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With the recent excitement around the issue of sex trafficking, it’s important to remember that misinformation actually harms victims. Supporting victims starts with getting the facts right, so here’s a list of common trafficking MYTHS vs FACTS: a thread.
#ChildTraffickingFacts
#ChildTraffickingFacts
MYTH: Sex trafficking usually involves kidnapping, violent assault, or physical force.
FACT: Most often, victims are psychologically manipulated by traffickers, which manipulation can be stronger than physical force. Many victims are trafficked by family members, partners, or other trusted adults, and many are first contacted and/or groomed by traffickers online.
MYTH: Sex trafficking happens mostly in developing countries, or involves people being trafficked across the border.
FACT: Sex trafficking can happen in any community, occurs in all 50 states, and a shocking number of sex trafficking victims in the United States are citizens of the U.S.
MYTH: Face masks hurt trafficking victims, as they make it more difficult to identify victims.
FACT: Anti-trafficking experts agree that there's actually no evidence to suggest that mask-wearing harms victims or makes them more difficult to identify. Even without masks, many are unable to identify victims because they aren't familiar with the faces of missing kids. (Cont'd
Victims may not appear to be in distress, so try familiarizing yourself with @MissingKids so you can identify them if you see them. Taking precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 helps victims, so luckily caring about trafficking and public health are not mutually exclusive.
MYTH: Millions of kids go missing in the US every year, and most of them are kidnapped for the purpose of sex trafficking.
FACT: In 2019, approximately 421,000 kids were reported missing, consistent with the previous year’s numbers. According to @MissingKids, 91% of the cases of missing children in which they were involved were runaways (most return home), while less than 1% were stranger abductions.
MYTH: Most people who buy trafficked kids are part of the powerful and wealthy.
FACT: Most buyers are otherwise ordinary people. While the vast majority of perpetrators are male, there is no other distinguishing factor that is overwhelmingly common among sex buyers. They could be your neighbors, teachers, or coaches.
For the sake of victims, let’s listen to their voices and get their stories right. We owe it to them. #ChildTraffickingFacts
(Sources linked below) https://fightthenewdrug.org/myths-youve-heard-about-child-sex-trafficking/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=blog
(Sources linked below) https://fightthenewdrug.org/myths-youve-heard-about-child-sex-trafficking/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=blog
