Victims getting younger, says ALERT, as groups recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

“Social media is the number one way traffickers contact girls, and it’s usually fairly sporadic or random. Sometimes girls are brought in by friend groups or trafficked by boyfriends, but it’s mostly social media.”

Gunning doesn’t outright advise avoiding social media, but suggests parents ensure they know what apps their kids are using, know their passwords and who they’re talking to.

“For younger kids, make sure they’re using their phones or tablets near you so you can keep an eye on what’s going on,” she adds.

Gunning says while there haven’t been any local cases involving Roblox, a quick Google search reveals there is plenty of content unsuitable for children. One option is to have an account yourself to understand what’s going on in-game or in-app.

“It’s not about being a helicopter parent, by any means,” says Gunning. “It’s about being able to have very open conversations about boundaries and what kinds of questions are inappropriate.”

According to Gunning, many investigations result in finding girls who are, “very entrenched with their traffickers,” and who have some level of Stockholm syndrome.

“When we go in, they obviously struggle with an enormous amount of trauma and aren’t willing to accept help because they see us as the bad guys,” she says. “Three or four months down the road, they’ll contact me and say they’re ready to get support.”

According to the Government of Canada, 25 per cent of human trafficking victims are girls under 18, with grooming, luring and exploitation via social media being perpetrators’ main tool. A whopping 96 per cent of victims are female.

Understanding the signs is the first step to prevention, the national campaign notes.

Indicators include feeling pressured to do something you’re unwilling to do, threats of or actual physical violence, as well as intimidation, emotional abuse, manipulation, and abuse of trust or power. A victim will often be isolated from family and friends, and be living or working in unsafe conditions.

The campaign also notes that 91 per cent of victims in police-reported human trafficking incidents knew their trafficker.

“Human trafficking happens everywhere, including in Alberta, which is why we must work together to put an end to this horrible crime. Through the development of our made-in-Alberta, 10-year action plan to end gender-based violence, Alberta’s government is taking a survivor-centric approach to addressing serious gender-based issues, like human trafficking,” says Tanya Fir, Alberta Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women.

“Raising awareness about human trafficking today is an important part of breaking the cycle of violence.”

The Government of Alberta notes that this year, $3.5 million was earmarked to support 21 community-based initiatives focused on anti-human trafficking efforts.

Paul Brandt and Angela Adsit were also announced as co-chairs for the independently operated Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime which can have profound and long-lasting physical, psychological, emotional, and financial impacts on victims and survivors. [For] this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we join countries around the world in raising awareness to the signs and impacts of this crime and to continue our fight against it,” says Dominic LeBlanc, federal Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs.

“This year’s theme is a call to action to end child trafficking. Our government is determined to continue to use every tool at our disposal to prevent and combat it and empower victims and survivors to reclaim their lives.”

Gunning clarifies a common misconception about human trafficking.

“It’s important for people to know that it isn’t about people being shipped in from containers from different countries. This is happening in our backyards,” Gunning says. “Your kids are susceptible to it, so be aware.”

This week, ALERT released its 2023/24 annual report, which shares that in the last operational year (April 2023 to March 2024), there were 113 human trafficking-related victim interventions, up 303.5 per cent from the previous year.

“A notable trend our team has observed is that the victims are getting younger and younger and the mass of people buying sex is outrageously apparent in Alberta and it’s something that we’re all working together to combat,” says Insp. Angela Kemp.

For 2023/24, 34 people were charged, up from 30 the year prior, but down from 76 the year before that. Despite fewer persons charged, this past year saw 231 actual charges laid, much higher than the last three years. The same can be said for victim interventions.

The report points out human trafficking isn’t what it’s commonly made out to be, saying:

“Sex traffickers will often use ‘romeo-pimp’ tactics (love schemes) to lure vulnerable individuals, a process that can begin online. Elements of coercive control, emotional/psychological manipulation, and physical or sexual abuse are intertwined to create a trauma bond between a trafficker and their victim(s).”

ALERT also offers a section on the myths and facts of human trafficking.

If you believe that you or someone you know is being trafficked, call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010, which will anonymously connect you with with social services, law enforcement and emergency services in your community.

Urgent help is also available by calling 911 or 211 Alberta.

—

by Josh Hall @Vancan19 rdnewsNOW

Victims getting younger, says ALERT, as groups recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

Pro Tips