Training Tips

Training Tip 1: Online Grooming

Trafficking often starts online, not on the street.
Watch for secrecy, sudden new “friends,” or gifts from unknown sources.
Awareness is prevention.

Training Tip 2: It Happens Everywhere

Human trafficking happens in rural towns, suburbs, and big cities.
No community is immune.

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Training Tip 3: Trust Is a Weapon

Traffickers pose as helpers, friends, or romantic partners to gain control.
Manipulation comes before exploitation.

Training Tip 4: Behavior Changes Matter

Sudden withdrawal, anxiety, anger, or changes in dress can be warning signs.
Pay attention.

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Training Tip 5: Gifts Are Red Flags

Unexplained money, phones, clothes, or rides may signal grooming.
There’s no such thing as “free.”

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Training Tip 6: Private Apps = Isolation

Traffickers push conversations to secret or encrypted apps.
Secrecy protects predators—not children.

Training Tip 7: Isolation Is Control

Cutting someone off from family or friends is a common tactic.
Isolation increases vulnerability.

Training Tip 8: Runaways Are High Risk

Youth who run away can be targeted within 24–48 hours.
Early intervention matters.

Training Tip 9: Trafficking Is About Control

It’s not just chains.
Force, fraud, and coercion define trafficking.

Training Tip 10: Fear Is a Tool

Threats, shame, and intimidation keep victims silent.
Fear is not consent.

Training Tip 11: Boys Are Victims Too

Human trafficking affects boys and young men as well. Boys ages 12 to 17 are generally victims of Child Sexual Assault Material (CSAM) at a higher rate. 
No one is immune.

Training Tip 12: No One Chooses Exploitation

Manipulation removes real choice.
Survival is not consent.

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Training Tip 13: Not Always Strangers

Traffickers can be family members or trusted acquaintances.
Trust your instincts.

Training Tip 14: Victims Rarely Speak First

Fear, shame, and trauma keep many silent.
Listening matters.

Training Tip 15: Branding Tattoos

Certain tattoos (names, crowns, barcodes) may indicate trafficking.
Not all tattoos are harmless.

Training Tip 16: Excessive Control

Someone answering for another person or monitoring them closely is a red flag.
Control = warning.

Training Tip 17: Foster Youth Are at Risk

Instability makes youth in foster care prime targets.
Protection starts with awareness.

Training Tip 18: Never Alone

Victims are often never allowed to be alone or speak freely.
Pay attention.

Training Tip 19: False Promises

Love, protection, money, or opportunity—lies traffickers use to trap victims.
Promises can be weapons.

Training Tip 20: Not Random Crime

Trafficking is often organized and network-based.
This is systematic exploitation.

Training Tip 21: Trauma Bonds

Victims may defend their trafficker due to psychological control.
It’s not loyalty—it’s survival.

Training Tip 22: Drugs as Control

Substances may be used to create dependency.
Addiction is a tactic—not an accident.

Training Tip 23: School Changes

Sudden absences or failing grades can signal exploitation.
Schools are key to prevention.

Training Tip 24: Transportation Control

Victims often rely on someone else for rides or movement.
Mobility = freedom.

Training Tip 25: Language Barriers

Non-native speakers and immigrants are heavily targeted.
Vulnerability is exploited.

Training Tip 26: Happens in Plain Sight

Hotels, parking lots, and public places are common locations.
Trafficking hides in normality.

Training Tip 27: Online Ads Mask Abuse

Exploitation is often advertised digitally.
The internet is a battleground.

Training Tip 28: Poverty Increases Risk

Financial stress makes people easier targets.
Prevention starts with support.

Training Tip 29: Reporting Matters

If something feels off—report it.
Your call could save a life.

Training Tip 30: Awareness Is Prevention

Educated communities make trafficking harder to hide.
Light exposes darkness.