Hidden Abuse - Hidden Crime. The Domestic Trafficking of Children in Canada: The Relationship to Sexual Exploitation, Running Away, and Children at Risk of Harm

By Dr. Marlene Dalley, PHD

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE FINAL REPORT

In 2008, National Missing Children Services, RCMP, conducted an exploratory research study to determine if the domestic trafficking of Canadian children exists in Canada and if so, to identify the characteristics, trends, and challenges. This is the first Pan-Canadian study to examine child trafficking as it may be occurring within our provinces, cities, and surrounding areas.

Similarly to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this study defines a child as anyone under 18 years of age. Since many persons do not perceive a teenager as a child, the term child/youth is used throughout the study. This study also examined whether there are linkages between child trafficking and runaway children, homelessness, drug addiction, the sex trade, and other at risk factors and situations. Also, attempts were made to identify other groups of children possibly at risk of being trafficked.

Since information on the domestic trafficking of Canadian children is sparse, the study sought to explore characteristics and trends related to child trafficking. Further nationally-focused studies are required to strengthen some findings and observations contained within the study.

The first part of this study is an analysis of primary and secondary literature as related directly and indirectly to the issue of human trafficking. A separate literature review on runaway children provides additional facts useful in the discussion on runaway children/youth.

The second part of this study provides an analysis of interviews conducted over a two-year period with law enforcement agencies and front-line service providers across Canada. In total, 175 interviews were conducted with police and service agencies in Vancouver, Prince George, Kamloops/Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Prince Albert, Fort McMurray, Regina, Winnipeg, Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ottawa, Montreal, Fredericton/Marysville, Moncton, St. John, Halifax, Gander, and St. John‘s.

An analysis of the interviews and reports highlighted the following findings:

Several groups of children were found to be at particular risk of sexual exploitation, increasing their vulnerability for sex trade involvement and trafficking for sexual exploitation. They are as follows: runaway children; throwaway (unwanted) children; youth living independently when they reach 16 years of age; and children using Internet communications to solicit sex trade clients. It was observed that these groups of children lacked supervision, which placed them in situations of risk while underage and developmentally unprepared to deal with the dangers associated with the sex trade, like drug addiction and manipulation and control by others. In some cities and towns, black and Aboriginal children/youth within some of these groups were particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and possibly being trafficked.

Some parents did not report their runaway child to authorities as missing for fear of losing their child welfare benefit, apprehension of and charges against their child by authorities, and possible exposure as abusers and exploiters, if investigated by authorities. However, by not reporting their missing child to authorities, the child/youth are without any police protection and may be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

The reasons why children end up in sexually exploitative situations were varied. In some cases, children became involved in the sex trade for survival or to support an addiction. Other children became involved because a boyfriend, friend, or family member encouraged them to do so, while in other cases force was used to compel their participation. Also, underage girls were often groomed to enter into high-end sex trade when they reached 18 years of age, which is operated indoors, highly organized, expensive, and exclusive.

To fully understand sexual exploitation, the following categorizations of sex trade involvement were developed from the findings. They are as follows: survival and needs-driven; boyfriend-girlfriend relationship-driven (mutual or controlled dependency situations); high-end sex trade involvement; gang-driven; family member-controlled driven; and Internet-driven.

The sexual exploitation of boys tended to be less visible. They operated independently in the sex trade and were less often controlled by another person. However, there was sparse information on the sex trade or the trafficking of boys.

Children/youth were recruited into the sex trade by the following individuals: friends, parents, siblings, pseudo boyfriends, older men preying on younger girls, gang leaders, girls working for gang leaders, and by girls working in the sex trade generally. Often, when a girl already involved in the sex trade recruited a new girl, she was rewarded by her controller.

The recruitment of girls mostly, and boys, occurred in areas like shopping centres, bus and subway stations, child/youth centres, shelters, libraries, schools, and youth hang outs.

The activities used by recruiters to solicit or lure children/youth into the sex trade included the following:

1. staged parties;

2. community events, where children/youth were in the majority;

3. situations where children/youth were invited to join a gang;

4. discreet meetings and gave promises, including a better way of life;

5. regular visit to places where children/youth participate in age-related activities;

6. contacted and befriended children over the Internet;

7. arranged meetings with vulnerable girls, and pretended to be in love with them (love
bombing), most often to intentionally develop a dependency relationship; and

8. created situations and targeted Aboriginal children when they left their reserves to visit or enjoy the city life or to attend high school.

Victims, who were inexperienced, separated from support structures, and generally lacked awareness, were found to be easy target for recruiters.

Drug use and addiction was common among children/youth involved in the sex trade. It can be a reason why children enter the sex trade and also, a mechanism used to cope with the situation. In extreme situations, pimps and gang leaders used drug debt bondage to control victims.

Recruiters and controllers moved or transported children from place-to-place, city-to-city, province-to-province, and within cities, and in some situations from 'crack house' to 'crack house' (related to heavy drug usage).

