Kidpower Children's Social Stories

Want to learn how to teach these skills? Check out our website at Kidpower.org or contact us at safety@kidpower.orgHuman trafficking is the use of emotional, legal, or economic coercion or of physical violence to force someone to provide labor or sexual services.

Sexual trafficking can include requiring prostitution, photos, or videos from someone against their will. When this happens with children or teens, this becomes an extreme form of child sexual abuse.

Labor trafficking can include forcing people to work without the rights, compensation, and freedom of choice that they deserve.
Trafficking is modern-day slavery.
Who is at risk?

Trafficking can happen to anyone, no matter their age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, or abilities. Human trafficking can happen anywhere in the world, in every country and every kind of community.

Some groups face higher risks, especially those whose fundamental needs for community, safety, security, and shelter are not being met. These groups include people who:

• are lonely or isolated are in an unsafe living situation or experiencing homelessness
• are in a vulnerable position due to their immigration status
• don't have enough resources to get enough to eat, feed their loved ones, or get an education
• struggle with addiction to alcohol or drugs
• have disabilities that make it harder for them to recognize unsafe behavior or set boundaries

Often when people think of trafficking, they think of someone being kidnapped and trapped by violence.

Although this does happen, most people are coerced into trafficking situations, especially at first, without being aware of what is happening, often lured by promises of love, safety, shelter, or security.

Traffickers are very skilled at very quickly creating a sense of connection, building trust, and developing dependence with a vulnerable individual.

Even worse, instead of being strangers, some trafficking perpetrators are people the victim knows, such as friends, employers, partners, and even family.

When a trafficking perpetrator is engaging with a potential victim, they use a set of techniques called "grooming."

The grooming process often starts with the offer of something the victim needs or wants, such as love, shelter, or money. This tactic works by triggering very strong positive emotions. For example: You have run away from home and a friendly, kind person who buys you lunch and offers you a place to stay seems like a savior.

You are bored with school and feel very excited when you suddenly meet a sweet nice-looking guy who tells you how beautiful you are and that you can make a lot of money modeling.

You are struggling with relationships with your parents or friends. When you connect online with a supportive community or potential romantic partner who showers you with love and affection and promises to take you away to a better life, this may seem like a dream come true.

You are struggling financially and feel incredibly relieved to finally have an offer of stable income even though you don't know much about the employer.

These feelings can make it very hard to think clearly, especially for more vulnerable people.

Red Flags

Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. We can recognize for ourselves and teach young people to watch out for red flags such as someone who is: