Human Trafficking: Every Child at Risk

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time to highlight this urgent issue and how it impacts all of us. “Human trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world.” It’s modern-day slavery—buying, selling, and exploiting people. And it’s happening everywhere, including our homes.

Trafficking today: Men, women, and children are recruited, controlled, and exploited through deception, force, or coercion. Unfortunately, our children are at risk. Predators groom them online and in person

Why Children Are Vulnerable

The demand for pornography motivates sex traffickers. Therefore, those watching pornography indirectly contribute to trafficking. Children are not only potential consumers of porn, but also potential sex trafficker targets.

Traffickers prey on vulnerabilities, using tactics that manipulate children into trusting them. A vulnerability could be poverty or living with a single parent or feeling lonely. But, let’s face it, most teens feel insecure and inadequate at times. Therefore, all children—boys and girls—are at risk. Predators are savvy, using the internet and personal interactions to exploit their victims.

How Traffickers Groom Victims

Recognizing the signs can help parents protect their children. According to End Slavery Now and the Polaris Project, here’s how traffickers work:

1 – Targeting Victims Traffickers use social media, fake profiles, or in-person tactics to befriend potential victims. For example, a slightly older male may engage a female and pretend to be interested in her. Out of flattery, she agrees to be his girlfriend because he fills her need to be liked by a cute, older boy.

2 – Gaining Trust and Information – Groomers pose as someone who cares, listening and telling the potential victim what they want to hear. Through casual conversation, they learn information to use against the victim later.

3 – Meeting Needs – Whether it’s telling a child he/she is loved, purchasing a gift, supplying drugs and alcohol, or listening, a predator meets a physical or emotional need.

4 – Isolation – At this point, the relationship takes a turn. The trafficker spends more time with the victim and pulls him/her away from others. They turn the victim against family and friends. Typically, this stage is so subtle the target is unaware it’s happening. A red flag to watch for is a “friend” telling their intended target to meet them somewhere and not to tell anyone.

5 – Exploitation/Abuse – Once the victim is isolated and dependent on the trafficker (for drugs, alcohol or other material possessions) or the trafficker bribes the victim with information or sexually explicit photos, exploitation or abuse begins. “The way traffickers begin the process of exploiting their victims isn’t always transparent. They may start slowly, by pushing their victim to do things they might be uncomfortable with, like asking them to have sex with a friend once or arranging a date for them as a way to make some quick money. Over time, the victim may be conditioned to believe that what they’re being asked to do is ‘normal.’ They may even feel like they owe their trafficker for all they have done for them or believe their trafficker when they say that the situation is just temporary or a way for them to reach their common goals, such as getting out of the sex trade and starting a family – or keeping the current, abusive family together.”

6 – Maintaining Control – This stage includes extortion, threats, violence, shame, or fear to keep the victim trapped.

How to Talk to Your Children

As with all difficult conversations, broach the subject with the appropriate amount of concern and caution. In other words, don’t freak out! Let your preteens and teens know you’re available and aware of the dangers. 

Ask questions like: 

  • “Have you heard of human trafficking?” 
  • “Has someone you haven’t met in person sent you private messages?” 
  • “Do you feel safety online?” 

Do some research and answer their questions. For an example of exploitation occurring through a simple conversation, download A21’s student safety guide. This Parent Guide for Teens includes safety tips to discuss with your teen. This video is a great depiction of how easily sextortion can begin.

A Way Forward

There is hope. Our children are intelligent and, with guidance, will set boundaries regarding technology when they understand the dangers and are motivated to stay safe. 

E3 Family Solutions is dedicated to educating and empowering teens on the dangers of human trafficking through our Equipping Youth program. Additionally, we talk with parents and the community about this ongoing issue and how we can prevent our youth from becoming human trafficking victims.

We can’t do it alone!

Help us make sure that our youth are properly equipped to make healthy choices NOW so that they can go on to lead happy, successful lives later. Let’s change the face of the community today!

Show Support Today!

Comments for this post are closed.

Latest Posts