Skip to main content

Help Prevent Human Trafficking

From Just in Time Training Network: 

Children who have been removed from their families of origin are at a greater risk of being preyed upon by human traffickers.

Most young trafficking victims are lured into being trafficked through the false promise of being taken care of by their trafficker and gaining ‘family’. Youth who run away from their homes are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of both sex and labor trafficking.

Additionally, it can be hard to spot a trafficker; they can be classmates, other peers, or family members. Even after trafficked victims have been separated from their trafficker, they may still feel a strong connection to them and not recognize the harm their trafficker caused. It is important for foster parents, caregivers, and child welfare staff to learn how to recognize signs of trafficking and how to respond to victims.

Human trafficking impacts Michigan - see statistics on the National Human Trafficking Hotline website.

 

If you or someone you know is being trafficked: Reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (text: 233733) or browse their directory at humantraffickinghotline.org to find resources and help.

Building Healthy Relationships Video

Building Healthy Relationships

'The Healthy Relationships' video can help youth identify exploitive or unhealthy behaviors in relationships that are often a part of various kinds of victimizations, such as online enticement, sextortion, and child sex trafficking. This video and other helpful resources for setting boundaries, and identifying abusers were created by NetSmart. 

Are you a kid looking for information on how to keep yourself safe? Check out Love146's Internet Safety Tips to Keep You Safe from Online Creepers.

View more videos like this from NetSmartz

Understanding Types of Trafficking

  • Labor trafficking is the 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. 
  • Sex Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act when a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion. However, children under the age of 18 who are induced to engage in a commercial sex act or to exchange sex for anything of value, including food or a place to stay, are considered victims of sex trafficking.

Resources for Caregivers and Caseworkers

Human Trafficking Resources

Love146 Trafficking Awareness

It’s almost never obvious, but child trafficking is happening in every type of community. Be informed of human trafficking resources and watch out for the children in your life. Share this video to help spread the word.

"Safety features are important, but they’re not a replacement for open conversations with your child." - Love146

 

See tips to keep youth safe
Human trafficking awareness poster

Risk & Protective Factors Posters

Continuing to spread information about reducing the risks and increasing protective factors around trafficking could help to make a critical difference in someone's life. Use this poster, and other resources, to spread awareness and start the conversation. 
Download informational materials from Love146

Social Media Awareness

Many of the youth in our Survivor Care Program were first approached by their traffickers online. Right now, social media and gaming companies do not put the safety of kids first. Love146 and a multitude of organizations and citizens are working to hold these companies accountable, but in the meantime, it’s critical that you check the settings on your kids’ apps and devices. Do not trust the default settings. 

Get Resources for Parenting Alongside Technology