People have many misconceptions about human trafficking which can delay the rescue of a person who is being trafficked. How many of these misconceptions do you have? Time for a reality check.
Which of these people is being trafficked?
- That 60-year-old lady who has always lived in your community.
- That young man who plays on the soccer team.
- The woman who does your nails at the salon.
- The kindergartener who chatters through the day.
- The paraplegic in a nursing home.
- All of the above.
The truth is that anyone can be trafficked.
Here are a few of the myths surrounding human trafficking that traffickers want you to believe. Which of the following human trafficking myths do you think cloud perceptions the most?
Myth: Human trafficking involves moving a person across state or national borders.
- Reality: Survivors can be recruited and trafficked in their own hometowns, even their own homes.
Myth: Traffickers target victims they don’t know.
- Reality: Sadly, most survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.
Myth: People being trafficked are physically unable to leave their situations.
- Reality: While some people being trafficked are locked in, most stay for more complicated reasons. Why do they stay? Some lack transportation or a safe place to live. Some are afraid for the safety of friends or family members. Some have been so manipulated that they do not see that they are being controlled by another person.
Myth: Human trafficking usually involves kidnapping or physical violence.
- Reality: Most human traffickers use psychology to trick, defraud, manipulate or threaten victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor. The person may not have any visible bruising.
Myth: Only women and girls can be survivors of sex trafficking
- Reality: One study estimates that as many as half of sex trafficking victims and survivors are male.
Myth: Human trafficking involves commercial sex.
- Reality: Most trafficking incidents involve sex and/or exploitation in the United States but there are thousands being labor trafficked as well. Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to get another person to provide labor or commercial sex.
Myth: Human trafficking only happens in illegal industries
- Reality: Human trafficking cases have been reported and prosecuted in many industries including restaurants, cleaning services, construction, factories and more.
There are many more myths that human traffickers count on you believing. For more understanding and ways to make a difference on human trafficking happening in YOUR backyard and IN PLAIN SIGHT : Signup for our HT101 Class.
-Suzanne