Each section below provides answers to common questions about human trafficking, sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

These wisdom sharing FAQs are intended to provide information and build awareness to help you learn more and get help if you or someone you know is at risk or is being trafficked.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a serious criminal offence with serious penalties. It is defined in the Criminal Code of Canada as doing things like recruiting, housing or controlling the movements of a person, and using means such as force, physical or psychological coercion, or deception, to cause someone to provide their labour or sexual services.

Is sexual exploitation the same as sex trafficking?

Sexual exploitation refer to: forcing, coercing or deceiving someone to have sex or perform sexual acts for something of value (money, food, drugs/alcohol, transportation, etc.). Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.  Sex trafficking is the most common type of human trafficking in Ontario.

Is human trafficking the same as human smuggling?

Human trafficking is sometimes confused with human smuggling. While human trafficking could involve moving someone across an international border, it may not involve moving them at all. In most reported cases of human trafficking in Ontario, the person trafficked is from Canada and is recruited within Canada.

How common is human trafficking in Ontario?

Human trafficking occurs throughout the world, including Canada. Human trafficking is a vastly under-reported crime. However, based on data provided to Statistics Canada by police services, we know that:

  • Ontario accounts for approximately two-thirds of police-reported cases in Canada. In 2018, 228 human trafficking cases were reported to police nationwide; 149 were from Ontario.
  • Most police-reported cases in Ontario involve sexual exploitation.
  • About 95 per cent of victims are women and girls, and more than 80 per cent of accused traffickers are male.
  • Over 70 per cent of victims in police-reported cases are younger than 25, and 26 per cent are under 18.

Are there risk factors that make a person more likely to be trafficked?

Traffickers identify a person’s vulnerabilities and then target those vulnerabilities to gain trust and form a bond. Since everyone has vulnerabilities, anyone can be at risk of being trafficked. However, some specific risk factors may make an individual more vulnerable:

  • Most people who are trafficked for sex are women and girls, but boys, men and people who are 2SLGBTQ+ are also targeted.
  • The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13-years-old.
  • Homeless and marginalized youth are often targeted by sex traffickers.
  • Youth who struggle with low self-esteem, bullying, discrimination, poverty, abuse, isolation and other social or family issues may be targeted.
  • Indigenous women and girls experience a heightened risk of being trafficked because of the historical and present impacts of colonization and forms of systemic discrimination.
  • Addiction, mental health issues and developmental disabilities are also risk factors.
Why are Indigenous women so vulnerable to sex trafficking?

Ontario has the majority of police-reported cases of human trafficking in Canada, and Indigenous women and girls are particularly at risk of experiencing this crime. Root causes of Indigenous human trafficking stem from colonization that disrupted healthy, stable Indigenous communities. The continued impacts of colonial violence, residential schooling and systemic forms of discrimination against Indigenous communities are still visible today. Indigenous women and youth are often targeted for sexual exploitation (also known as sex trafficking).

Colonization wove together many factors to create an environment where Indigenous human trafficking prospers. For centuries, the lives of Indigenous people have been and continue to be disrupted as their governance, cultures, lands, and economies are condemned, appropriated or outlawed. The torn fabric of family life is revealed as communities struggle with poverty and intergenerational trauma from children and youth being taken away by Indian Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop and child welfare institutions.

Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual abuse happened, and continues to happen, to children and youth who were removed from their communities. This makes them vulnerable to sex traffickers who target the homeless or people who do not have secure housing, those struggling with poverty and those with mental or physical disabilities. Sex traffickers prey on low self-esteem, feelings of abandonment and hopelessness, and a lack of resources or employment but young people who do not have any of these issues also fall prey to sex traffickers grooming tactics. The targeting of Indigenous women and girls for sex trafficking can occur online, in public places or within families.

Does sex trafficking only happen to people who use drugs or have other serious risk factors?

No. While some groups have been identified as at-risk,  it can happen to anyone. Traffickers often target very young people and may build trust during a “grooming” period before exploitation begins.

