Human Trafficking

It is not uncommon for people to believe that slavery has been abolished. Most people understand how repugnant it is to “own” another human being.

But “slavery” is persistent, and it is alive and well in Canada and beyond, devastating lives and families. It is now referred to more commonly as “human trafficking” in some circles, “the Game” to traffickers, their victims and those who create the demand for coercive sex work.

Human trafficking includes the exploitation of physical labour and coercive sex work. This note concerns coercive sex work only.

Initial contact between a vulnerable youth and a trafficker may not appear to be exploitative unless an observer is aware of how “the Game” works. Indigenous children and youth are often vulnerable to traffickers because of the social and economic realities of life for many Indigenous families. Youth in these families who experience poverty, abuse, and addiction, who feel unloved, uncared for, distant from peers, or who lack approval from appropriate older role models are especially vulnerable to the manipulations of traffickers.

Traffickers see these vulnerabilities and are masters of manipulation. They provide youth with “love” and attention, gifts, approval, and validation of the youth’s “maturity” and ability to make decisions for themselves. “Free” drugs, food and housing are commonplace. Youth whose brains are not fully developed come to see the trafficker as the only one who “gets” them, the only one who agrees that they are too old for parent/caregiver’s rules, who approves of them, and who lets them “choose” if they want to drink or do drugs.

As the trafficker draws a youth into the manipulation, simple “requests” are made – perhaps a photo for fast food. Demands become more difficult. “Rewards” become smaller and less common. Physical abuse is common to ensure compliance. While at the beginning, a youth may have been instructed to send a photo of their face for some food, eventually, they will find themselves being prostituted with little or no “reward” for complying.

All of this is a calculated scheme to destroy a youth’s self-worth and create compliant victims in “the Game.” Escape is difficult but not impossible.

NICAFV can provide individuals, communities, and agencies with additional information about safeguarding children and youth from being drawn into the Game and about supporting survivors' escape from it.