Human Trafficking Prevention Training
This comprehensive training provides essential knowledge and tools to identify, prevent, and respond to human trafficking, with special focus on protecting vulnerable children, youth, and young adults. Together, we'll explore trafficking types, risk factors, and practical strategies to build resilience against exploitation.
Learning Objectives
1
Identify Trafficking Types
Recognize different forms of human trafficking and understand how they manifest in various industries and contexts.
2
Understand Vulnerabilities
Learn what makes children, youth, and young adults vulnerable to traffickers, with special attention to how child welfare system involvement may intensify these risks.
3
Build Resilience
Identify at least three ways to increase resilience and protective factors for at-risk young people.
4
Age-Appropriate Conversations
Gain practical knowledge on how to have appropriate conversations with children, youth, and young adults about sex trafficking risks and prevention.
Assessment Preview
You'll be tested on these critical concepts at the end of today's training. Pay special attention to:
1
Core Definitions & Distinctions
  • Trafficking vs. Smuggling - Know how these are DIFFERENT criminal activities.
  • Force, Fraud, or Coercion - Which type of trafficking requires these elements regardless of age?
  • Types of Trafficking - Which type uses violence, force, or love as control tactics?
2
Vulnerability & Risk Factors
  • Common Vulnerabilities - What factors make someone MORE vulnerable (vs. protective factors)?
  • Child Welfare System Risks - Why are foster care/juvenile justice youth at greater risk?
  • System-Created Risks - What specific risks does child welfare involvement create?
3
Building Resilience & Prevention
  • Protective Factors - What activities/relationships increase resilience?
  • Resilience Building - Which two key elements strengthen resilience most?
  • Age-Appropriate Prevention - Which age groups need explicit internet safety education?
4
Response & Communication
  • Talking with Youth - What's MOST necessary when discussing trafficking with children?
  • Prevention Implementation - Can prevention happen through everyday teachable moments?
What Is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking centers on exploitation and is generally defined as:
  • Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age
  • Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery
Trafficking is fundamentally about exploiting vulnerabilities for profit, often through manipulation, deception, and control.
The Reality of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.
Trafficking can happen anywhere and to anyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status. However, traffickers specifically target those with vulnerabilities they can exploit.
Types of Human Trafficking
Polaris, a leading anti-trafficking organization, identifies 25 distinct types of human trafficking across various industries:
Sex Trafficking
  • Escort Services
  • Illicit Massage & Health
  • Outdoor Solicitation
  • Bars & Strip Clubs
  • Pornography
  • Personal Sexual Servitude
  • Remote Interactive Sexual Acts
Labor Trafficking
  • Agriculture & Animal Husbandry
  • Construction
  • Domestic Work
  • Restaurants & Food Service
  • Traveling Sales Crews
  • Health & Beauty Services
  • Landscaping
Other Forms
  • Hotels & Hospitality
  • Commercial Cleaning
  • Carnivals
  • Factories & Manufacturing
  • Peddling & Begging
  • Forestry & Logging
  • Recreational Facilities
The Making of a Girl
How Traffickers Operate
Targeting Vulnerabilities
Traffickers expertly identify and manipulate people who have specific needs they can promise to fulfill. They offer what victims desperately seek: the illusion of love, belonging, safety, and acceptance.
Universal Risk
Individuals from any class, religious, cultural, or ethnic group can be targeted by traffickers. No community is immune, though some factors increase vulnerability.
Traffickers are skilled manipulators who build trust before beginning exploitation, making it difficult for victims to recognize what's happening until they're trapped.
Trafficker Tactics
Identify Vulnerability
Traffickers seek out specific needs they can appear to fulfill, whether emotional, financial, or physical.
Build False Trust
They offer the illusion of love, belonging, safety, and acceptance to create dependency.
Isolate & Control
Once trust is established, they begin isolating victims from support systems and implementing control tactics.
Exploit for Profit
Victims are forced into commercial sex or labor situations that benefit the trafficker financially.
