Hastings Lauds American Association of Cosmetology Schools on Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

Press Release

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement on the human trafficking awareness and justice efforts by the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) and their educational partner Milady. Every year, tens of thousands of people are trafficked to the United States from over 50 countries worldwide. Half of these victims are children, and nearly 80 percent are women. As Human Trafficking Awareness Month comes to an end, efforts continue to push forward the fight to prevent human trafficking with education, awareness, and training campaigns:

"Human trafficking and exploitation is not just a global problem, but a local one too. These horrors are happening in cities, suburbs, and rural areas across our nation. In fact, in my home state of Florida, there are some of the highest reported cases of trafficking in the country," said Hastings. "I want to commend the efforts of AACS and Milady for their commitment to fighting to end human trafficking. While awareness about human trafficking and exploitation has increased, prevention efforts are lacking. It's critical that we introduce trafficking and exploitation prevention training in our communities, so that we can recognize the dangers of trafficking and exploitation, not just to protect victims from traffickers, but also to prevent potential traffickers and abusers from exploiting others in the future."

BACKGROUND:

Because they have intimate interactions with their clients, beauty professionals can play an important role in preventing human trafficking by proactively detecting hidden signs of abuse. Recognizing this, the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) -- which represents more than 600 career training institutions across the United States -- has championed the fight against human trafficking. Milady, one of AACS' renowned educational partners, has joined with the Polaris Project to create an online course based on identifying the signs of human trafficking and creating a safe and proactive path to supporting victims, which has been offered this month to every student attending an AACS member school free of charge.

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