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February is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Canada
Working Together to Stop Human Trafficking
Monique (not her real name) was 16 years old and terrified. The man who had trafficked her into the sex trade was back. He was at her house, threatening the safety of her and her family.
She had escaped this man before, and she needed their help again.
Human trafficking is a growing problem around the world. This crime can take multiple forms, but in Canada, the most common types are labour trafficking and sex trafficking. Labour trafficking means a person is forced to work, often long hours in poor conditions, for little or no money. Anyone can be targeted, but migrant workers and newcomers to Canada are most vulnerable. Precarious immigration status, language barriers, and a lack of housing all put them at higher risk of exploitation.
Sex trafficking involves using threats, violence, or manipulation to coerce individuals into providing sexual services. More than 90% of victims are women and girls, but the issue crosses gender, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries. According to the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, sex trafficking makes up more than 70% of cases reported to their hotline. Its prevalence is on the rise, surpassing gun and drug trafficking for the first time in history.
While often confused with human smuggling, trafficking is not about moving victims across borders—63% of victims trafficked in Ontario are Canadian citizens. Trafficking victims may be moved around from one jurisdiction to another, but often they are recruited and forced to work in their own city.
Human trafficking is happening in communities right across the country, but the majority of sex trafficking cases in Canada originate in the Greater Toronto Area. Peel Region, located just west of Toronto, is on the front lines of the crisis. Its proximity to the airport and major highways makes it a popular base for traffickers, who can easily move their victims between hotel rooms from one city to the next.
Government, police, and community organizations in Peel have formed an innovative partnership to tackle this growing problem head-on. More than 40 partner organizations, including child welfare agencies, law enforcement, school boards, and social service providers, have joined forces to fight human trafficking in Peel. These groups work collaboratively to provide education, prevention, intervention, and survivor-centered support.
Trafficking Children
The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking in Canada is just 13 years old. About one in four victims are under the age of 18. That means Ontario’s child welfare system can play an important role as part of the solution.
“We are increasingly hearing from parents who are desperate to protect their children,” said Mary Beth Moellenkamp, CEO of Peel CAS. “Parents are seeking guidance, education, and action to shield and protect their kids from predators who are often luring and grooming victims on social media. Traffickers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to find vulnerable children and youth and exploit them.”
Recent amendments to Ontario’s Child, Youth, and Family Services Act expand the responsibilities of community members and professionals to report suspicions of human trafficking to child welfare agencies. The legislation also provides tools to intervene if it is suspected that a child or youth is at imminent risk of being trafficked.
This legislation enabled Monique’s child protection worker to intervene immediately to protect her. Since the trafficker was looking for Monique at her home, the worker arranged accommodation for her at a safe house provided by one of Peel CAS’s partner agencies.
Monique accepted a temporary Voluntary Youth Services Agreement so that she could live independently with financial assistance from Peel CAS while her worker connected her with other partner agencies for community resources and support. With this help in place, Monique was ultimately able to return home with a plan for the ongoing safety of herself and her family.
While Peel CAS is playing an important role in the fight against human trafficking in that region, child welfare, law enforcement, and community agencies cannot fight this battle alone. Human trafficking is a heinous crime with a devastating impact on victims and survivors. Yet, it is often invisible and unreported, with many victims not recognizing that they are being exploited or too ashamed to speak up. It is a crime that thrives in darkness, so to fight it, we must shine a light on it.
“Our children and youth are being bought and sold, often in plain sight, and it is our responsibility as a society to fight back,” said Moellenkamp. “Peel’s Anti-Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee coordinates public awareness campaigns, training for frontline workers, and integrated service delivery to ensure victims receive the care they need without unnecessary barriers. Public awareness and education are critically important because everyone has a role to play in ending human trafficking.”
Mary Beth Moellenkamp, CEO of Peel Children’s Aid Society, at Peel CAS’ Trailblazers Youth Centre in Mississauga, Ontario
Recognize the Signs
Individuals can be a part of the solution by learning how to spot the signs of suspected trafficking and reporting it to authorities, supporting anti-trafficking initiatives, or volunteering with organizations that support survivors. Education is key, whether that is teaching parents and caregivers how to recognize the warning signs or teaching children and youth about online safety, healthy relationships, and boundaries.
There are many warning signs that someone might be involved in human trafficking. Note that just one or two of these signs may not necessarily mean trafficking is taking place, but multiple clues should be a cause for concern. Warning signs include:
- Being driven to and from locations and escorted at all times
- Being controlled and watched by others, having someone speak for them in public
- Unknown whereabouts for extended periods of time
- Changes in their routine
- New friends or partners you have never met
- Extreme age difference between the child and a boyfriend/girlfriend
- Receiving expensive gifts
- Change in their clothing, appearance, attitude, and personality
- Withdrawn behaviour
- May have more than one cellphone in their possession
- Change in weight
- Involved in drug use
- New tattoos (a form of branding)
- Fake IDs
- Presents with secrecy or unable to answer questions about current whereabouts
- Inconsistent details when telling their story
- Providing scripted or rehearsed answers to casual questions
- May be in possession of excess cash outside their financial means and have hotel keys
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Parents and caregivers should pay attention to the people their child is spending time with and where they are going. Meet their friends and their parents/caregivers and get to know them.
Be aware of what your child is doing online:
- Talk to your children about online safety and keep the lines of communication open about what they are doing online
- Traffickers groom children and youth through social media (i.e., Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok) and gaming platforms. Have access to your child’s accounts. Create the account together and be aware of their username and password
- If your child does have a social media account, ensure that the account is private and that they are only accepting “friend requests” from people they know
Traffickers will sometimes use older girls in high school to recruit other females by befriending them and then turning them over to a trafficker. Parents should engage in open discussions around this issue for children of all genders.
The Trafficker’s Playbook
Traffickers are masters of manipulation and control. Knowing how they operate can help you protect yourself or your children.
Traffickers target those who are vulnerable to exploitation. Individuals from marginalized communities are at higher risk. Indigenous and Black women and girls are disproportionately affected, along with recent immigrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Those who are experiencing poverty or homelessness are vulnerable, as traffickers can use money or housing to control them. Individuals with disabilities or those dealing with addiction or mental health challenges may be particularly at risk.
Prevention and Support for Survivors
Knowing how traffickers work and recognizing the signs that a person may be at risk can help us intervene early to prevent young people from being victimized.
February is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Canada. Let’s take this time to educate ourselves and our communities with a unifying goal of protecting the most vulnerable among us.
If you think you or someone you know may be involved in human trafficking, contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
