When Bad Things Happen Outside of School….
The Ottawa Area Secure Schools Network (OASSN) has traditionally focused on incidents occurring during the school day and on school grounds. For the 2025–2026 school year, OASSN is turning its attention to issues that often occur outside the school day, beginning with sextortion and human trafficking.
In today’s digital world, it is critical to equip school staff, law enforcement, and community members with the tools to address these threats. The 2025 Fall Summit will feature two presentations designed to help participants recognize, prevent, and respond.
Sextortion – Explores the types targeting students, how offenders operate, what to tell kids and parents to prevent victimization, and how to report incidents. Includes real case examples and information on victim services and resources.
Human Trafficking – Defines trafficking, explains how traffickers groom and recruit, highlights warning signs in schools and communities, and shares local case examples from Southwest Michigan. Covers law enforcement efforts, victim needs, and available resources.
While these threats often originate outside the school setting, they can still impact schools—whether through students bringing the effects into the classroom, law enforcement involving schools in a case, or, in some instances, targeting occurring on school grounds.
Together, we can better protect students from these dangers and respond effectively when they intersect with our school communities.