It’s important to know what a trafficking situation could look like – it takes a communal effort to end the exploitation of minors. Here are some child trafficking risk factors, potential red flags, common situations, vulnerabilities, and signs of child trafficking.
In the United States, if you ever suspect trafficking, call the National Trafficking Hotline at 1.888.3737.888 – and add this number to your cell.
Potential Red Flags
- Is under 18 and induced or engages in commercial sex
- Suddenly becomes detached from family and friends
- Contradicting personal information about living and work locations/conditions
- Is not allowed to take adequate breaks, food, or water while at work
- Was recruited for different work than they are currently doing or has a debt to employer or recruiter that they cannot pay off
- Noticeable change their appearance or material goods without explainable source of income
- Shows signs of physical or sexual abuse; appears fearful, anxious, depressed, overly submissive, and avoids eye contact
- Suffers from substance abuse problems (alcohol and/or drugs) or sexually transmitted diseases
- The sudden presence of an older “boyfriend,” “girlfriend” or “friend”
- Buys toiletries or basic necessities in the same place where they live/work or aren’t allowed to buy it elsewhere
Common Situations of Trafficking
- Strip clubs, exotic dancing, and pornography
- Panhandling
- Online gaming platforms, forums, and dating apps
- Domestic labor (housecleaning, childcare, elderly care)
- Restaurants, bars, hotels/motels, massage establishments, nail salons
- The streets
- Factories, sweatshops, or agricultural work
Vulnerabilities
- History of sexual abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Family background in commercial sex
- Displaced by natural disaster
- Is part of an undocumented, refugees, or ostracized group
- Experiencing homelessness or financial instability
- Unstable or inconsistent family conditions (i.e., parental absence or neglect, substance abuse, physical/sexual/emotional abuse)
- Running away or truancy
- Low self-esteem or self-worth
- Engaging in risky behaviors
- System involved youth (juvenile justice or foster care)
For more resources on signs of child trafficking and how to address minor exploitation, visit this link.