Vulnerabilities to Trafficking
Childhood Trauma
History of abuse or neglect, especially sexual abuse
Housing Instability
Homelessness or unstable living situations
System Involvement
Children in foster care or juvenile justice systems
Marginalized Groups
LGBTQ individuals, racial/ethnic minorities, undocumented immigrants
Substance Issues
Personal or caregiver substance abuse
Economic Hardship
Poverty and limited economic opportunities
The Impact of Child Abuse
Child Abuse: The Most Common Risk Factor
Childhood abuse and neglect often motivate youth to leave home, making them vulnerable to trafficking
Victims of sexual abuse sometimes sell sex to regain control over their bodies
Child abuse increases risky behaviors such as drug/alcohol use
Trauma reduces coping skills, leading to high-risk relationships
The psychological impact of childhood trauma creates specific vulnerabilities that traffickers are skilled at identifying and exploiting.
Child Welfare System Vulnerabilities
Why Children Enter Foster Care
  • Detected abuse history
  • Breakdown of attachment from primary caregiver
  • Undetected abuse history
There is little that the foster care system can do to fully replace the emotional bond children have lost due to being separated from their families.
Children in foster care often experience multiple placements and disrupted attachments, creating a profound need for belonging that traffickers exploit.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs illustrates human motivation as a progression through five stages, starting with basic survival and culminating in self-fulfillment. Understanding these fundamental needs is crucial for recognizing how traffickers identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
1
2
3
4
5
1
Self-Actualization
2
Esteem
3
Love & Belonging
4
Safety
5
Physiological
Traffickers often target individuals who have unmet needs at the lower levels of this hierarchy, such as those lacking food, shelter, safety, or a sense of belonging. They then exploit these desperate needs by offering false solutions, drawing victims into exploitative situations.
Human Trafficking 101
Understanding Traffickers & Buyers
Trafficker Profiles
Traffickers come from all backgrounds and may be:
  • Family members or intimate partners
  • Gang members
  • Business owners
  • Peers or "friends"
Buyer Realities
Those who purchase sex from trafficking victims:
  • Come from all socioeconomic backgrounds
  • May be unaware or willfully ignorant of trafficking
  • Create the demand that drives the trafficking market
The Grooming and Recruiting Process
Sex trafficking is not a discrete event; it's a gradual, manipulative process that unfolds over time.
Target Victim
Traffickers identify vulnerable individuals by observing their needs, insecurities, or desires for belonging.
Gain Trust
They establish rapport, often acting as a friend, lover, or mentor, building an emotional bond and dependency.
Meet Needs
Traffickers offer false promises or actual support, such as housing, money, or affection, to fulfill perceived needs.
Isolation
They slowly isolate the victim from family, friends, and support networks, making the trafficker their sole confidant.
Exploitation
Once isolated and dependent, the victim is coerced, defrauded, or forced into commercial sex or labor.
Maintain Control
Traffickers use various tactics like debt bondage, threats, or psychological manipulation to keep victims trapped.
The Role of Technology
Technology has unfortunately become a pervasive tool for traffickers, enabling them to operate with greater reach, anonymity, and efficiency across various stages of exploitation.
Victim Identification & Recruitment
Online platforms, social media, and gaming sites are used to identify vulnerable individuals, build rapport, and lure them with false promises, often exploiting personal data.
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
Technology facilitates the creation, distribution, and consumption of CSAM, including videos, photos, and live streaming, creating an extensive market for exploitation.
Victim Control & Logistics
Traffickers use phones and apps for surveillance, tracking, intimidation, and coordinating meetings, making it harder for victims to escape or seek help.
Advertisement & Money Laundering
Online ads, encrypted messaging, and dark web forums are used to advertise victims, while cryptocurrencies and digital payment systems assist in laundering illicit profits.
