Several factors make children and adolescents more susceptible to sex trafficking. Most traffickers know their victims, either through family, friends, or online connections. Traffickers often present themselves as a love interest or trusted mentor/parental figure—gaining the victim’s adoration, affection, and trust, before eventually exposing them to sex trafficking.
Having less life experience combined with factors such as poverty or troubled home life can make kids/teens easy to exploit. However, it’s never the trafficked individual’s fault. They simply fall victim to highly skilled predators who have perfected the art of manipulation, coercion, and seduction.
How to help a child or teen who may be experiencing sex trafficking:
- Show concern for the child/teen’s well-being and safety.
- Kindly ask questions about their working and living conditions.
- Inform the child/teen about places to get help or resources.
- Respect their choices – don’t pressure them to leave their trafficker.
- Report any worrying incidents to local law enforcement.
If you suspect a child or teen is a victim of sex trafficking, look for the following red flags:
- Running away/couch surfing.
Kids are vulnerable to trafficking when they have housing insecurity, have been abused at home, or are kicked out by their families.
- Unexplained behavioral changes.
They start being absent or truant. They may withdraw from relationships, school, and other important aspects of life.
- Using unfamiliar or “street” terminology.
They may start using phrases like “the game,” “the life,” or “handler/manager.”
- Suspicious injuries or conditions.
Sex trafficked kids are regularly treated for drug/alcohol abuse, STDs, pregnancies, or injuries (including bruises, cuts, or other signs of physical abuse).
- Sudden appearance of expensive gifts.
They may say friends gifted them cash, revealing clothing, electronics, or purses.
- Having adult-like possessions.
They may have large sums of cash, multiple cell phones, prepaid cards, or hotel keys.
- Signs of malnourishment or exhaustion.
Deprivation of food or sleep impairs cognitive function, leading to memory issues, mood changes, and increased risk-taking behavior. 1
- Answers to questions feel rehearsed.
A trafficked person may be forced to stick to a trafficker’s script.
- Gang affiliation (especially among girls).
A teen may have joined a gang when they have new tattoos (especially with gang symbols), new nicknames, interest in gang-related movies, or items such as spray paint or weapons. 2
- Lack of personal documents or multiple IDs.
Older teens may not have a valid ID or may have several IDs with different names.
- Numerous inconsistencies in their story.
The person may tell you conflicting information or tell a jumbled—or intentionally confusing—story.
Remember, not all indicators will be present in every case, and the presence or absence of any single indicator is not definitive proof of trafficking. However, if you observe several of these signs, it is important to seek further assessment and report the situation.
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If you suspect human trafficking, it is crucial to report it to the authorities. In the U.S., you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 2337338.
Citations:
1. Victoria State Government. Teenagers and sleep. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep 2. Astribe. A parent’s quick reference card. https://www.astribe.com/assets/gangcard.pdf