We have learned a lot over the course of these last ten years in the anti-trafficking realm: from the survivors we work with, from our government and community partnerships, and from other organizations also in the fight against sex trafficking.
Today we’d like to share some of that information with you, so we can all be equipped with the knowledge to prevent trafficking and be able to identify it when necessary.
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
There are more than 5 million victims of sex trafficking globally.
Women and girls make up 99% of the victims of sex trafficking.
Myth: Trafficking always involves kidnapping or violent threats.
Reality: In addition to violence, traffickers use psychological means such as, tricking, defrauding, manipulating or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.
Myth: Traffickers are always strangers.
Reality: Survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, spouses, family members, including parents, and friends.
A mother, or family member, can sell her young daughter for sex, for money, food, necessities or drugs. The mother is the trafficker.
A teen or young adult boyfriend/girlfriend coerces them to have sex with their friends in exchange for money, drugs, a new cell phone, clothing, etc. That boyfriend/girlfriend is their trafficker.
Myth: Human trafficking must involve transporting a person across state or national borders.
Reality: Human trafficking does not require any movement. Victims can be transported or moved to another location (including across state or national borders), but are also recruited and trafficked in their own communities and their own homes.
Source: Polaris
Do you want to get more information about trafficking, what Courage House is doing to support victims, and how you can get involved? Join Joel and Stephanie Midthun, Executive Directors of Courage House Tanzania, on their speaking tour! Check out our previous blog for their schedule.
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