Teaching Kit ~ Step 1

By the end of Step 1 students will be able to articulate a definition of human trafficking and have explored some of the complexity of the issue.

Phase 1: Introducing the theme
Introduce the theme of trafficking. Ensure that students are given opportunities to discuss and process information arising from the material used on such a sensitive topic.

A video clip such as Slavery Happens Here: Young People introduces the theme simply but effectively.

1. Ask students to consider where they stand on some of the questions posed of the young people filmed:
   a. What is slavery?
   b. What do you think might be some of the factors contributing to slavery?
   c. Does slavery happen in Australia?
   d. Have you ever been treated like a slave?
   e. Isn’t slavery a thing of the past?
2. Ensure students start a reflection journal for completion of all work connected with this resource.
3. Ask students to talk to at least four different people, eg someone in the family, a neighbour, one older person, someone your own age etc about what they know of the issue of trafficking. The following questions may help to begin the conversation: What is human trafficking? Does it exist in Australia? Have students use reflection journal to record responses as well as students’ own thoughts.
4. Students are asked to feed back to their classmates two things they learned from the interview experience eg: “Younger people that I spoke to had more knowledge of trafficking than older people…” “The people I spoke to thought that trafficking was only to do with women…” “The people I spoke to didn’t think there was any trafficking in Australia”…..
5. Ask students to reflect on what they now know about human trafficking in their journal. Students share responses with one or two others, before opening this up for whole class discussion.

Phase 2: Learning the language
There are certain key terms used when discussing human trafficking. These terms identify the various forms of human trafficking. Students should watch the 3 x 30 second clips on the Anti-Slavery Australia website:

• Slavery Happens Here: Agricultural worker
• Slavery Happens Here: Domestic worker
• Slavery Happens Here: Restaurant worker

Another useful clip can be found here.

In the general discussion that arises from viewing these clips, certain terms should emerge and these need to be explored in depth. Use the following approach to do this.

These terms include: ‘human trafficking’, ‘slavery’, ‘forced labour’, ‘labour trafficking’, ‘domestic servitude’, ‘forced marriage’, ‘servile marriage’, ‘sham marriage’, ‘organ trafficking’, ‘supply chain’, ‘Modern Slavery Act’.

These terms are clearly defined on the ACRATH website (On ACRATH site, go to Resources, Human Trafficking, Forms of Human Trafficking)

Form groups of twos or threes. Assign each small group a term to look up and “unpack”. Ensure that each group examines at least two terms to ensure breadth of response. Students need to come to an understanding of these terms before sharing with the rest of the class what the terms mean.

Phase 3: Applying the key terms
Have the class watch the video clip Community, found on the Anti-Slavery Australia website. This video covers issues such as: what slavery looks like, how is it identified, how people can be deceived, what constitutes exploitation, why enslaved people don’t go to the authorities etc. After discussion around these points, the class should take the key terms on the ACRATH site and build sentences using two or more terms. These sentences can be used as source material for creating bumper stickers, posters etc. These can be displayed in prominent areas of the school or inserted into newsletters, morning bulletins etc.

Have students write in their journal about what they have learnt about human trafficking so far.