Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Michael. Yes, I've noticed there are a lot of resources online that talk about how to recognize a person who is playing the long game, but very few that actually discuss how a new friend — someone who hasn't been grooming you for a long time — can be equally dangerous. Hopefully readers will still be able to spot the red flag if these same behaviors crop up in a not-so-new friend. ;)

As for boys and men, I didn't want to make assumptions about how traffickers might try to manipulate them; I imagine some of the tactics are the same, while others might vary based on gender. Therefore, I also didn't want to assume that my experience — as a 35-year-old female (at the time) — would speak to the unique risks that boys and men face. But I'd honestly like to see more articles of this nature, including ones that speak directly (from experience and/or data) to how boys and men get trafficked.

Glad you enjoyed the article, even if the subject matter is, admittedly, depressing.