When Batman hits his kids, it's out of character, not canon, he's a good father, he would never actually do that, no matter that it has been going on consistently for decades now, by multiple authors, if you say that he's an abusive parent, no he isn't, it's out of character, it doesn't count. But when I, an Oliver Queen fan-
(I didn't want to maintag it, because the maintag actually discusses real life human trafficking. I'm not sticking something about a fictional character in there)
Also- I'm not really arguing this, I'm arguing that it can be argued. That it's not a baseless argument, and there's evidence to support it. (Ahahaha that's so bad. It doesn't matter if Batman didn't intend to do it, if he didn't actually traffick Jason. Look, I'm sorry, but if the parenting is so bad that it looks like trafficking, there's something very wrong)
Okay, so. Batman ...does kinda traffick Jason, in Batman #408-#409.
Here's the definition of human trafficking (taken from Polaris):
U.S. law defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor against their will. The Action-Means-Purpose (AMP) Model can be helpful in understanding the federal law. Human trafficking occurs when a perpetrator, often referred to as a trafficker, takes an Action (induces, recruits, harbors, transports, provides), and then employs the Means of force, fraud or coercion for the Purpose of compelling the victim to provide commercial sex acts (sex trafficking) or labor/services (labor trafficking). At a minimum, one element from each column must be present to establish a potential situation of human trafficking.
So! Batman transports Jason (Action) from the streets to Ma Gunn's School for Boys, where he will live/is harboured (Action). (and then Jason is compelled by force to stay there (Means) and learn how to help Ma Gunn rob museums (Purpose). He runs away, though)
As such, please, Bruce, make sure you're not taking kids to a labor trafficking ring. Or trying to fund it! (In #409, Bruce says publicly -in front of Vicki Vale, the reporter- "Personally, I like your back to basics approach. And if you need more funding..." )
This is relevant in a second-
Here's what Batman says in #408, right before, uh, ...trafficking Jason to Ma Gunn:
(no social workers, no cops. just go to the place I'm taking you)
Here's what Batman says in #409:
(implied: no cops, no social workers. just become Robin)
No one think about the similarities! It's fine! Ahaha don't worry about it!
A quick diversion to Mia, from Green Arrow (2001, #2)
Richard treated Mia well, to begin with. (As in, he didn't outright force her. He manipulated/groomed her into doing what he wanted) But he started off nice, doing nice things with her, praising her, showing her how to do things, etc.
And here's an important part - she tells him that she's a kid, and he denies it. She's not a kid! She's a woman! (An adult)
(Also, fucking shout-out to how much information is on this page. There's so much here! Well done GA) (I am going to refer to this page quite a few times)
(hey no one look at this page from Batman #410. No, Robin's not a kid! He's an adult! Noonelookattheparallels)
And this parallel as well - Batman takes Jason in, looks after him, praises him, teaches him how to do things...
(as in, Richard did that with Mia, when he was getting her to care about him)
And then later on, when Jason isn't raring to go (because he's just found out that Bruce has been lying to him for six months about his dad), there's this scene:
Jason does not look like he wants to be there!
But Bruce's focus is clearly Batman, he clearly wants Jason to be out as Robin- so that's what Jason does.
(no one look at Mia's lacklustre reaction to Richard wanting to have sex with her. no one compare that)
Okay, some more relevant bits from Polaris about trafficking, just to keep in mind:
People in sex trafficking situations almost always know and even trust or love their traffickers. Traffickers target vulnerable people who have needs that the traffickers can fill. Sometimes they offer material support – a place to live, clothing, a chance to “get rich quick.” Other times they offer love, emotional support or a sense of belonging.
In many cases, people in sex trafficking situations do not see themselves as victims while they are being trafficked. They have been so expertly manipulated or “groomed” that they believe they are making their own choice to engage in commercial sex. These emotional ties are as powerful as being held in handcuffs or behind bars. People in sex trafficking situations may well also depend on their traffickers for physical needs like money or shelter.
Labor trafficking most often begins with a simple job offer. It becomes trafficking when pay or working conditions are abusive and the worker cannot quit or complain because the boss is threatening them or exploiting their desperate economic circumstances. Kidnapping or physical force are rarely part of how labor trafficking situations begin.
Traffickers can be business owners, bosses, or other workers with a managerial role in a formal business. Traffickers can also be victims’ families or legal guardians, including parents, spouses and intimate partners.
Okay, now look at the wording here:
'invested time in you', 'months of training- physical and mental...I took you into my home, my world, to share a secret, sacred trust-'
Yeah, because that's how you talk about your adopted kid.
(invested time in you??? Why are you talking like thatttt)
(hey. no one look at Mia. no one look at Richard saying 'who took you in? who took care of you, and loved you' 'and do I ever ask you for anything? other than you let me show you how much I love you once in a while?')
Okay. Now, for Jason running away.