Are boys and men at risk of being trafficked?

Most people who are trafficked for sex are women and girls, but boys, men and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are also targeted.

How does a trafficker lure someone into being trafficked?

Here’s how trafficking can happen:

Luring: The sex trafficker can be a stranger, someone you know, or someone connected to you through your social network. They may suddenly be very interested in you and say nice things, pay attention to you, take you out and spend money on you.

Grooming: The sex trafficker may act like a generous boyfriend or friend, make you feel amazing and adored, get you used to a new lifestyle and spend money on things like lingerie, accessories, and new clothes. They may also try to get you to look older or sexier and push your boundaries by asking you to try out things that are risky like take nude selfies.

Isolation: The sex trafficker may try to cut you off from your friends and family and make you feel like they are the only person who cares about you. This helps them control you.

Manipulation: At some point, the sex trafficker will ask you to do sexual things to pay back the money that has been spent on you, to maintain your new lifestyle or to earn money for your future together. The sex trafficker may also tell you they owe someone money and something bad will happen to them if you don’t do what they want.

Threats: The sex trafficker may try to coerce you into sex by threatening to expose the things you’ve done in order to humiliate you. They may also threaten to hurt you or someone you care about.

Exploitation: The main goal of the sex trafficker is to exploit you by making you have sex with other people in exchange for money. This is different from sex work, where the person is over 18 and legally able to consent.

If a person isn’t kept locked up or in chains, why don’t they just leave?

Some people who are trafficked are controlled and monitored constantly and don’t have the opportunity to ask for help. Others may not realize or acknowledge what is happening to them is a crime. In some cases, they may fear their trafficker or law enforcement too much to try to leave. They may also be manipulated to believe that the trafficker is the only person who cares about them and that they are better off staying with their trafficker.

Who are the traffickers?

The sex trafficker might be a stranger, someone you know, or someone connected to you through your social network. They may suddenly be very interested in you and say nice things, pay attention to you, take you out and spend money on you.

In most cases, the person knows their trafficker. It may be someone in their family, community or someone they’re in a relationship with.

Can you agree to be sex trafficked?

No. Nobody can agree to be trafficked. Even if you did say yes at any point, that does not mean you agreed to be trafficked.

Traffickers earn your trust and pretend to care about you so they can manipulate you.

Anyone under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to have sex in exchange for money, drugs, alcohol, shelter, transportation, food, or any other object or necessity. The person manipulating and exploiting someone under 18 is committing a crime.

Are all sex workers victims of human trafficking?

If an adult chooses to engage in consensual, paid sex work on their own terms and is not controlled and exploited by another person, it is not human trafficking.

However, a person under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to have sex in exchange for money, drugs, alcohol, shelter, transportation, food, or any other object or necessity. The person manipulating and exploiting someone under 18 is committing a crime.

How do you know if someone is trying to recruit you or someone you know into sex trafficking?

The sex trafficker may act like a generous boyfriend or friend, make you feel amazing and adored, get you used to a new lifestyle and spend money on things like cell phones, hair and nail accessories, alcohol or drugs and new clothes. They may make the person feel important and cared about. They may also try to get the person to look older or sexier and push the person’s boundaries by trying out asking them to do things that are risky like take nude selfies.

Here are some signs that someone is being groomed:

  • The person is withdrawing from family and friends.
  • The person is being secretive about their activities.
  • The person has a new boyfriend, girlfriend or friend who they won’t introduce to friends and family.
  • The person is suddenly spending time with an older person or people.
  • The person is staying out more often and later.
  • The person is absent from school or is doing worse in school performance.
  • The person is wearing more sexualized clothing.
  • The person has new clothing, jewellery, etc. that they can’t afford to buy.
  • The person suddenly has a new or second cell phone with a secret number.
How can you tell if you are in a healthy or unhealthy romantic relationship?

