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FAST FACTS

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR PERSONAL STORIES OF FREEDOM FROM SEX TRAFFICKING

1 IN 4 VICTIMS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IN CANADA

Child sex traffickers operate by building trust with victims and manipulating them into sexual exploitation. Anyone involved in selling sexual services under the age of 18 is a victim of sex trafficking under US & Canadian law

1 in 4 victims are under the age of 18 in Canada

Over 52% of reported cases lead to zero arrests in Canada

OVER 52% OF REPORTED CASES LEAD TO ZERO ARRESTS IN CANADA

Many victims are trafficked by an intimate partner, it is possible that victims did not want to identify the accused due to their shared bond or their reliance on the accused to have their basic needs met. Other reasons include fear for their safety, fear of prosecution, shame, etc.

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81% of traffickers are men in Canada

Though 81% of people convicted of trafficking are men, women are also known to either lead or aid in trafficking efforts.

A 17-year-old girl was convicted of human trafficking in Oshawa, ON.

81% OF TRAFFICKERS ARE MEN IN CANADA

Trafficking cases take almost 2X as long to complete than violent adult crime court cases

Between 2009/2010 and 2019/2020, completed adult criminal court cases that included at least one charge of human trafficking had an average of 17 charges (human trafficking or otherwise) per case. By comparison, over the same period, cases involving at least one violent offense averaged four charges per case overall.

TRAFFICKING CASES TAKE ALMOST 2X AS LONG TO COMPLETE THAN VIOLENT ADULT CRIME COURT CASES

40% of trafficking cases start online

Traffickers are creative in the way they recruit. They use tactics through online messaging, posts, advertisements, fake profiles, online games, and more.
“For over a decade, online advertising has been the main tactic used by traffickers to solicit buyers for commercial sex. In 2020, over 80% of the [Justice Department’s] sex trafficking prosecutions involved online advertising.”

40% OF TRAFFICKING CASES START ONLINE

The avg. age of trafficked victims in Canada is 17

THE AVERAGE AGE OF TRAFFICKED VICTIMS IN CANADA IS 17

More than one in five (21%) victims were girls below the age of 18, and 43% of victims were young women aged 18 to 24. Just over one-fifth (22%) of victims were women aged 25 to 34.

41% of accused traffickers are aged 18 to 24 and 36% are between the ages of 25 to 34

41% OF ACCUSED TRAFFICKERS ARE AGED 18 TO 24 AND 36% ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 TO 34

Traffickers are rarely the "creepy old men" that people are so often warned about as children. Rather, they are younger and seemingly more personable. This is partially why so many fall into the trap, because the traffickers spend time building genuine relationships with their victims before exploiting them.

50 million people are enslaved in the world today

50 MILLION PEOPLE ARE ENSLAVED IN THE WORLD TODAY

This number represents all individuals who are enslaved in human trafficking. There are various forms of slavery under the umbrella term of human trafficking, including:

Sex trafficking, forced labour, forced organ removal, servitude, and more.

The most vulnerable are women/girls, LGBTQ+ youth, homeless youth, & marginalized youth

THE MOST VULNERABLE ARE WOMEN/ GIRLS, LGBTQ+ YOUTH, HOMELESS YOUTH, AND MARGINALIZED YOUTH

These groups face higher risk because they are more likely to experience forms of discrimination in society. Traffickers build relationships with their victims by providing them with something they need. This could be confidence, companionship, food/ shelter, gifts, and more. If these needs are not addressed in a healthy and secure environment first, individuals may seek them elsewhere.

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