By Send Relief staff
Sex trafficking is one of the world’s most underreported crimes. Victims rarely disclose their abuse because they have often been threatened or coerced into staying silent. In order to help these victims, understanding the signs and symptoms that might indicate someone is being trafficked is of the utmost importance.
Here are eight important indicators to look for:
- Isolation from community, family, or friends. Solid relationships with family and friends act as protection from people who would take advantage of others, so traffickers want to limit contact with these relationships. Once someone has been trafficked, they might also withdraw from their community out of fear or shame.
- Restricted or scripted communication. As you try to engage someone in conversation, you may notice that their answers seem rehearsed. They may repeat similar words or phrases over and over, making the conversation feel stilted.
- Acting submissive or scared. This may mean doing everything that someone else says, being nervous or jumpy in reaction to their surroundings, or failing to make eye contact.
- Someone is always with them who seems controlling or dominating. Pay attention to who is around the person you are talking to, even someone who seems to be keeping an eye on them from a distance. If another person seems to be “calling the shots,” that can be a red flag of sex trafficking.
- Indications of psychological trauma. This may include anxiety, panic attacks, outbursts, depression, or flat affect.
- Malnutrition, dehydration, or exhaustion. Human traffickers need to make their victims rely solely on them. They may withhold basic physical needs like food, water, or sleep in order to make their victims confused, dependent, and unable to leave.
- Multiple foster care placements. Children who have been in the foster system are often at risk of being trafficked, especially if they have moved from home to home or place to place and don’t have consistent, safe relationships.
- Sudden access to luxury items like manicures, designer clothing, or purses. Traffickers will often give their victims nice clothes, makeup, or accessories. Pay attention if someone seems to have these items in abundance.
We cannot rely on victims of sex trafficking telling us that they are victims, as they are often coerced into fearful silence. Take Send Relief’s How to Fight Human Trafficking course to learn more signs and symptoms of human trafficking and to learn what to do if you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking.