Signs of a healthy romantic relationship include:

  • Trust
  • Respect
  • Being reliable
  • Honesty
  • Sharing
  • Independence
  • Being considerate
  • Healthy negotiating
  • Intimacy
  • Listening
  • Having fun

Signs of an unhealthy romantic relationship include:

  • Jealousy
  • Clinginess
  • Rage
  • Excessive arguing
  • Disregarding feelings
  • Blame
  • Threats
  • Persistence
  • Pity
  • Guilt
  • Keeping score
  • Physical violence
  • Sexual exploitation
How can you tell if someone might be sexually exploited / trafficked for sex?

Some signs that may indicate a person is being trafficked include:

  • The person is not allowed to speak for themselves and their activities are controlled by someone else.
  • The person is under 18 and involved in prostitution or sex work.
  • The person seems fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid. They may avoid eye contact, seem fearful around police, etc.
  • The person shows signs of abuse, such as bruising, cigarette burns, fractures, etc.
  • The person has tattooing or branding symbols, particularly names.
  • The person seems malnourished or lacks medical care.
  • The person is moved frequently and may not know their surroundings well.
  • The person has been reported missing.
  • The person is wearing more sexualized clothing.
  • The person has new clothing, jewellery, etc. that they can’t afford to buy.

Who can you talk to for help?

Many people who are being targeted, trafficked or forced to recruit others into trafficking feel like they have no way out and that their life will never be their own again. But there is hope. It is important that you know to ask for help.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can speak to adults you trust, such as an Elder, teacher, youth worker or service provider, for advice and assistance.

You can also contact these support services:

Canada’s Human Trafficking Hotline

Talk4Healing

  • 1-855-554-HEAL
  • 24/7 confidential helpline for Indigenous women available in 14 languages across Ontario.

Kids Help Phone

  • 1-800-668-6868
  • 24/7 confidential counselling service and information resource for youth.

If there is immediate danger call 911 or your local police service.

Where can you find services and supports if you have been trafficked?

Survivors of trafficking can access services from a range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous community-based organizations, many of which also work to prevent at-risk people from being trafficked.
Ontario’s Provincial Anti-Human Trafficking Coordination Office in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services funds a number of service providers across the province.

You can also find service providers across Canada through the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline online referral directory.

Are there Indigenous organizations that offer services and support?

Yes, a number of organizations provide services such as counselling, cultural programming, addictions treatment and leadership development services for Indigenous survivors.
These Indigenous-led services are funded by Ontario’s Provincial Anti-Human Trafficking Coordination Office in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Organizations and communities in Ontario can also work with Indigenous anti-human trafficking Liaisons to get help offering culturally appropriate services for survivors who identify as First Nations, Métis and Inuit.
For more information, contact the Ontario Native Women’s Association.

How can Indigenous cultural resources address sex trafficking?

It’s important to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where someone who has been trafficked can seek services and support. It may take time to build trust with someone who has been exploited. Help should be offered from a place of compassion.
Indigenous cultural practices and teachings may also address colonization’s impacts on the targeting of Indigenous women and youth for sex trafficking.

There are many activities that raise awareness about ending sex trafficking of Indigenous women and youth. Sharing circles bring together Indigenous women and youth to talk about difficult topics. When the topic is Indigenous human trafficking, many emotions and fears can arise. A sharing circle is a supportive, caring space in which cultural protocols are respected.

Indigenous leadership and members’ meetings, community and cultural gatherings, pow wows, and conferences create spaces for discussions and information sharing to take place.

Presentations, Survivor talks, public art, drum-making, beadwork, medicine pouch-making, and other art activities bring communities together.

Facilitators may look at opportunities in their communities to create safe online spaces for virtual sharing circles and ceremonies when in person gatherings are not feasible.

The Speak Out: Stop Sex Trafficking campaign includes a Discussion Guide that outlines how some of the activities mentioned above can help raise awareness about sex trafficking among Indigenous women, youth and their communities.