As the new Netflix documentary on the FLDS community brings renewed attention to Short Creek, it also opens a broader conversation – what does trafficking actually look like across America today?
It doesn’t always resemble what people expect.
Trafficking in the U.S. is often hidden in plain sight. It can exist within families, relationships, or tight-knit communities where control, manipulation, and coercion replace physical chains. The documentary highlights one form where power structures and isolation enabled abuse, but trafficking extends far beyond one group or region.
Across America, trafficking can include:
- Labor trafficking, where individuals are forced to work under threats or withheld wages
- Sex trafficking, often involving grooming, manipulation, and dependency
- Familial trafficking, where victims are exploited by relatives or guardians – one of the most underreported forms
- Domestic trafficking, where control is maintained by a partner or within the home
- Runaway and vulnerable youth exploitation, one of the most at-risk populations
What makes trafficking so complex is that many victims don’t immediately identify as victims. Psychological control, fear, and lack of resources keep people trapped.
This is why awareness matters.
Documentaries on Netflix and other platforms bring visibility, but awareness must lead to action. Organizations like The Dream Institute are working on the front lines, providing recovery, resources, and long-term support for survivors of trafficking and abuse.
Trafficking isn’t isolated, it’s embedded in communities across the country.
And the more we understand it, the better equipped we are to recognize it, prevent it, and help end it.
Get involved with The Dream Institute this year by contacting us on the ways you can help combat human trafficking.
