When survivors of sex trafficking come through the doors of Covenant House, they are taking a big step towards freedom and hope for the future.
At a young age, they have been controlled, exploited and betrayed at great expense to their health and wellbeing.
Covenant House staff, who have been working with survivors of sex trafficking in many ways for over forty years, have noticed the youth affected by this crime are getting younger and younger.
Most of the young people they have supported over the past year were lured into trafficking online – through social media sites or on dating apps.
Covenant House also works with youth and their families in the early stages of trafficking, to help prevent it from progressing, and to help them heal from the experience.
“Many parents I work with are concerned how quickly a trafficker has lured their child, how fast this can happen, and they feel overwhelmed by a constantly evolving digital world,” says Audrey, a family counsellor on our anti-trafficking team.
Awareness, education, and dialogue are essential to protect young people from sex trafficking and online sexual exploitation. This is why we also provide free anti-sex trafficking education programs to students across the Greater Toronto Area and resources for parents and caregivers.
This year, over 15,000 students learned how to protect themselves through these sessions.
“Students tell us they learn valuable information and safety tips to help protect themselves and each other,” says Suzie Tarlattini, who supervises our Awareness and Prevention Program.
“Encouraging conversations on these issues can have a life-changing impact on young people’s lives.”