What should you tell your kids about human trafficking?
The main thing that I really noticed in young adults and teens that I have rescued is that the grooming process begins with someone being especially nice to them.
I often get asked what should we tell our kids about human trafficking? That is a good question and one that we need to be mindful of as our kids should be protected and we do not want to tell them things they do not need to know yet, however by keeping them naive are we placing a target on them?
Eight Tips for Teens
I created a bookmark called Eight Tips for Teens and this might be something you want to consider discussing with the teens and young adults in your household. I have often noticed that kids may not notice what is happening to them, but they certainly do notice what is happening to their friends. This might be a way to open the conversation because they might be more willing to listen to how they could help someone else, rather than to be told to watch out for themselves.
Being Nice Not Nice
The main thing that I really noticed in young adults and teens that I have rescued is that the grooming process begins with someone being especially nice to them. The youth is made to feel especially important, special, and wanted. It is done so subtly that the recipient of all this “kindness” does not realize what is happening to them. It is like the spider attracting the fly. The groomer seems to have suddenly just popped into their life and just as suddenly becomes entrenched. Little does anyone know that the child has been stalked in social media, or even in real life to find their vulnerabilities, etc. The groomer is a vampire and sucks up all their time and energy.
This seemingly cool persona is the one you really need to be wary of. This is the one who we need to warn them about before it is too late. The groomer can and often does distance the targeted youth from their good friends and family. Their friends may also be targeted so you must train your kids to be wary of strangers coming on to them or their friends and alert you or another trusted adult as soon as possible, so that efforts can be made to protect that child.
You can download my Eight Tips for Teens here and I hope it helps you. Please share it. If I could come to speak to your school, your community group, your church, whatever you think would be appropriate I would love to hear from you.