Counselors at Bridgman Public Schools are hosting a forum on detecting and preventing human trafficking on Thursday evening.
Cathy Knauf from the Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force will talk about the history and impact of human trafficking and how social media can be used to monitor and help keep kids safe.
Kari Haskins is the counselor at Bridgman High School. She said while Southwest Michigan isn’t generally considered a hotbed for human trafficking, the issues can still hit close to home.
“Human trafficking can take on many forms and Cathy’s going to talk a little bit about that. It’s not just your child being snatched from a grocery store. It can be a student sending inappropriate photos through texting or online and then being blackmailed with those photos.”
Haskins said the event is open to anyone from the area who is interested. Kids younger than high school age will not be allowed inside because of the mature topic. Several high school student groups have volunteered to watch younger children in the gym during the forum.
The event starts at 6:30 in the Bridgman High School Media Center.