What is

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

and Trafficking? 

The two most common types of human trafficking are sex trafficking and forced labor.

A smartphone displaying a text conversation about a woman asking her partner for a sexy picture to show off his girlfriend to his friends, but discussing how exploitation can begin.

  • The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person of any age for the purpose of a commercial sex act. This is induced by force, fraud, or coercion/manipulation.

    For individuals under the age of 18, force, fraud, or coercion does not need to be proven to be considered sex trafficking, although those elements are often present. Sex trafficking does not just happen to young women, it happens to all genders.

  • Exploitation can look different depending on the situation, but some scenarios commonly seen are:

    • Being pressured into trading sex for a couch to sleep on or for rent/a meal/clothing/any necessities of life.

    • Someone taking photos without consent to advertise availability for sex online.

    • An intimate partner pressuring someone to have sex with their friends in exchange for money.

    • Someone forcing another to have sex in exchange for profit by threatening someone they love with physical harm.

    • Being under the age of 18 involved in any sex act or production of any sexualized images, for profit.

  • Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain factors can make some people more vulnerable than others.

    Some key risk factors can include unstable living conditions, substance use, mental health concerns, involvement with the child welfare or juvenile justice system, running away, and exposure to other forms of violence- such as domestic or sexual violence.

    Traffickers often exploit these vulnerabilities to establish control over their victims.

Human Trafficking

Colorful path with route markers, including red question mark signs, purple and blue exclamation mark signs, and a circular emblem with a heart and directional arrows, indicating a journey or process with various steps.

MYTH

Myth: Traffickers target victims they don’t know.

Myth: Human trafficking usually involves kidnapping, physical force, or being physically unable to leave their situation.

Myth: Human trafficking entails the transportation or movement of individuals across state or national borders.

Myth: Traffickers primarily target young children.

Myth: People in active trafficking situations would leave immediately if they had the opportunity.

FACT

Reality: Most survivors are victimized by individuals they have close relationships with, such as intimate partners, spouses, family members, or employers.

Reality: Statistics show that only about 5% of cases nationally involve kidnapping. Most traffickers use psychological means such as deception, coercion, or intimidation to manipulate victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.

Reality: Human trafficking can occur without any physical movement. Survivors can be recruited and trafficked within their own communities, including their hometowns or even their own homes.

Reality: Although the average age of entry into the commercial sex industry nationwide is 13 years old, the majority of survivors who engage in survivor related services fall within the age range of 13-25. Teenagers with pre-existing vulnerabilities are particularly susceptible to this risk.

Reality: Every trafficking situation is unique and self-identification as a trafficking victim or survivor happens along a continuum. Fear, isolation, guilt, shame, loyalty and manipulation are among the many factors that may keep a person from seeking help or attempting to leave, even if they are being actively trafficked.

How are Survivors

Impacted?

The issues that survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation face can seem titanic.

The dynamics between traffickers and survivors are extremely complex. Survivors may feel they were enticed into an exploitive situation with false promises of love, money, family, or independence. Many survivors struggle to find viable ways out of “the life" due to the stigmatization linked to the sex industry, or limited financial opportunities. Many times we see traffickers use a survivor’s community or even their children as a means of coercion. The trauma of violence, and often repeated violence, can make it feel like living a “normal” life will always be out of reach.

The complex needs of survivors requires a collaborative effort to address, and must be based on respect of the individual survivors needs. Not every trafficking situation looks the same, and empowering survivors to make choices for themselves, be an active participant in their own safety planning, and recognizing their resilience are some of the ways we can all support them.

Diagram depicting various forms of sex trafficking, including coercion, intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, denial and blaming, sexual abuse, physical abuse, using privilege, economic abuse, and grooming. The diagram emphasizes the power and control tactics used in trafficking.

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