(This is not looking at what Bruce is thinking or feeling. It's looking at how Jason might be feeling, at how he might think of his relationship with Bruce, and the relationship between Batman and Robin.)
Bruce and Alfred decide unilaterally that Jason will no longer be Robin. Jason has no input in this.
Jason then finds out that his biological mother may be alive, and he decides to go find her (because he can't depend on Bruce for help) - I quote 'can't depend on anyone to help'
(I would put the panel in, but there's an image limit :( )
(this bit is reading into it, not just what is on the page: Jason can't depend on Bruce because he's no longer Robin - he's no longer doing the thing that Bruce wants from him. Robin is the reason that Jason's with Bruce. If he's not Robin, then Jason and Bruce....aren't anything.)
This conjecture is then backed up by Bruce, who chased the Joker to a different continent. He's there as Batman, not Bruce. And he's definitely not there for Jason. Why would he be? Hunting down a runaway (going after Jason) is not why Bruce is there.
(yeah, Alfred's tracking Jason via credit card. But Bruce still decided that the Joker took priority over his teenage son running off to a different continent.)
That is- Internally, Bruce cares about Jason, and wants him to be safe. Externally though, his actions definitely come across as: if Jason isn't Robin, isn't doing Robin things, then Bruce doesn't care what he does.
(if Jason isn't Robin, if he doesn't do the thing that Bruce wants him to do, the thing that Bruce took him in to do- then Bruce doesn't care if he leaves. He can run away all he likes! He doesn't have to be under Bruce's roof if he's not going to be Robin. And Bruce won't support Jason if he's not Robin.)
Further backed up by this:
Internally, Bruce is going nooo my partner :(
Externally? It comes across as 'I will leave you here. I'll check in before I go.' (continued undertone from the previous issues is that because Jason is no longer Robin, he no longer is needed/wanted under Bruce's roof)
(Why is? Bruce so bad? At communicating?)
Okay, I'm going to repeat a bit from Polaris again:
Sometimes they offer material support – a place to live, clothing, a chance to “get rich quick.” Other times they offer love, emotional support or a sense of belonging.
Jason was offered a place to live, clothing, education, love, a sense of belonging - if he was Robin. Robin was offered first, the rest came after he accepted the role.
Labor trafficking most often begins with a simple job offer. It becomes trafficking when pay or working conditions are abusive and the worker cannot quit or complain because the boss is threatening them or exploiting their desperate economic circumstances.
Traffickers can also be victims’ families or legal guardians, including parents, spouses and intimate partners.
Jason is a child. He cannot have a job. Bruce is supposed to be his parent, his guardian, not his boss or partner.
The last few issues before DitF, Bruce is ...pretty hands on with Jason. He's grabbing him, shouting at him. He's unhappy with how Jason acts as Robin, and lets him know it.
Jason could quit, I guess? But as above, his place in Bruce's home (and heart) definitely appears as if it's conditional on him being Robin. On him being Robin the way that Bruce wants him to be.
But! There is definitely evidence against Jaybin being trafficking.
In #413, Jason doesn't go out as Robin, he skips it to do homework. Bruce does want him to keep his grades up, and would ground him from patrol if they were bad.
Also, Jason has a bananas amount of freedom. He is off doing his own thing before cases, during cases, after cases. He's completely off grid for several hours, multiple times, and Bruce does not see this as unusual.
And he has his own credit cards. Multiple of them! Apparently in his name! (unrelated, but: Bruce...why... He is a child....)
The force, fraud, or coercion are the relevant bits in determining if it's trafficking.
Do I think Bruce coerced Jason into being Robin?
No. I think he heavily encouraged it, but Jason wanted to do it. (Ignore that "In many cases, people in sex trafficking situations do not see themselves as victims while they are being trafficked. They have been so expertly manipulated or “groomed” that they believe they are making their own choice to engage in commercial sex.")
If Jason had quit being Robin, and stayed quit, would Bruce have let him stay in the Manor? ...probably? (Pre-crisis Jason stayed in the Manor and wasn't Robin, but he did not spend much time with Bruce. Because if he wanted to have an emotional connection with Bruce, if he wanted to spend any significant amount of time with him- he had to be Robin.) So, yeah, Jason could stay in the Manor and not be Robin, but it would absolutely suck.
(....Could that count as grooming? It's not intentional grooming, but like...not great even so!)
So.
In any case, Jason's situation has a lot more in common with sex trafficking than it does with labour trafficking. I am not an expert though, I could be wrong. (Also, the way DC writes Batman and Robin, especially with Dick - they're written as partners, not as father and son.) (Also, please know I am thinking of this post, with Dick and Bruce as an allegory for abuser and victim)
Does Batman intend to traffick Jason-as-Robin? No, I don't think so.
But by god, there are a hideous amount of parallels to trafficking in Jason's Robin run.
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