Looking at misconceptions that help traffickers elude and evade.
Traffickers target victims they don’t know.
Many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.
Human trafficking is always or usually a violent crime.
In reality, most traffickers use psychological means such as, tricking, defrauding, manipulating or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.
Human trafficking only happens in illegal or underground industries.
Human trafficking cases have been reported and prosecuted in industries including restaurants, cleaning services, construction, factories and more.
Only undocumented foreign nationals get trafficked in the United States.
Thousands of cases of trafficking involved foreign national survivors who are legally living and/or working in the United States. These include survivors of both sex and labor trafficking.
If the trafficked person consented to be in their initial situation, then it cannot be human trafficking or against their will because they “knew better.”
Initial consent to commercial sex or a labor setting prior to acts of force, fraud, or coercion (or if the victim is a minor in a sex trafficking situation) is not relevant to the crime, nor is payment.
People being trafficked are physically unable to leave their situations/locked in/held against their will.
That is sometimes the case. More often, however, people in trafficking situations stay for reasons that are more complicated.
Human trafficking and exploitation thrive in the shadows, often perpetuated by misinformation, societal attitudes, and a lack of understanding.
By equipping individuals and communities with knowledge and resources, we can dismantle the structures that allow these crimes to flourish. Below, we explore actionable ways to raise awareness, recognize vulnerabilities, and create safer environments for those at risk.
Traffickers often exploit social media platforms to connect with children, posing as friends or confidants to build trust. Through manipulation and deceit, they lure victims into dangerous situations that can lead to a devastating cycle of violence, substance abuse, and forced exploitation in the sex trade.
Understanding the realities of human trafficking is the first step toward combating it.
Help spread awareness and educate your community on the realities of trafficking and exploitation, we can help you: