Question 1

1.  MYTH: Trafficking only happens to women and girls.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Men and boys account for around 25% of people trafficked globally. Studies estimate that 50% of sex-trafficked youth are boys.¹

Question 2

2.  MYTH: Traffickers are usually strangers.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: In cases of sex trafficking, 44% of victims were trafficked by a family member and 39% by an intimate partner. ²

Question 3

3.  MYTH: Trafficking doesn’t happen where I live.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: In the U.S., there are 30,000+ cases of human trafficking each year. Trafficking happens in every state and territory.³

Question 4

4. MYTH: Trafficking only happens to children.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Trafficking happens to men, women, and children. Children made up only 69% of people in newly charged sex trafficking cases.²

Question 5

5. MYTH: Trafficking always involves moving people to new places.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: People can be sex trafficked in their community or their homes. Traffickers can be family members, romantic partners, or employers.

Question 6

6. MYTH: Victims always ask for help.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Many trafficked people have been groomed to think trafficking is normal. Others are ashamed or afraid to ask for help.

Question 7

7. MYTH: Trafficking always involves violence/force.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Trafficked adults are often vulnerable because of poverty, substance abuse, or homelessness.

Question 8

8. MYTH: All traffickers are men.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: 25% of U.S. child sex traffickers are women.⁴  In many other countries, women trafficking women is most often.

Question 9

9. MYTH: Trafficking only happens in poor communities.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Sex trafficking is everywhere. In affluent communities, trafficking can happen in places like massage parlors, bars, and motels.

Question 10

10. MYTH: Victims of human trafficking are physically held captive and unable to physically leave.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Traffickers use emotional manipulation, threats, or economic dependency, making it hard to leave. Additionally, with no money, documentation, or a place to go, many trafficked people have no other options.

Question 11

11. MYTH: Human trafficking is not a human rights issue.

Accepted Answer

REALITY: Sex trafficking infringes on fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom from slavery/servitude, the right to bodily autonomy, and the right to health and safety.

The Myths

Separating fact from fiction.