GreyBruceKids_Summer2020

understanding these four stages are important first steps to
helping those young people who are at risk.
PHASE 1: LURING
During this early phase a trafficker identifies a vulnerable person
as a potential victim. They may reach out online, through social
media networks, or through social connections to find someone
who is insecure, has weak social ties, or who wants to live a
better life. In this phase the trafficker is learning as much about
their victim as possible — their hopes, fears, insecurities and
social connections.
PHASE 2: GROOMING/GAMING
This phase is similar to the honeymoon phase of a relationship.
The trafficker showers the victim with attention, gifts and
promises of a better life while continuing to collect information
and possibly introducing the victim to drugs and sex. The
trafficker increases his ability to manipulate his victim by
making her think that he’s the only person who understands,
accepts, or cares about her. This also begins to weaken her
connections to other friends and family.
PHASE 3: COERCION & MANIPULATION
When the trafficker has positioned himself as the primary
connection in his victim’s life, the honeymoon is over. He acts
differently, attacks her vulnerabilities and breaks down her
self-esteem and remaining connections to other supports. The
victim becomes more isolated from family and friends and more
reliant on the trafficker. During this phase he begins to connect
sex with gifts or money. The trafficker withholds the positive
attention, love or drugs from the victim while blaming her for
the changes. This stokes her fears as he manipulates her to “make
it up to him.”
PHASE 4: SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
In the final phase, the trafficker forces the victim to have sex
with other people for drugs or money. Traffickers will often
convince the victim that she owes it to him for the gifts, money
and drugs he gave her during the previous phases of their
relationship. This is referred to as a “debt bond.”
He will continue to break her down emotionally, mentally
and physically by withholding things like food or drugs and
convincing her that she will be arrested or shunned if she escapes
or tells anyone what is happening.
He may also directly threaten her safety or the safety of her
family and friends. By the time that a victim is being sexually
exploited, she often has no ability to process or understand what
is happening to her, and many victims of human trafficking do
not self-identify as a victim at all.
10 GREY-BRUCE KIDS • SUMMER 2020