When people think of human trafficking, they often picture dramatic movie plots, kidnappings, and physical chains. But real-life trafficking and sexual exploitation in Canada is far more insidious. Traffickers operate in plain sight through a calculated process of manipulation.
Karly Church understands the complexities and trauma caused by trafficking first hand. As a survivor of sex trafficking in Canada, Karly now works with the Durham Regional Police in Ontario as a Human Trafficking Crisis Intervention Counselor to support individuals who are currently being exploited. Karly’s role is to create a bridge of trust between law enforcement and a victim, with the goal of ultimately helping victims exit their trafficking situation.
With courage, conviction and a desire to be a catalyst for change, Karly bravely shares her story to help spread awareness about the realities of human trafficking. She firmly believes that in the fight to end trafficking in Canada, education is power—it is incredibly difficult to traffic someone who is empowered to see the signs and knows what to do.
Here are some common myths and misconceptions associated with human trafficking, shared by Karly:
Myth: Drug use leads to trafficking.
Truth: Substance use often comes after trafficking begins.
Drugs are often introduced by traffickers first as fun, then as a means of control, and eventually as a coping mechanism for the victim. It’s not the cause of exploitation; it’s a tool used to deepen it and create dependence.
Myth: Victims are typically adult women on the streets.
Truth: Many are vulnerable youth.
The average age for a trafficking victim in Canada is just 13 years old. Victims are often vulnerable youth who have fallen through social gaps or are navigating trauma, instability, or abuse at home.
Myth: Human trafficking usually involves kidnapping.
Truth: Most traffickers are people the victim knows.
Traffickers are often boyfriends, friends, older acquaintances, or people in positions of trust. Grooming builds a bond that makes the abuse harder to recognize, and harder to leave.
Myth: Victims are physically locked up or held against their will.
Truth: Psychological chains are often more powerful than physical ones.
Victims may appear “free,” but they’re trapped by fear, emotional manipulation, or trauma. Many don’t even see themselves as victims—they believe they are in a relationship with their trafficker or doing what they must in order to survive.
Myth: If someone is being trafficked, they’ll ask for help.
Truth: Most won’t ask for help, for a number of reasons.
Victims are often either unaware they are being trafficked, too ashamed to come forward, or too afraid of the consequences of seeking help as a result of the manipulation they experience at the hands of their traffickers. They are often mistrusting of law enforcement, and isolated from friends and family who they otherwise might reach out to for help.
Myth: You don’t know your trafficker.
Truth: In most cases, they’re familiar and trusted.
The emotional connection victims often have to their trafficker is what makes trafficking so effective, and so devastating. Victims may protect their trafficker out of loyalty, love, or fear of punishment.
Myth: Trafficking always involves physical abuse.
Truth: Not always. Emotional abuse and manipulation are just as destructive.
Threats, guilt, isolation, and gaslighting are tactics used by traffickers to control victims. The psychological impact is often more effective at keeping a victim in a trafficking situation than physical violence.
Myth: Sex work and human trafficking are the same.
Truth: They are different, but there is a spectrum.
Sex work is on one end of the spectrum, involving choice, the ability to consent and set boundaries, and the freedom to leave. On the other end of the spectrum is human trafficking, where someone profits from another person’s body without their consent, often through coercion, manipulation, or force. It is important to remember consent can never be made under pressure.
Everyone can play a role in helping to end human trafficking. Join thousands of Canadians who have taken #NotInMyCity’s e-learning course. The course covers vital information about trafficking and sexual exploitation in Canada, giving learners the opportunity to spot the signs of trafficking, and an understanding of resources available to support those in need.
