Browser history is impossible to clear completely and can be monitored. If you are in immediate danger or are worried that you might be monitored please call 1 (833) 900-1010 (Canada) or 1 (888) 373-7888 (USA).
By clicking the "Quick Exit" button on the top right side of the screen you will be redirected to a weather site immediately.
March 27, 2025
Jennifer’s* childhood wasn’t filled with bedtime stories or safety—it was defined by instability, fear, and betrayal.
Her mother, deeply wounded by her own history of abuse and trafficking, struggled with mental illness and wasn’t able to protect her children. Men cycled in and out of their lives—some violent, some exploitative. Some abused Jennifer. Some sold her. Law enforcement was present, but they didn’t recognize the signs. And for some officers, she wasn’t a victim to be helped—she was an opportunity to be exploited.
There was no refuge—not at home, not in faith, not anywhere.
Many think of human trafficking as a distant crime by strangers, but often, it's an individual exploited by someone they know.
The Journal of Family Violence describes familial trafficking as exploitation facilitated by a family member—such as a parent, sibling, grandparent, or aunt/uncle—or a guardian, including foster parents or a parent's partner.
“This can include when parents or other family members allow sexual offenders to sexually abuse the victim in exchange for money, drugs, or a place to stay or when caregivers produce pornography of their children and sell, trade, or post the contents in exchange for money or other things of value. In some cases, the parent is not actively facilitating, but is still complicit in the trafficking.”(emphasis added)
In non-familial trafficking, victims are often manipulated through recognizable grooming stages. A common tactic is "Romeo" trafficking, where the trafficker gains the victim's trust through romance. Familial trafficking, however, is different—the exploiter already holds authority or trust. This makes it incredibly difficult for children to recognize the abuse or seek help, especially when they depend on their abuser and live in a harmful environment, making exit and recovery even more challenging.
Child familial trafficking is incredibly hard to detect and address, even for trained professionals and those in positions to intervene. Furthermore, systems like Child and Family Services (CFS) and Child Protective Services (CPS) can sometimes make things worse, as they may not be equipped to handle the victim’s trauma or provide truly safe spaces for healing, even if the child is removed from their home.
Despite familial trafficking being one of the most common forms of trafficking, it’s rarely discussed, making it even harder to spot and stop.
In fact, familial trafficking accounts for roughly 40% of all known trafficking cases, spanning both labor and sex trafficking. A Polaris Project study found that 37% of survivors experienced familial sex trafficking. The very people meant to protect and nurture instead become the source of profound harm, making exit and recovery even more difficult.
Another devastating form of familial exploitation is child marriage, where 12 million girls worldwide are forced to into marriage before turning 18 each year. More than 650 million women and girls live with the lasting consequences–including those in Canada and the U.S.
Yet, despite its prevalence, human trafficking remains widely misunderstood. Many assume it only happens in foreign countries, is committed by strangers, or affects only impoverished communities. In reality, trafficking exists across all backgrounds, cultures, and locations—including within families. Recognizing and addressing these misconceptions is critical to countering the issue effectively.
One of the most persistent myths about human trafficking is that it always involves kidnapping by strangers. In truth, most victims are trafficked by someone they know–including family members.
Familial trafficking isn’t just perpetuated by parents. Any family member—siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, or foster parents–can be involved. In some cases, this exploitation spans generations, becoming an ingrained, unchallenged family norm. In others, a family member might not directly exploit the child but still plays a part by facilitating or enabling the abuse.
"If another family member notices the exploitation of the child, there is a strong incentive to look the other way to protect the family, both physically and in reputation, from outside interventions.“
Understanding these complexities is essential for effective interventions and empowering overcomers on their path to freedom and restoration.
Countering familial trafficking is especially difficult. The grooming process often starts early, even in infancy, normalizing the abuse. It can take years—sometimes decades—for survivors to fully recognize human trafficking for what it is.
The deep trust and loyalty children have for their caretakers make it even harder to break free, even when they begin to see the abuse. This bond is often manipulated by the trafficker, and the shame tied to the crime makes it nearly impossible for victims to seek help, even from trusted individuals like teachers or friends.
Another major barrier is the lack of visibility in familial trafficking cases. Unlike non-familial cases where missing person reports are filed, parents or guardians rarely alert authorities when trafficking is happening within the family. Children in these situations may continue attending school, participate in extracurricular activities, and maintain a seemingly normal life, which makes detection much harder.
Moreover, typical indicators of trafficking may not apply in familial cases. Children in these situations are often conditioned to hide the abuse, lacking the language or understanding to recognize it as anything but “normal.”
Victims of familial trafficking can present in many different ways. Some may struggle academically or develop psychological disorders like PTSD, while others may excel in school, finding refuge in academics or appearing outwardly well-adjusted due to conditioning to please authority figures. These varied responses highlight why statistics alone don't tell the full story—each survivor’s experience is unique.
The lack of visibility and the difficulties in identifying familial trafficking create significant obstacles to prevention and intervention. As a result, there is an urgent need for increased awareness and more effective strategies for detection. However, the challenges don’t stop at identification. The barriers to addressing familial trafficking are compounded by the lack of awareness and specialized training within key systems.
A major challenge in preventing familial trafficking is the lack of awareness and training among service providers and law enforcement. Most anti-trafficking efforts focus on non-familial cases, leaving professionals ill-equipped to recognize and respond to the complexities of familial trafficking.
In many situations:
“Service providers use the same approaches and resources for familial trafficking that are used for all types of human trafficking, which can be inappropriate and even harmful. The ways in which a service provider would engage with an eight-year-old child exploited by a family member will need to be different than when engaging with a child who has a safe home with a trusted adult. A child who has been exploited by a family member will most likely need services to address complex trauma, attachment, and severe exploitation.”
These gaps in training and resources highlight the urgent need for specialized approaches to address familial trafficking effectively.
While familial trafficking is complex, there are several proactive measures that can help address it:
By prioritizing these strategies, we can begin to close the gaps and create a stronger, more informed response to familial trafficking.
Addressing familial trafficking is challenging, but it is crucial. Human trafficking often results in generational cycles of abuse, trauma, and systemic barriers to recovery. By the time Jennifer was 16, she was on her own, struggling to survive. With no support, she relied on the only thing she had been taught to trade—her body.
But there is hope. Identifying and responding to familial trafficking is challenging, but with dedication and compassionate advocacy, we can empower survivors and prevent future harm. With focused, survivor-informed and survivor-led efforts on prevention, awareness, and care, we join in supporting Overcomers like Jennifer as they rewrite their stories.
Jennifer’s journey is a powerful example of what’s possible. She found love—the kind that heals. She found faith—not in an institution, but in a Saviour who walked with her through the hardest healing journey imaginable. Today, Jennifer leads an anti-trafficking organization, connecting survivors with the resources they need to heal and educating others.
Familial trafficking isn’t a distant crime. It happens in homes just like yours.
*Name has been changed for privacy.
.svg){kind=small}