Recognizing Warning Signs
Physical Indicators
  • Signs of physical abuse or malnourishment
  • Inappropriate dress for weather/age
  • Appears exhausted or sleep-deprived
  • Untreated medical issues
Behavioral Indicators
  • Unexplained absences from school
  • Sudden change in attire, behavior, relationships
  • Withdrawal from regular activities
  • Fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive
Environmental Indicators
  • Presence of older "boyfriend" or controlling person
  • Multiple hotel key cards, large amounts of cash
  • Scripted or inconsistent stories
  • Unable to speak for themselves or move freely
Prevention Through Resilience
1
Building Protective Factors
Resilience-building strategies that reduce trafficking vulnerability:
  • Developing healthy attachment relationships
  • Teaching emotional regulation skills
  • Building self-efficacy and agency
  • Creating community connections
2
Key Prevention Approaches
  • Age-appropriate education about healthy relationships
  • Body safety and boundary-setting skills
  • Digital literacy and online safety
  • Building support networks
Building Resilience: PACEs
Protective and Compensatory Experiences
Relationships
  • Parent/caregiver unconditional love
  • Spending time with a best friend
  • Having a mentor outside of the family
Activities
  • Volunteering or helping others
  • Being active in a social group
  • Having a hobby
  • Being active or playing sports
Environment
  • Living in a clean, safe home with enough food
  • Having opportunities to learn
  • Having routines and fair rules at home
PACEs help build resilience that can counteract adverse childhood experiences and reduce vulnerability to trafficking.
Working with Children: Ages 0-6
01
Develop Trust
Build a trustworthy relationship as the foundation for safety education
02
Body Education
Teach age-appropriate body awareness and safety concepts
03
Self-Care Skills
Practice independent self-care behaviors appropriate for developmental stage
04
Boundary Setting
Teach children how to set boundaries, self-advocate for personal space, and respect others' boundaries
05
Process Reactions
Help children acknowledge and process reactions towards unfair behaviors
06
Address Stereotypes
Challenge limiting gender roles and stereotypes that may increase vulnerability
Working with Children: Ages 7-12
Key Prevention Strategies
  • Continue building on body safety education
  • Introduce concepts of consent in age-appropriate ways
  • Teach critical thinking about media messages
  • Discuss online safety and digital citizenship
Building Skills
  • Problem-solving and decision-making practice
  • Identifying trusted adults to talk to
  • Recognizing manipulation tactics
  • Understanding healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
This age group benefits from concrete examples, role-playing scenarios, and regular reinforcement of safety concepts.
Working with Teens: Ages 13-17
Direct Education
Provide explicit information about trafficking tactics, warning signs, and recruitment strategies used by traffickers
Healthy Relationships
Discuss characteristics of healthy vs. exploitative relationships, including power dynamics and consent
Digital Awareness
Address online grooming, sextortion, and social media risks with practical safety strategies
Resource Connection
Ensure teens know how to access help, including hotlines, trusted adults, and community resources
Working with Young Adults: 18+
Empowerment Focus
Young adults benefit from approaches that emphasize:
  • Economic empowerment and job skills
  • Housing stability resources
  • Healthy intimate relationship education
  • Substance abuse prevention/treatment
Practical Support
Provide concrete assistance with:
  • Financial literacy and independence
  • Recognizing labor exploitation
  • Understanding legal rights
  • Building support networks
Young adults aging out of foster care or juvenile justice systems need targeted support during this high-vulnerability transition period.
Responding to Outcries of Abuse
Support the Victim
Avoid victim blaming and demonstrate belief in their disclosure
Create a Safe Environment
Ensure confidentiality* and comfort; maintain calm, supportive, non-judgmental reactions
Listen Actively
Avoid making assumptions; let the victim share at their own pace
Document Carefully
Record quotes verbatim; note observations without interpretation
Be Honest About Next Steps
Do not make promises you can't keep; explain reporting requirements
*Note: Confidentiality has limits when mandatory reporting is required
Reporting Requirements
How to Report Suspected Abuse or Trafficking
Know Your Obligations
Follow minimum standards, contract obligations, and your organization's reporting procedures
Contact Authorities
Call Texas DFPS Statewide Intake: 1-800-252-5400
Emergency Situations
Call 911 or local law enforcement if the child is in immediate danger
Remember: In Texas, everyone is a mandatory reporter of suspected child abuse and neglect. Reports must be made within 48 hours of suspicion.
