Debunking the 5 Most Common Myths about Human Trafficking

Myth: Human trafficking is just another word for sex trafficking.

Truth: Sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking. Human trafficking refers broadly to the use of force, fraud, or coercion in order to make a person work against his or her will. Sex trafficking is a more specific term that describes forced commercial sexual exploitation.


Myth: Only men are traffickers.

Truth: While it is far more common for men to be offenders of human trafficking, it is not unheard of for women to be traffickers as well. Female traffickers are often able to gain the trust of their victims more easily than male traffickers.


Myth: Human trafficking only happens in developing countries. 

Truth: Human trafficking occurs in every country. In the United States, there are over 400,000 people in conditions of modern day slavery. In the United Kingdom there are 136,000. In Canada there are 17,000. In Australia, there are 15,000. Human trafficking has no border.


Myth: People who are being trafficked are physically trapped and unable to leave.

Truth: It is not extremely common for a victim of trafficking  to be physically held against his or her will. In the majority of human trafficking cases, people cannot escape for a variety of reasons, including a fear for his or her safety, a lack of a place to live, fear that he or she will be charged for prostitution, or the belief that the trafficker is a friend or romantic partner. Other times, a person being trafficked is manipulated into believing his or her situation is normal and that there is no reason to leave.


Myth: Human trafficking involves moving a person across state or national borders.

Truth: Human trafficking does not require movement or border crossing. In fact, most trafficking victims are trafficking within their country or state of origin. If a person is being exploited for labor or commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion, he or she is being trafficked.


2 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *