Sex Trafficking of Males

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Although human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation can affect anyone regardless of their gender identity, narratives around this crime too often fail to account for this reality. The existing research and education on sex trafficking disproportionately and at times exclusively, focuses on the experiences of females, leaving male victims and survivors out of the conversation. Moreover, when men and boys are included, the conversation usually centres around preventing them from becoming perpetrators of violence and human trafficking. While this is an important conversation to explore, if the only narrative is that of males as perpetrators, we risk amplifying barriers to identifying and supporting male victims and survivors.

*This post focusses primarily on the experiences of cisgender males and cisgender females. We recognize that transgender and gender non-binary individuals are also trafficked for sexual exploitation, however their experiences differ and they often have their own unique barriers to disclosing exploitation and seeking help, which will be discussed further in future blog posts.

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Unfortunately, the number of male victims trafficked for sexual exploitation in Canada is under-researched and oftentimes debated. Yet, by looking at statistics around sexual assault and sexual abuse, one can have access to data around sexualized violence perpetrated against males. For instance, the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Centres writes, ‘most research suggests that 10 to 20% of all males will experience some form of sexual abuse or sexual assault at some point in their lives’, while the Ontario government echoes this statement by saying the number is ‘approximately one in six’, and while other studies suggest this number could be even higher. Although sexual abuse and sexual assault are only one aspect of sex trafficking, and the issues should not be conflated, these numbers should also not be dismissed.

Despite the lack of reliable sex trafficking specific data for males in Canada, the majority of research, organizations, and advocacy groups agree on the fact that sexual violence [including sex trafficking] perpetrated against males is vastly under-reported. This idea is reinforced by a 2008 report on commercial sexual exploitation of children [CSEC] in the United States, which interviewed 249 youth involved in the commercial sex industry prior to the age 18. Given that 45% of interviewees were male, the author authors drew the conclusion that, ‘although it is likely that most CSEC youth are female, the evidence obtained in this study suggests that there is a significant male population as well, especially in the borough of Manhattan’[1]. Based on the findings of that study, one could suggest that these could also be applicable in Canada.

Looking at the available research also provides interesting insights into the psychological challenges faced by male victims and survivors. For instance, despite facing significant trauma as a result of sexual exploitation, research indicates that males will often wait far longer than females to disclose sexual violence and to seek help. This difference can be explained by the unique barriers specific to men and boys wishing to disclose sexual exploitation and trafficking, or to even be identified as a victim of trafficking, including,

  • A lack of education and awareness that males can be victims of this crime: Training curriculums on human trafficking are often taught using only female victim narratives. As a result, community members, caregivers, and helping professionals are less likely to recognize the signs of human trafficking and exploitation when interacting with a male survivor. They are also less likely to ask questions pertaining to the sexual violence. Additionally, if the conversations around sexual violence only present a female victim narrative, it is worth questioning whether a male would be able to see their experience in that, and feel permission to say, ‘wait, that’s what’s happening [or happened] to me’?
  • Perceptions of Masculinity: Young men are often exposed to traditional notions of what it means to be a man. However, these narratives are often narrow and largely focus on creating and maintaining power, which leaves little to no room for disclosure of sexual exploitation or help-seeking behaviours. Additionally, narratives of masculinity may include homophobic, stereotypical and/or negative messaging about same sex relationships. If a male has been exploited by other men, as is often the case, there may be increased shame, fear and confusion that prevents them from speaking out.
  • A lack of other options: Similar to females, males may also make a difficult choice to remain in an exploitative situation or participate in sex work to meet their basic needs.
  • Limited services equipped to meet needs of male victims and survivors: If a male does decide to disclose sexual exploitation, they are often met with limited services equipped to meet their needs. Although progress still needs to be made in this area, there are currently a small handful of service providers with programming specifically focussed on working with males who have experienced sexual exploitation. Examples of these services include the Men’s Resource Centre of Manitoba, Men’s Trauma Centre in BC, SHASE in Sherbrooke Quebec, and The Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse program in Ontario. Unfortunately, these services often have extensive waitlists and are localized to a specific community or jurisdiction. Additionally, some services have funding for a fixed number of counselling sessions that are not conducive to the realities of addressing trauma in the long term.

It is possible to work to deconstruct these systemic barriers to find ways to assist potential male victims/survivors. Here are some things that community members, loved ones, and service providers can be doing to ensure that the support which is needed, is available:

  • Advocate for funding to provide services that are equipped to meet the unique needs of male victims and survivors without detracting from, or minimizing the need for, violence against women services.
  • Diversify and challenge the narrative of sex trafficking to include men and boys.
  • Offer a safe place where males can share their stories of violence or abuse, in their own time, and where they can be believed and accepted.
  • Advocate for safe housing. Across all genders, a lack of access to safe housing increases the risk of a youth being trafficked for sexual exploitation.
  • Consistently engage your own actions and beliefs, challenging any notion of bias that may be in place which could cause you to respond harmfully or overlook signs of sexual violence and/or human trafficking of males.

[1]  When reading statistics from the United States, it is important to note that if an individual is under the age of 18 and participating in the commercial sex industry regardless of whether it is by choice, circumstance, or coercion, it is trafficking. No third party is required.

 

Additional Resources

 

References:

Cook. J., & Ellis, A. (2020). The Other #MeToo: Male Sexual Abuse Survivors. Psychiatric Times.