Sex Trafficking - An Industry Affecting Your Teen Girls

I spent time in SE Asia last summer, working with organizations that combat sex trafficking. It was an intense experience where I saw both the best and worst parts of humanity. I played volleyball with girls recently rescued from brothels, watched men flirt with children in the bars of Bangkok and was offered sex for a ‘good price’ while walking down the street. As I witnessed the horrors of sex trafficking and the courage of those trying to stop it, I was taken on a rollercoaster of disgust, sadness, inspiration and hope.

Needless to say it was a relief to leave behind the bright lights of the sex bars and the bustling brothels of SE Asia for clean and quiet Canada. Flying back I expected to come home to see Canada how I left it- spacious, friendly and free of traffickers. However, SE Asia had trained my eyes to identify sexual exploitation, so upon return to Canada I started seeing it here too. 

The clean and quiet subtlety of sex trafficking in Canada can be quite deceiving but when you know the signs of the industry it is as blatant in Canada as the lights of Bangkok’s brothels.

So how can you train your eyes to identify the sex trafficking industry that your teens could be caught up in?

1.     Look for the Demand – An industry exists when there is a demand. As unsavory as it is, this industry exists because there are people who pay money to sexually exploit children. It is the one of the most lucrative criminal industries in the world, and with today’s advancement in travel and technology every small town and every large city is affected.

2.     Identify Vulnerability – Are there teens vulnerable to being trafficked in your community? Although every teen is vulnerable there are some factors that increase teens risks including: being female, aboriginal, a new immigrant, having a history of abuse, living in poverty or having addiction issues.

3.     Tip of the Iceberg Indicators – Like most sexual crimes, sex trafficking often goes unreported. Despite this, it is still valuable to look for reports of such instances, remembering the number of reported cases represent a small fraction of actual cases. Ask the questions:

Is there recognition that sex trafficking is going on among my teens' demographics? Are there statistics acknowledging the problem? Are there reported cases? These would be indicators representing the tip of the iceberg.

Being able to acknowledge sex trafficking in Canada is the beginning to being able to stop this horrific crime. My next post will help you to identify if a teen you know is being sexually exploited.

JANE GALBREATH

Jane is a theology graduate and social work student, living in Saskatchewan. She spends her summers leading international youth mission teams. She has is passionate about empowering young women to serve God particularly young women struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Jane has been a victim of sexual violence so she knows the heartache, shame, strength and courage it takes to face being a victim. Jane is a blogger and advocate for other females who have been victims of sexual violence because she knows that it is possible to not only survive but to come out the other side strong. After many years of healing Jane comes to you from that place! For more information and to visit Jane’s blog click here for  Hope For Her