Role of Fathers in Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking

Jun 8, 2023

In the battle against the abhorrent crime of human trafficking, a comprehensive approach involving various stakeholders is vital. While much attention is rightly given to the efforts of law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and policymakers, there is an often-overlooked but pivotal figure in this fight: fathers.

Traditionally regarded as the providers and protectors of their families, fathers possess a unique ability to shape their children’s lives and values. By assuming an active role, fathers can significantly contribute to the prevention and combat of human trafficking. Our focus lies on the crucial task of instilling love and confidence in their children, equipping them with the necessary tools to recognize and avoid the dangers of human trafficking.

Join us as we explore the powerful role fathers play in raising awareness, fostering resilience, and promoting empathy. Together, we can create a safer and more secure world for future generations, where human trafficking is eradicated and the potential of every child is safeguarded.

Understanding Human Trafficking

Human trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery, inflicts unimaginable suffering on individuals worldwide. Traffickers exploit and trade vulnerable people through force, coercion, deception, and fraud, subjecting them to forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other forms of servitude. With millions of men, women, and children trafficked annually, it is a distressing issue that demands attention.

Root causes of human trafficking vary, but they often involve factors such as poverty, lack of education, vulnerability, absence of parental figures, history of abuse, substance abuse, homelessness, and unemployment. Survivors of human trafficking endure profound mental and physical trauma, forever altered by their experiences. It is our collective responsibility as a society to protect the vulnerable and innocent. By understanding the crucial role of parental influence and raising awareness within our families, we can contribute to preventing human trafficking.

The Importance of Parental Influence

Creating a safe and nurturing home environment is crucial, particularly in light of the fact that many cases of human trafficking stem from domestic abuse within the household. Sadly, a substantial number of human trafficking and forced prostitution victims have experienced various forms of abuse—sexual, physical, and verbal—prior to being trafficked.

According to a study by Calli M. Cain, Ph.D., nearly 43% of child prostitution and sex trafficking victims were subjected to molestation during their childhood, with 35% enduring forced sexual encounters. The study further revealed that 45.9% experienced emotional abuse, while a staggering 85.3% witnessed severe violence or domestic abuse within their homes. These findings underscore the significant impact that the home environment has on a child’s development.

While it is important to note that abuse itself does not directly lead to human trafficking, it does create fertile ground for traffickers to exploit victims who have strained relationships with their families and friends. The absence of a parental figure, whether physical or emotional, can profoundly affect a child’s development. Thus, it is of utmost importance for children to have a father or a strong parental role model in their lives, providing them with stability, guidance, and love.

Instilling Confidence and Love

Innocent victims of human trafficking deserve love and support from their parents, not harm or neglect. By instilling confidence and love in your children, you can help them avoid seeking external validation by meeting their needs within their home relationships. Parental involvement plays a vital role in shaping a child’s self-esteem and sense of worth, providing a safe space for crucial conversations. A father’s love and support can profoundly impact a child’s confidence and resilience. Extensive research collected by The Fatherhood Project highlights the positive outcomes associated with high levels of father involvement.

Involved fathers are correlated with increased sociability, confidence, and self-control in their children, reducing the likelihood of school misconduct and risky behaviors in adolescence.
Children who have a strong bond with their fathers experience a significant reduction in negative outcomes, including 75% fewer teen births, an 80% decrease in incarcerations, and a 50% lower likelihood of experiencing depression symptoms.
Father engagement contributes to decreased psychological problems and depression rates among young women.

To foster the powerful impact of a father’s love and support, it is important to explore ways in which fathers can build a strong emotional bond with their children. Practical tips for fathers include active listening, offering genuine praise and encouragement, and creating an open communication environment where children feel safe expressing themselves. By actively participating in their children’s lives, fathers contribute to the creation of a nurturing and secure environment that safeguards against human trafficking and allows children to thrive.

