: This guide uses 18 interactive action cards to teach military-connected high school students (10th – 12th grade) how to recognize early signs of human trafficking, how human trafficking occurs and how to respond appropriately. Teens will understand how human trafficking is occurring in student settings and particularly online where exploitation of children and teens is increasingly occurring today. The non-linear format allows students to skip around and locate the action card they need and want to see.
- Parent Resource Guide: In addition to the student guide, the CTIP PMO also developed a companion parent resource guide, which explains to parents why it is important to educate students about human trafficking and walks parents through each action card in the course.
Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking
- Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking: The CTIP PMO developed the Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking webpage on the CTIP website to provide a platform for survivors of sex and labor trafficking and child soldiering to tell their stories in a written narrative and recorded video, and raise awareness for DOD personnel. Currently there are 14 survivor stories, with new survivor voices added each year. The collection offers a unique perspective and insight into trends and circumstances that particularly affect the military-connected community.
Share Information About the Federal Response to Human Trafficking and Available Resources
CTIP Resource Materials: DOD CTIP PMO works closely with the Joint Staff and other DOD offices to develop and update the following products and resources:
- Public services announcements
- Posters — available in 22 languages
- Workers' Rights Cards — available in 10 languages
- CTIP surveys
- CTIP data collection
- CTIP fact sheets
- CTIP tool kits
The CTIP website links to all federal agency TIP offices on the Resource Library page as well as their annual TIP reports and action plans.
Linda Dixon, the DOD CTIP program manager, stresses the importance of the CTIP program and the resources it provides to DOD personnel.
"Combating trafficking in persons is a duty that the DOD must take seriously as we do in other situations that bring harm to our nation. Trafficking destroys lives and poses a threat to national security. The DOD will do our part to strive for its total abolition. Our goal is to educate every member of the DOD about human trafficking and the harm it causes."