Canberra [Australia], January 20: Australian authorities have called on schools around the country to be on the lookout for signs of forced marriage amid a spike in human trafficking.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Saturday launched a new public awareness campaign urging school communities to learn the signs of forced marriage ahead of the start of the 2024 school year.
According to AFP data, the federal police received 340 reports of human trafficking in the 12 months to the end of June 2023 -- an increase of 13 percent from the previous 12 months.
Forced marriage was one of the most prominent forms of human trafficking, accounting for 26 percent of all reported cases in that period -- half of which involved underage victims.
"By educating the community of the prevalence of forced marriage and building awareness -- particularly for those involved in school communities -- we hope more people are empowered to seek help and report their experiences or suspicions to the AFP," Helen Schneider, AFP commander human exploitation, said in a statement.
"Those closely involved with school-aged children are often best placed to identify the warning signs and indicators of human trafficking."
The AFP is asking parents, teachers and students to be aware of common signs of forced marriage among students, such as those who have their communications monitored, are highly controlled by their family, or express concern of physical or psychological violence for failing to meet expectations.
Schneider said the AFP also encourages schools to have systems and services in place to support victims of human trafficking.
Source: Xinhua