How Does Trafficking Happen and How to Respond? Grooming, Trauma Bonding, and Trauma-Informed Care

This training explains how individuals are recruited or groomed into trafficking situations, and debunks common myths – including that trafficking involves kidnapping and forcible confinement. We will take a deep dive into the “Romeo” or “boyfriend” trafficking strategy. A framework involving 6 stages of grooming into trafficking is introduced, which leads into a discussion of trauma-informed strategies for interacting with suspected or confirmed trafficking victims. The presentation introduces a number of myths related to human trafficking, replacing them with facts, with the final myth being that victims will self-disclose their exploitation. There are many reasons why victims do not self-disclose, and we must be sensitive to these dynamics. At the end of the training, participants will be able to identify stages of grooming, differentiate strategies of trauma-informed care, and explain trauma bonding.