Warning Signs

Warning signs that someone might be a victim of human trafficking include: 

  • Evidence of controlling or dominating relationships, including repeated phone calls from a “boyfriend” and/or excessive concern about displeasing partner
  • Exhibition of behaviors including:
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Fear
    • Nervousness
    • Submission
    • Tension
  • Exhibition of “hyper-vigilance” or paranoid behavior
  • Has no identification or is not in control of his or her identification documents
  • Keeping late-night or unusual hours
  • Apparent lying about one's age
    • Most sexually exploited children have been trained to lie about their age. Sometimes a child’s appearance and/or actions can contradict the information they give. Be sensitive to clues in behavior or appearance that could indicate that a child is underage.
  • Not in control of their own money
  • Personal information such as age, name and/or date of birth might change with each telling of his or her story, or the information given might contradict itself
  • Physical and sexual violence signs of abuse, such as unexplained bruises, black eyes, cuts or marks
  • Secrecy about whereabouts
  • Sexually exploited children and youth often express interest in, or are in relationships with, adults or older men
  • A tattoo that he or she is reluctant to explain
    • This may be the result of tattooing or branding by a pimp. Pimps and other sexual exploiters often tattoo or brand children and youth, particularly girls. Youth are commonly branded with their exploiter’s name tattooed on the neck, chest or arms
  • Unaccounted-for time, vagueness concerning whereabouts, and/or defensiveness in response to questions or concern
  • Unexplained shopping trips or possession of expensive clothing, jewelry, or a cell phone could indicate the manipulation of an exploiter
  • Use of lingo or slang from “the life” among peers, or referring to a boyfriend as “daddy”
  • Wearing sexually provocative clothing can be an indicator of sexual exploitation.
    • It should be noted, so as not to rely on stereotypes, that not all children in the commercial sex industry wear such clothing. Sexually provocative clothing is not a warning sign in and of itself. Wearing new clothes of any style, or getting hair or nails done with no financial means to, is a more general indicator of potential sexual exploitation