Grooming

Explore what human trafficking actually is, including sex and labor trafficking, child sex trafficking, familial trafficking, and forced criminality. The panel challenges common misconceptions and examines how trafficking can occur in everyday settings and communities across Maryland.

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Learn how traffickers identify and exploit unmet needs and vulnerabilities, including housing instability, substance use, family instability, immigration status, financial hardship, and the need for connection. The conversation also explores how exploitation can develop gradually through relationships, manipulation, and online spaces.

Move beyond stereotypes to understand trafficking that may be hidden in plain sight. Panelists discuss how both sex and labor trafficking occur throughout Maryland, why trafficking can be difficult to recognize, and why reported cases represent only part of what is actually occurring.

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