College hosts human trafficking symposium

Mar. 3 — Yuba College hosted a number of experts and representatives of advocacy groups on Friday to discuss the issue of human trafficking and raise awareness of the physical, mental and emotional impact it has on victims.

While people can be trafficked in a number of different ways, the Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to harbor or transfer people in order to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Millions of men, women and children of all races, genders and communities are trafficked worldwide each year.

Yuba College President Dr. Tawny Dotson said that the college partnered with Jenna McKaye to organize the symposium. McKaye is a survivor of sex trafficking and has worked as an advocate for human trafficking victims through her work with the Jenna McKaye Foundation. She also trains health care and law enforcement officials to identify victims of sex or labor trafficking and respond with trauma informed care.