International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 3 2022 84
virtually during week four. Students are encouraged
to participate in job shadowing activities during week
five. Students could go to work with their parents/
guardians or other parent-approved adults and report
on what they learned about specific jobs during class
time later in the week.
Classroom teachers assign integrated tasks, such as
research papers or portfolios, where students explore
and write about institutions of higher learning,
particular jobs, majors, salaries, and requirements
during week six. Students can select a potential job,
research training requirements, select universities or
sites that offer this training, and create a potential career
path for obtaining this job. Students can decorate their
classrooms with artwork depicting university mascots,
highlights of the city where training could occur, or
interesting facts about specific jobs.
Personal achievement is highlighted as attainable
and important in career success during week seven.
For example, math teachers could integrate with the
curriculum by asking students to calculate monthly
living expenses, considering their needs and wants,
based on a desired career’s average salary. Teachers
can then illustrate connections between gainful
employment, academic achievement, career choice,
and poverty.
During week eight, parents/guardians attend a second
session and are trained on the dangers of sex trafficking
and the importance of job attainment in motivating
children to avoid temptations to accept money from
potential traffickers. After this training, parents/
guardians are asked to speak with their children about
grooming, sex trafficking and its dangers, monitor
their child’s internet use, and discuss careers and how
jobs can be used to overcome poverty.
During week nine, counselors are again in classrooms
educating students about grooming and internet
dangers. Students are taught to consult with parents/
guardians before talking to strangers online, avoid
getting into vehicles without parent/guardian
knowledge, and the potential for personal harm.
Grooming is defined for students so they learn how
people with ill intent might manipulate them. Students
are asked to discuss these issues with their parents/
guardians at home.
During week ten, school counselors return to
classrooms and administer career testing to students.
After testing is completed, interpretation of results is
given to youth during small group sessions. During
these assigned small groups, school counselors amplify
the excitement students will experience when working
in their chosen career. Also, during these sessions,
school counselors introduce students to O*Net, the
Occupational Information Network, a free online
database for information and definitions of hundreds of
jobs and teach youth to use it for additional individual
exploration.
Additional assistance is offered throughout the program
and after the program ends. For example, students with
specific behavioral needs are referred to clinical mental
health counselors for assistance. Youth are also offered
an opportunity to participate in social interest programs
where they mentor younger children who report being
bullied or needing help with homework. For example,
fifth-grade children could meet with younger children
in their math teacher’s classroom after school each
week to assist them with schoolwork. Additionally,
bullied children could meet with designated mentors in
the school counselor’s office weekly to gain emotional
support and increase their self-esteem.
Each year of high school, school counselors offer
age-appropriate career development activities. The
developmental nature of career counseling (Super,
1990) means that each year should build upon the
previous year throughout college and even beyond
retirement. In this way, students stay excited and
motivated about pursuing future careers and focus on
long-term goals.
Summary
Career counseling plays a significant role in preventing
sex trafficking. Counselors can implement programs
and strategies that enhance youths’ personal
achievement and offer strategies for overcoming
poverty through job attainment. Integrating the
research findings reported here and Humphreys’s
(2017) model of prevention and assistance with the
theoretical premises of Adler (2011), Maslow (1943),
and Super (1990) allows counselors to implement
strategies that both prevent sex trafficking and enhance
career development. School counselors are in optimal
virtually during week four. Students are encouraged
to participate in job shadowing activities during week
five. Students could go to work with their parents/
guardians or other parent-approved adults and report
on what they learned about specific jobs during class
time later in the week.
Classroom teachers assign integrated tasks, such as
research papers or portfolios, where students explore
and write about institutions of higher learning,
particular jobs, majors, salaries, and requirements
during week six. Students can select a potential job,
research training requirements, select universities or
sites that offer this training, and create a potential career
path for obtaining this job. Students can decorate their
classrooms with artwork depicting university mascots,
highlights of the city where training could occur, or
interesting facts about specific jobs.
Personal achievement is highlighted as attainable
and important in career success during week seven.
For example, math teachers could integrate with the
curriculum by asking students to calculate monthly
living expenses, considering their needs and wants,
based on a desired career’s average salary. Teachers
can then illustrate connections between gainful
employment, academic achievement, career choice,
and poverty.
During week eight, parents/guardians attend a second
session and are trained on the dangers of sex trafficking
and the importance of job attainment in motivating
children to avoid temptations to accept money from
potential traffickers. After this training, parents/
guardians are asked to speak with their children about
grooming, sex trafficking and its dangers, monitor
their child’s internet use, and discuss careers and how
jobs can be used to overcome poverty.
During week nine, counselors are again in classrooms
educating students about grooming and internet
dangers. Students are taught to consult with parents/
guardians before talking to strangers online, avoid
getting into vehicles without parent/guardian
knowledge, and the potential for personal harm.
Grooming is defined for students so they learn how
people with ill intent might manipulate them. Students
are asked to discuss these issues with their parents/
guardians at home.
During week ten, school counselors return to
classrooms and administer career testing to students.
After testing is completed, interpretation of results is
given to youth during small group sessions. During
these assigned small groups, school counselors amplify
the excitement students will experience when working
in their chosen career. Also, during these sessions,
school counselors introduce students to O*Net, the
Occupational Information Network, a free online
database for information and definitions of hundreds of
jobs and teach youth to use it for additional individual
exploration.
Additional assistance is offered throughout the program
and after the program ends. For example, students with
specific behavioral needs are referred to clinical mental
health counselors for assistance. Youth are also offered
an opportunity to participate in social interest programs
where they mentor younger children who report being
bullied or needing help with homework. For example,
fifth-grade children could meet with younger children
in their math teacher’s classroom after school each
week to assist them with schoolwork. Additionally,
bullied children could meet with designated mentors in
the school counselor’s office weekly to gain emotional
support and increase their self-esteem.
Each year of high school, school counselors offer
age-appropriate career development activities. The
developmental nature of career counseling (Super,
1990) means that each year should build upon the
previous year throughout college and even beyond
retirement. In this way, students stay excited and
motivated about pursuing future careers and focus on
long-term goals.
Summary
Career counseling plays a significant role in preventing
sex trafficking. Counselors can implement programs
and strategies that enhance youths’ personal
achievement and offer strategies for overcoming
poverty through job attainment. Integrating the
research findings reported here and Humphreys’s
(2017) model of prevention and assistance with the
theoretical premises of Adler (2011), Maslow (1943),
and Super (1990) allows counselors to implement
strategies that both prevent sex trafficking and enhance
career development. School counselors are in optimal