How to Teach Awareness to Your Children

While being an engaged father is crucial for safeguarding your children against the perils of human trafficking, it is equally important to cultivate awareness around this issue. However, it’s essential to adapt your approach based on your children’s age to ensure the topic is appropriate for their understanding. The aim is to engage in age-appropriate conversations that prioritize personal safety without instilling fear or anxiety.

Let’s explore how, as a father, you can effectively educate your children about safety and the realities of human trafficking, appropriate to their age.

Discussing Consent:

When addressing the topic of consent with children of different age groups, the approach may differ, but the underlying message remains consistent.

When teaching toddlers and young children, emphasize the importance of understanding that “no” means “no” and instill in them the values of listening to others and respecting personal boundaries. Empower them by teaching them that they always have the right to request personal space.
For adolescents, it becomes crucial to address sexual consent, emphasizing that healthy relationships should never involve sexual acts for financial gain, another person’s pleasure, or to ensure personal safety.

Nurturing Instincts:

Encourage your children to trust their instincts, as everyone possesses a powerful gut feeling.

Educate them about recognizing when their intuition is trying to convey something important and emphasize the significance of listening to it.
Teach your children that if they ever feel uncomfortable, whether it involves a peer, an adult, a family member, or anyone else, they should confide in a trusted adult.
Remind them that if something feels wrong, it likely is, and similarly, if something appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Educate your children about the importance of recognizing the inappropriateness of adults asking them to keep secrets. Emphasize that secrets are not safe and should not be kept. Make sure your children understand that if an adult requests them to keep a secret, they should immediately inform a trusted adult they can rely on.

Understanding Stranger Danger:

Before teaching your children about the concept of stranger danger, it is essential to help them define who a stranger is.

Explain to them that a stranger is someone they do not know, regardless of their appearance or age. Additionally, ensure that your child is aware of the trusted adults in their life, such as parents, guardians, teachers, police officers, and other reliable individuals.
When addressing this topic with younger children, focus on avoiding conversations or interactions with unfamiliar adults, declining gifts or treats from strangers, refraining from going anywhere with someone they don’t know, and reinforcing the power of saying “no.”
Role-playing potentially dangerous situations can assist them in practicing appropriate responses.
For adolescents, it is important to reinforce the concept of stranger danger and remind them to remain vigilant. They should be mindful that individuals of their age and slightly older can also attempt to manipulate them through gifts, promises, or other means.

Ensuring Online Safety:

In today’s digital era, the majority of children engage with the online world through various devices, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and social media platforms. While this technology offers incredible learning opportunities, it also exposes children to potential dangers, including human traffickers.

For younger children, focus on implementing parental controls, guiding them on appropriate apps and websites, and encouraging limited screen time within shared family spaces.
With adolescents, cover topics such as social media usage, handling direct messages, the risks of sexting and sextortion, maintaining privacy settings, and understanding what is acceptable and unacceptable to post online (including photos, location, school information, and language).

Encouraging Open Dialogue:

Teach your children about these important subjects, but also create an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions.

Let them know that they can turn to you without fear of judgment, ridicule, or punishment.
Being the primary source of information allows you to guide your children effectively. Avoiding these conversations denies them the opportunity to learn from you and increases the likelihood of others shaping their understanding.

To further equip yourself with valuable tools, conversation starters, and information on having these crucial discussions with your children, we recommend exploring the following resources:

Who is Bridging Freedom?

Bridging Freedom is a non-profit based in the Tampa Bay metro area dedicated to ending human trafficking in Florida and restoring stolen childhoods of recent victims. Through our partnerships with Clearwater / Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking, Tampa Bay FBI Innocence Lost Initiative, and St. Petersburg College Center for Human Trafficking Awareness, we provide victims with a safe place and connect them to necessary local resources. In order to allow us to continue doing what we do, Bridging Freedom relies on the generosity and collaboration of our community of supporters. If you would like to be a part of our group of supporters, then we encourage you to donate online at the webpage here.