Understanding Trafficking
What is Trafficking?
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals are compelled to perform commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion. Any minor under the age of 18 induced to perform commercial sex acts is a victim of trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion is involved.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) defines sex trafficking as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act."
Trafficking does not require movement across borders or even across town. A person can be trafficked in their own home, by their own family members. What defines trafficking is not transport — it is exploitation.
Survivors of trafficking come from every demographic — every race, ethnicity, nationality, and socioeconomic background. It happens in cities, suburbs, and rural communities alike.
For Adults
Sexual Act &
Force, Fraud, or Coercion &
Exchange for Something of Value
For Minors
Sexual Act &
Exchange for Something of Value
What Trafficking Looks Like
Contrary to common misconceptions, most trafficking victims are not kidnapped by strangers. Instead, traffickers are often people the victim knows and trusts — a parent, romantic partner, family friend, or other authority figure. This betrayal of trust makes the trauma particularly devastating and the path to escape extraordinarily difficult.
Traffickers use psychological manipulation, emotional abuse, and manufactured dependence to maintain control. Victims may not identify themselves as victims, especially when their trafficker is someone they love.
Trafficking in West Virginia
In West Virginia, human trafficking rarely looks like the movies; instead, it unfolds quietly within our beloved mountain towns and communities. While the authentic fellowship and the natural beauty we enjoy contribute to feeling like our beloved state is "Almost Heaven," the combination of limited economic opportunity, isolated geography, and the addiction crisis have created a "perfect storm" for exploitation that is anything but divine. Traffickers frequently exploit our winding mountain roads and rural isolation to hide their activities, often weaponizing substance dependency as a tool of control.
It's heartbreaking, but many cases of trafficking occur within families. Familial trafficking happens when a person's own kin tricks or coerces them into participating in a sex act in exchange for something of value to finance an addiction or simply keep a roof overhead. Because we're a close-knit people who value taking care of our own, this kind of betrayal is hard to discuss or detect because it hides behind what is also one of our community's greatest strengths, the bonds of kinship.
Beyond the family—many of our neighbors fall into "survival trafficking" when they have nowhere else to turn. Folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, facing homelessness, aging out of foster care, or struggling to put food on the table can find themselves cornered by predators offering "help" but at a terrible price. Being "West Virginia Strong" means looking out for those who are struggling the most. West Virginia has always been a community that pulls together in hard times, and by educating ourselves, increasing awareness, and keeping our eyes open to learn local vulnerability factors and identify signs of control and coercion, we can help ensure that our mountain towns and communities offer safety and security for everyone who calls them home.
We invite you to explore our vetted educational resources on our education and awareness page to aid you in equipping yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to prevent and resist trafficking in our "Wild and Wonderful" communities. These resources will help you identify local vulnerability factors and understand the patterns traffickers utilize to exploit those vulnerabilities and coerce victims.
In the midst of these challenges, resources for survivors in our state remain critically limited. EdenSpring is committed to the ongoing development of the continuum for services needed in West Virginia to provide survivors with the support they deserve. In addition to providing restorative care services at our sanctuary home, we are actively partnering and participating in awareness, prevention, and education efforts as well as advocacy for policy reform. We have provided information on our resources page sharing how you can join West Virginia's collaborative efforts to fight human trafficking.
Significant Vulnerability Factors in West Virginia
Modern anti-trafficking outreach and awareness efforts focus on identifying, understanding, and working to address vulnerability factors in your local context. This helps focus attention on support systems that need to be strengthened to minimize vulnerabilities and identify at-risk individuals before traffickers are able to exploit their unmet needs. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with this non-exhaustive list of vulnerability factors common to West Virginia.
Opioid and Substance Use Disorder
This is one of the most significant drivers of trafficking in West Virginia. Traffickers (sometimes family members or intimate partners) leverage addiction as a tool of coercion, often exchanging drugs for commercial sex or labor.
Survival and Familial Trafficking
Exploitation can occur within family units, or close-knit circles, where a caregiver, intimate partner, or relative may coerce an adult family member or trade a child for money, drugs, or basic daily survival needs like rent. This often occurs in rural communities and within families facing desperate economic situations.
Geographic and Social Isolation
The state's rural mountain setting as well as its shortage of health professionals create barriers to accessing help. Lack of transportation and cellular service makes it easier for traffickers to silence, isolate, and control a person's movement.
Economic Instability and "Boom/Bust" Dependency
Underemployment and dependency on fluctuating industries (like coal or gas) leave individuals vulnerable to limited economic opportunities and, in turn, the exploitation of traffickers.
System Involvement (Foster Care)
Youth in the foster care or juvenile justice systems are at high risk, particularly when they "age out" or run away without a stable support network. Additionally, West Virginia is facing a crisis of under-housed youth who have been forced to leave home or have left home to escape a difficult situation, positioning them for vulnerability to exploitation by bad actors.
History of Trauma and Abuse
Traffickers often target individuals with a history of trauma, exploiting unmet emotional needs to establish coercive control and dependency. Where unaddressed multi-generational trauma exists, traffickers present themselves as providers or protectors to those seeking an escape from unstable environments, using a victim's vulnerabilities to foster a sense of dependency and compliance.
Trafficking Education and Awareness
Now that you've learned some basics of human trafficking and expanded your understanding of the context in West Virginia, we encouraged you to continue your learning journey by checking out some of the educational resources developed by our trusted partners.
Visit our Education & Awareness page →Resources
If the information you have read resonates with your own experience or you suspect someone in your life is experiencing trafficking, don't wait to reach out. Connecting with an advocate is the first step toward safety and support. Help is within reach. Please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline below for support and guidance.
Visit our Resources page →