Title: Myths, Facts, and Statistics | Polaris
Headings: Myths, Facts, and Statistics
Myths, Facts, and Statistics
Human Trafficking Facts
Who is vulnerable?
Human Trafficking Myths
Human trafficking is always or usually a violent crime.
All human trafficking involves sex.
Traffickers target victims they don’t know.
Only undocumented foreign nationals get trafficked in the United States.
Only women and girls can be victims and survivors of sex trafficking.
Human trafficking only happens in illegal or underground industries.
Human trafficking involves moving, traveling or transporting a person across state or national borders.
If the trafficked person consented to be in their initial situation, then it cannot be human trafficking or against their will because they “knew better.”
People being trafficked are physically unable to leave their situations/locked in/held against their will.
Labor trafficking is only or primarily a problem in developing countries.
All commercial sex is human trafficking.
People in active trafficking situations always want help getting out.
Child Sex Trafficking
Human Trafficking Rumors
#SaveTheChildren Questions and Answers
Statistics

Content: Myth
Traffickers target victims they don’t know. Learn more
Reality
Many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents. Myth
Only undocumented foreign nationals get trafficked in the United States. Learn more
Reality
Polaris has worked on thousands of cases of trafficking involving foreign national survivors who are legally living and/or working in the United States. These include survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. Myth
Only women and girls can be victims and survivors of sex trafficking. Learn more
Reality
Men and boys are also victimized by sex traffickers. LGBTQ boys and young men are seen as particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Myth
Human trafficking only happens in illegal or underground industries. Learn more
Reality
Human trafficking cases have been reported and prosecuted in industries including restaurants, cleaning services, construction, factories and more.