The Misconceptions

One of the first and most important steps in educating yourself about human trafficking is  addressing any misconceptions you may have about the issue. There are four major misconceptions many teens hold about this issue that we will address in this video. 

The first misconception about Human Trafficking is that only women and girls can be victims of trafficking. Although women and girls make up the majority of Human Trafficking victims around the world, 29% of victims are male. It is important to note that men and boys are trafficked in both the labor and sex industries.  

Another misconception is what human trafficking looks like to the outside world. Many view trafficking as children kept in chains and cages, and although this is certainly an example of trafficking, it is not what the majority of human trafficking looks like. Oftentimes, victims have been so heavily manipulated by their abusers that they do not need to be held hostage in order for the abuser to keep them compliant, or do not think of themselves as victims at all. Another point that often goes unaddressed is the imbalance in victims that are minorities. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation found that in 2020, 57.5% of all juvenile prostitution arrests are Black children. Overall, the U.S. Department of Justice found that 94% of sex trafficking victims in the US are female, 40% are Black, and 24% are Latinx.

The third misconception is that the human traffickers are strangers to the victims. More often than not, the perpetrators are people the victims knew or trusted. This could be a family member, friend, or romantic partner. Having a close connection with the victim means that the victim may rely on them in some way (financially or emotionally), which means the perpetrator might not have to physically restrain their victim to keep them trapped. Victims could still be present at school or work. 

This leads into the fourth misconception: victims of human trafficking will seek help in public. There’s a multitude of reasons trafficking victims cannot or will not seek help publicly, including but not limited to: having their finances controlled by their trafficker, relying on their trafficker for food or shelter, being blackmailed by their trafficker, not even being aware they are being trafficked, or, if their trafficker is someone they know, they might feel a sense of loyalty 

towards the perpetrator. 

In conclusion, human trafficking looks much different than the media might portray it to. It can happen in communities people think of as “safe” and to people that might not seem vulnerable at first glance. Knowing these misconceptions is key to gaining a deeper understanding of what human trafficking truly is, which is more important than ever.