S12 Ep 4 - "When Your Trafficker Is Your Parent" The Hidden Reality of Interfamilial Trafficking

What happens when the person exploiting a child is also the person they've been taught to trust?In this powerful episode of The 411 Live, host Beverly Taylor sits down with Dr. Debbie Lassiter, Executive Director and co-founder of Convergence Resource Center, for a difficult but necessary conversation about Interfamilial Trafficking, the exploitation of children by parents, relatives, siblings, or other family members.One reason this abuse can remain hidden is especially disturbing: a child may not realize that what is happening to them is abuse. When exploitation begins at a very young age, the behavior can become normalized within the family.Dr. Lassiter discusses how grooming, fear, loyalty, trauma, and family dynamics can make it extremely difficult for victims to disclose what's happening. She also challenges common assumptions about what trafficking victims, traffickers, and buyers "look like."The conversation also previews The Epidemic in the Game, an awareness event from Convergence Resource Center focused this year on intrafamilial trafficking and featuring a survivor sharing her lived experience.In this episode:What Interfamilial Trafficking trafficking actually meansWhy children may not recognize that they're being exploitedHow grooming can make abuse seem "normal"Warning signs adults may overlookWhy asking the right question could change someone's lifeHow broken trust can prevent survivors from seeking helpWhy trafficking can happen across communities and socioeconomic backgroundsWhy we must challenge stereotypes about victims and traffickersViewer/Listener Discretion: This episode discusses child sexual exploitation, abuse, trafficking, and trauma. Some descriptions may be difficult for viewers.03:14 — The Epidemic in the Game: Why This Conversation Matters05:14 — What Is Interfamilial Trafficking?07:00 — When Abuse Becomes "Normal" to a Child09:27 — Warning Signs Adults May Be Missing18:21 — Why Awareness Alone Isn't Enough25:23 — Don't Assume They're Okay: Ask the QuestionYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The411Live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The411LiveTwitter: https://twitter.com/The411LiveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the411liveApple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-411-live/id1447716009iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-411-live-52465336/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ll7a69BSjY9UwfGRmRvsk?si=d7a1c00c5fa8474aAudible: https://www.amazon.com/The-411-Live/dp/B08K57VCNTPandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-411-live/PC:28529If you have suggestions for future episodes, go to our website, https://the411live.org