Common tactics used by perpetrators
Recruitment often takes place in everyday settings — markets, villages, or the homes of friends or relatives — and is carried out by people who are already known, sometimes belonging to the same community or even to the family. It is often done by individuals who are perceived as authoritative or who have gained a respected and desirable position within the community. Recruiters often exploit existing trust and familiarity, making it more difficult for potential victims to question their intentions.
The bond of trust is one of the recruiter’s most powerful tools: they promise job opportunities, security, or a better life, assuring that they will cover all costs and that there is no need to worry about initial expenses. This trust is then used to gradually create dependency, normalize exploitation, and discourage resistance or escape.
Additional Common Tactics:
Methods used to lure or persuade victims into exploitative situations.
- False promises of employment or marriage to lure you into a situation of exploitation.
- Gifts or favors to create a sense of obligation and dependency.
- Exploitation of social or family ties, using friends, relatives, or community members to convince the victim to cooperate. You may feel pressured not to refuse someone they already know or respect.
Strategies used to make victims dependent and unable to leave.
- Debt bondage: you may be told you must repay costs for travel, recruitment, or living expenses, often through forced labor or sexual exploitation. These debts may be inflated, fabricated, or increased arbitrarily, creating a perpetual sense of obligation.
- Isolation from community and family, you may become dependent on the trafficker. Physical, social, and digital isolation may all be used to reinforce control.
- Identity manipulation, such as taking passports or ID, giving false documents, or changing the victim’s name. You may be made to believe they have no legal standing, reinforcing dependency.
Tactics used to maintain control through fear, pressure, and mental manipulation.
- Threats or intimidation against you, your family, or children to prevent escape. Threats may also be subtle, creating fear without explicit violence, and can target legal, financial, or social consequences.
- Psychological manipulation, including fear of authorities, false legal threats, or promises of protection. Manipulation may involve alternating affection and cruelty to maintain compliance.
- Gradual control: small favors, incremental restrictions, and constant monitoring to normalize exploitation. Over time, this creates a sense that leaving is impossible and fosters learned helplessness.
