Talk With Your Child
Preparing yourself before initiating a conversation on the topic of sex trafficking with your child is important. Our study with teen girls revealed there is a critical window of time to talk with your child about sex trafficking before their risk factors increase. Please review the caregiver guide first as it provides important and helpful information.
We have two videos based on real stories covering two different ways young people can be lured into sex trafficking.
Watch these videos on your own first and think about the best approach to initiate a conversation with your child.
Eva's Story - Sex Trafficking Survivor
Kaye's Story - Sex Trafficking Survivor
After watching Kaye and/or Eva's stories, consider asking your child some of the questions that are most suitable for their age.
Ease into the conversation
For example, start the dialogue with "A friend sent me these important videos. Can we watch them together?"
Start with asking your child how they feel after watching the video and pay attention to their emotions, before discussing the story.
Here are some suggested questions:
Have you heard of situations like this happening before? Did you know it's called sex trafficking?
Do you think this happens or could happen to someone you know or a friend?
Do you have any questions?
You may then want to ask specific questions about Kaye or Eva's stories to further the conversation
Here are some suggested questions:
Were you surprised that Kaye was trafficked by her boyfriend and Eva by her friend?
If you were Kaye or Eva's friend, at what moments would you have felt something wasn't right in their relationships?
What are some of the red flags you noticed?
Here are some of the red flags you can discuss:
Initially it can appear as instant love. After only a short time together a partner is quick to confess their love, make the other person feel special and talk about their future together.
Soon it shifts - choice and boundaries are ignored. There might be pressure to do things one does not want to do. That is a big red flag.
A person is made to feel like they "owe" someone because of their gifts, love or attention.
There can be a disregard for what a person might be feeling.
There can be emotional blackmail, "if you really love me, you'll do it".
You can then ask your child to think about what they consider important in a relationship.
This relationship can be any type; it can be with a boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, family member, etc. If needed, you can share a few examples, such as:
To be respected
To express my opinions freely
To hang out with my family and friends
To end a relationship without feeling threatened
To say no even if I said yes before
Encourage your child to trust their instincts, particularly in situations where they are feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.
Here are some examples to watch out for.
If they feel:
Unsafe
Disrespected or powerless
Like they don't have any control or choice
Like they are made to do things they are not comfortable with and don't consent to
If they hear things like:
"Don't tell anyone"
"It's our secret"
"You owe me"
"I need you to do something just once, for our future together"
If someone:
Isolates them from family and friends
Encourages them to skip school, miss curfew, try drinking or drugs
Promises a better life
Encourages them to be secretive about their relationship and wherabouts
Safety plans are important to discuss, here are some questions to get you started:
What might have made it difficult for Kaye/Eva to leave their situations?
What are some of the things you can do to protect yourself and your friends from being lured into sex trafficking?
Can you think of someone you could reach out to if you felt threatened?