Media channels that depict human trafficking often perpetuate common misconceptions on the topic and can hurt the anti-trafficking movement overall. Read on to find out what these misconceptions are and why they aren’t accurate.
Many people’s first knowledge of trafficking comes from media sources such as social media channels, fictional television shows, or movies. However, these sources often dramatize and glamorize human trafficking, instead of depicting a true story of how trafficking most often occurs. Sound of Freedom (2023) and Taken (2008) are some of the more recent and popular movies that have a plot related to human trafficking. Nevertheless, they depict many of the very common misconceptions that trafficking only occurs abroad and that traffickers only target survivors that they do not know. In reality, trafficking can and does happen in the United States and traffickers are often people who the survivor knows and trusts.
Human Trafficking Occurs in the United States
Common depictions of trafficking focus on the issue solely in foreign countries, perpetuating the myth that human trafficking does not occur in the United States. Human trafficking can happen to anyone, anywhere—including the United States. Since the National Human Trafficking Hotline’s inception in 2007, hotline signals have led to identification of 82,301 cases of human trafficking in the United States. Many survivors of human trafficking can be identified in other ways as well, including by social service or law enforcement agencies.
Traffickers Often Target People They Know
Survivors typically know and trust the people that eventually become their trafficker. Traffickers can be intimate partners, employers, perceived friends, or even family members.
Familial trafficking occurs much more often than one may think. According to the U.S. Department of State, almost half of identified child trafficking cases begin with family involvement. The Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC) states that out of these cases, 68% were situations of forced labor, and 36% involved sexual exploitation. The CTDC also reports that the main tactics used in these situations are psychological abuse (51%), physical abuse (33%), and sexual abuse (19%).
Familial trafficking also affects adults. In a recent Polaris survey of over 400 trafficking survivor s, 37% reported having experienced familial sex trafficking.
If you suspect you may be a victim of human trafficking or want to learn more information, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.
This blog post was produced by the International Institute of St. Louis under grant number 90ZV0144-01-00 awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this blog post are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the office position or policies of the US Department of Health and Human Services.