Traffickers can be any gender, age, race, nationality, social/economic background, or immigration status. They can be male or female, older adult or close to your age, a U.S. citizen or someone from another country. Everyone knows the old adage, “Don’t take candy from strangers.” We are taught not to trust people we don’t know. But traffickers can be:
- Boyfriends/girlfriends, romantic partners, or significant others
- Family members
- Older “friends”
- Gang members or associated with gangs in your neighborhood
- Business owners, especially in labor trafficking
- Warlords
- Members of organized crime groups
- Terrorist organizations
Even members of the DoD have been found to be traffickers, including Service members, civilians, contractor employees, DoD family members, and dependent minors.
Understanding that a trafficker can be anyone is important. This is not to say that you shouldn’t trust anyone because there are people in your life that want to help and protect you. What is important to understand, however, is that there are people out there that are willing to take advantage of you and you won’t always be able to see it coming. Your best defense against trafficking is to be aware of your surroundings, know the signs of trafficking, and understand how to seek help if you find yourself in a situation that feels exploitive. You can apply this same knowledge if you think a friend is in such a situation too.