The majority of sex trafficking victims in our country are young Canadian girls who are being recruited as young as 13 years old.1 Young boys are being trafficked too.
New immigrants, LGBTQ2S+ youth and Indigenous young women are over-represented among sex trafficking victims.2 But sex trafficking can happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, income, orientation, culture or neighbourhood.3
Over the past two years, we have met more and more young women who come from "normalized" families, intact families, where the girls are still engaged in their lives, their families and they are in school. 4
At Covenant House, the majority of young people who seek our services are women. From our experience, we know there is no such thing as a "typical" victim. However, there are certain factors in the lives of young people that can put them at greater risk, including:
The common denominator is often some type of vulnerability or unmet need. Learn more about what makes someone vulnerable to being trafficked.
You have to look at who are these traffickers targeting in the first place. It is young girls and young boys who are lacking something in their life. 5
Read what survivors told us were factors that made them more vulnerable to being lured into sex trafficking and also made it more difficult to leave once they were trafficked.
Signs of luring and trafficking can be difficult to spot and can often be overlooked. Learn what to look for with your children, in your workplace and in your community.
Exiting sex trafficking can be a long and difficult process for victims. Learn more about the many barriers survivors face when trying to escape or exit sex trafficking.