Florida will be the first state to require schools to teach K-12 students about child trafficking prevention after the state's Board of Education unanimously approved the rule on Monday.

The Sunshine State ranks third in the nation for reported human trafficking cases, according to a press release from the Florida Department of Education. In 2018, there were 767 human trafficking cases reported in Florida, nearly 20% of which involved minors.

Human trafficking crimes include sex trafficking and labor trafficking, where an individual is forced or coerced to work, according to a 2017 report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

In 2016, there were 439 human trafficking convictions by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the McCain Institute , a D.C.-based think tank. This was a 48% increase from the 297 convictions in 2015.

"Tragically, human trafficking is an epidemic in our country," Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said in Monday's press release. "Children of all ages need to know and understand the hazards of human trafficking and how to protect themselves from dangerous predators."

Under the new guidelines, school districts must submit their child trafficking prevention implementation plans to Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran and post the plan on their district website by Dec. 1 each year.

By July 1 each year, school districts must provide a report to Corcoran proving that schools completed the mandatory instruction.

The Florida Department of Education specified that the average age of youth trafficked in the state is 11 to 13 years old and that up to 70% of of sex trafficking and exploitation begins online. The department also pointed to research indicating that children with histories of sexual abuse, dating violence and low self-esteem are often targeted.

Many states have created task forces or leadership positions to combat human trafficking, and at least 11 states have groups focused specifically on child human trafficking, according to the NCSL report. These groups are responsible for making policy recommendations based on studies, educating the public about human trafficking, and working with key anti-trafficking stakeholders.

As of 2017 when the NCSL report was released, 20 states and Washington, D.C., had passed legislation providing prosecutorial immunity to children who have been trafficked. This way, child human trafficking survivors cannot be charged for prostitution. Some states also apply immunity to other crimes besides prostitution that were committed as a result of being trafficked.

But no other state to date has required that schools provide a human trafficking prevention education.

Geoff Rogers, CEO and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, commended Florida for its leadership.