Human traffickers aren't always strangers. Sometimes, they're your own family members.
Familial trafficking can be one of the hardest forms of human trafficking to recognize because it happens within trusted relationships. Victims may depend on their trafficker for food, housing, safety, or emotional support. Some victims may be afraid to ask for help. Others may not even realize what is happening to them.
That is why your awareness matters. When you understand the signs of human trafficking and realize that the trafficker can be closer to home than expected, you're in a better position to report suspicious situations and ultimately connect victims to safety and support.
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Spot Human Trafficking
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Human trafficking can happen in any community. Learn the warning signs and how you can help.
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Learn How Trafficking Affects Youth
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Understanding youth exploitation can help you recognize signs of trafficking in children and teens. Learn how you can support youth at school, in sports, and in other community programs.
Who is Affected?
Familial trafficking can happen in any family, neighborhood, or community at any income level. However, many documented cases involve children and youth. We know that children and youth depend on adults for care and protection. However, the International Organization for Migration found that 41% of child trafficking cases in its last dataset involved family members or caregivers.
That doesn’t mean familial trafficking can’t affect adults. Family members or caregivers may also take advantage of adults who depend on them for housing, money, or daily care.
What Does It Look Like?
Familial traffickers often use force, fraud, or coercion just like other traffickers. They may lie to a victim, telling them that participating in forced labor or commercial sex will help their family out of a tough financial spot when in reality, it's for the parents' personal gain. They may threaten to kick the victim out of the house if they don't comply, forcing them to cooperate at risk of losing their home and shelter. Or they may try to convince the victim that the love of their family depends on whether or not they submit.
What makes familial trafficking hard to report is that the trafficker often relies on the trust, dependence, and authority that exist within families to control victims and keep the trafficking hidden. If someone is groomed to believe that their paycheck should automatically go to their parents and that participating in commercial sex is normal, they might not realize they are being exploited or reach out for help.
View Original "Familial Trafficking May Be Happening Right Outside Your Door: 60 Second PSA" videoIf you're trying to identify signs of familial trafficking, you'll have to look a little deeper. Do you know someone who is living with a family member, but their ability to live there is conditional on doing work that they don't get paid for? Have you noticed a student reluctant to leave school because their parents are taking them to a ‘job’ that they won't give details about?
No one indicator proves familial trafficking, but learning the warning signs can help you paint a fuller picture of the situation and make a report if you think something seems suspicious.
How You Can Help Identify and Report Familial Trafficking
You have the power to identify victims of human trafficking who may go unnoticed. Use the resources below to learn more and take action:
- Read the U.S. Department of State fact sheet Navigating the Complexities of Familial Trafficking to learn how familial trafficking happens and why it can be hard to recognize.
- Report suspected human trafficking to federal law enforcement by calling the DHS Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423.
- Get help or learn more by calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or texting HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).
- Report suspected child sex trafficking, including familial trafficking, to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children by visiting CyberTipline.org or calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
