Gloria Martinez presents a survivor-informed perspective on how traffickers groom, train, and control youth while remaining hidden in plain sight. Drawing from her lived experience and professional background as a social worker, Gloria shares how her trafficker spent nine months grooming her before introducing what he referred to as an “academy,” a system where she was trained how to interact with buyers and conditioned to comply with exploitation. Others were brought in to reinforce the training, creating an environment that normalized manipulation, control, and secrecy. For five years, the exploitation remained hidden behind behaviors that adults often interpreted as typical teenage rebellion. Through this presentation, Gloria unpacks the methods traffickers use to gradually build trust, isolate victims, and condition them to conceal abuse. She highlights how grooming can appear subtle and how common warning signs are often misunderstood by parents, educators, and service providers. This session will help participants better understand the stages of grooming, the psychological conditioning used to maintain control, and the ways traffickers exploit normal adolescent development. Gloria also connects her experience to her current work educating youth and communities through prevention initiatives that focus on early awareness and safety. By combining lived experience with professional insight, this presentation aims to help professionals, educators, and community members recognize warning signs earlier, respond more effectively, and strengthen prevention efforts to protect vulnerable youth from trafficking and exploitation.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Gloria Martinez is a social worker, survivor-advocate, and mother dedicated to empowering women, girls, and families. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and is pursuing her doctorate. With 17 years in social services, she founded a nonprofit supporting families, at-risk youth, and survivors, reaching thousands through survivor-led work featured locally and internationally.