Resources for Trafficking Victims
National Resources
  • National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
  • Text "HELP" or "INFO" to 233733
  • Available 24/7 in multiple languages
  • Confidential and can connect to local services
Texas-Specific Resources
  • Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center
  • Regional trafficking coalitions
  • Specialized service providers for trafficking survivors
  • Legal aid organizations
These resources can provide crisis response, safety planning, emergency shelter, case management, and long-term recovery support.
Prevention Through Education
School-Based Programs
Age-appropriate prevention education integrated into school curricula
Community Awareness
Public education campaigns and community mobilization efforts
Professional Training
Specialized training for those who work with vulnerable populations
Parent Education
Resources to help parents discuss trafficking risks with their children
Effective prevention requires a multi-level approach that addresses individual, relationship, community, and societal factors.
Creating Trauma-Informed Environments
Safety
Ensure physical and emotional safety in all interactions
Trustworthiness
Build transparent, consistent relationships
Choice
Maximize choice and control for survivors
Collaboration
Share power and decision-making
Empowerment
Focus on strengths and skill-building
Cultural Sensitivity
Respond to cultural, historical, and gender issues
Trauma-informed approaches recognize the widespread impact of trauma and integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices.
Taking Action: Next Steps
Continue Learning
Seek additional training and stay informed about trafficking trends and best practices
Implement Prevention
Apply age-appropriate prevention strategies with children and youth in your care
Build Networks
Connect with anti-trafficking coalitions and service providers in your community
Advocate
Support policies and programs that address root causes of trafficking vulnerability
Key Takeaways
Human trafficking exploits vulnerabilities through force, fraud, or coercion
It takes many forms across sex and labor industries, affecting people of all backgrounds.
Children in the welfare system face heightened risks
Prior trauma, disrupted attachments, and instability create specific vulnerabilities traffickers target.
Prevention requires building resilience and protective factors
Age-appropriate education, supportive relationships, and trauma-informed approaches are essential.
Everyone has a role in prevention and response
Know the warning signs, reporting requirements, and available resources to protect vulnerable youth.
Remember These Key Points
Correct Concepts
  • Trafficking and smuggling are distinct (not interchangeable).
  • Labor trafficking requires force/fraud/coercion regardless of age.
  • Third-Party Trafficking utilizes violence, force, or even false "love" as control.
  • Strong social supports are protective factors, not vulnerabilities.
  • Childhood abuse/neglect is the #1 risk factor for trafficking.
  • Multiple placements AND normalized unhealthy relationships are both significant risks.
  • Friends and volunteering build resilience.
  • Relationships and resources strengthen resilience.
  • Internet safety education is crucial for ages 8-12 and 13-18.
  • Creating a trusting, safe space for questions is essential.
  • Prevention can happen through everyday moments.
Common Misconceptions
  • Smuggling does not always precede trafficking.
  • Children in detention are not safe from traffickers.
  • Isolation is not protective against trafficking.
  • Hope and dreams alone do not build resilience.
  • Diagrams/videos are not necessary for discussions on safety.
Use the QR Code to Take the Quiz
Additional Resources & Handouts
Deepen your understanding and access practical tools with these downloadable resources:
PowerPoint Handout
A comprehensive summary of the key concepts and information covered in this training. Download PDF
Prevention & Awareness Guide
Strategies and best practices for preventing human trafficking and raising community awareness. Download PDF
Talking to Youth About HT
Guidance on how to approach sensitive conversations with children and teens about trafficking risks. Download PDF
Handling Child Abuse Disclosures
Essential steps and considerations for responding to disclosures of child abuse. Download PDF
Mandatory Reporting
Understand your legal obligations and procedures for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect. Download PDF
Runaway Prevention Guide
Resources and strategies focused on preventing youth from running away and becoming vulnerable. Download PDF