There was not enough research evidence to show that children moved (or were moved) to work in the sex trade in cities and towns hosting major events or to booming towns of migrant workers. More research is required to fully explore this issue.

A common luring and recruiting process was described by participants as follows: girls mostly, but some boys, were lured away from home or care by persons they trusted with promises of a "better way of life". In the beginning stages, they did not recognize the recruitment process. To elaborate further, a boyfriend (controller, recruiter) lures the victim away from her family and friends to another city, and at that time, the grooming or training and exploitation process begins. Many ways are used to ensure compliance. One way is described as follows: the controller stages a gang rape and photographs the act. The victim feels compelled to join the group so that the photos will not be sent to her family and friends, characteristically a blackmail situation. In other instances, control is established by moving victims within cities from 'crack house' to 'crack house' (linked to drug usage and dealing) and province-to-province (mostly urban centres).

Some characteristics describing these victimized children and preventing them from exiting their situation were as follows: self-destructive behaviours; controlled by others; drug addiction; acceptance as business commodities; drug bondage; and feeling entrapped. At the onset, many children/youth did not recognize that they were on the path toward sex trade involvement and vulnerable to trafficking. They became victims of persons who established a friendly or loving relationship with them; sometimes the situation escalated to a serious control situation. Control factors include the following: sexual assault (rape), isolation, burnings, and violence. Consequently, they were made to feel they did not have any choice but to remain in this exploitative environment to which they were exposed.

Children victimized through their involvement in the sex trade often lacked the knowledge of where to turn for help for many situations, including leaving the sex trade. Several support mechanisms, as identified, would help protect them from further harm and ensure their safety. These are as follows: strengthening the investigative coordination between child services and police; assigning a higher level of priority to the investigation of missing runaway and other marginalized children missing reports; and where necessary, developing additional screening tools to identify more accurately children at risk of recruitment and possible trafficking when they leave home or care.

In essence, this study showed that some Canadian children involved in the sex trade were recruited, transported, and exploited - some more openly and extensively than others. In such instances, Canada‘s anti-trafficking laws would apply. To elaborate further, the Criminal Code of Canada, Section 279.01 states that:

(1) Every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation is guilty of an indictable offence and liable (a.) to imprisonment for life if they kidnap, commit an aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault against, or cause death to, the victim during the commission of the offence; or (b.) to imprisonment for a term of not more than fourteen years in any other case.

It is clear that some of these elements were present in many of the situations identified in this study, a study that explored and showed how to identify some of them. In essence, the findings showed the urgency and necessity to protect children‘s rights with national, regional, and municipal plans, which will combat this hidden crime and hidden abuse of children.

Worthy of note, is that the involvement of children and youth in the sex trade increases their chances of harm, which may include, among others, physical assault and psychological trauma. Consequently, in an attempt to cope, these vulnerable victims become involved in other crimes - some of which are serious offences. Therefore, it is critical that continued efforts are taken to prevent and protect children from such harm and further victimization.

The following matters, as identified by participants, require consideration and, where appropriate, action by law enforcement, policy makers, child/youth services, government, and non-government services. They are as follows:

1. Review the effectiveness of existing law enforcement guidelines and practices, especially as they relate to runaway children and marginalized child investigations, and develop additional ones as required.

2. Develop and/or enhance law enforcement policy and response plans as related to the search for missing marginalized children.

3. Review and determine the effectiveness of the police screening tools currently used to prioritize a missing child report, especially runaway children, and their relationship to the start of an investigation.

4. Enhance law enforcement and service agency training specifically related to the missing children (runaways) and child trafficking.

5. Cooperate and collaborate across agencies and seek effective ways to handle missing reports, child abuse, and reported sexual exploitation incidents.

6. Develop measures to address parents‘ and caregivers‘ fears so they will report their child as missing and the investigative search will begin sooner.

7. Develop more effective incident and information gathering methods and make this information readily accessible to agencies that protect children from predators, such as recruiters.

7. Develop more effective incident and information gathering methods and make this information readily accessible to agencies that protect children from predators, such as recruiters.

8. Conduct additional educational awareness training sessions on sexual exploitation generally, as a form of trafficking that is targeted for children, parents, educators, service professionals, and communities.

9. Enhance police and community-based services, including collaborative approaches to the issue, so community programs and services can be tailored to fit, and based on need. See www.zebracentre.ca for an example of a collaborative approach.

10. Conduct additional child trafficking issue-related research so sexual exploitation, and therefore trafficking, is better understood, including the role of drug addiction and bondage, gang recruitment, child grooming for the sex trade, the recruitment risks to minors living in community sponsored shelters and designated hotels, those attending festivals and events, and those living on their own at age 16.

In conclusion, as reflected in the action statements identified throughout the study by the participants interviewed, and the literature findings, Canada must continue to address domestic child trafficking and therefore, eliminate the hidden abuse and hidden crime affecting its children. In so doing, it will better protect their rights under The Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 34-36), against all forms of neglect, cruelty, and exploitation.

To read the full article visit http://cpc.phippsinc.com/cpclib/pdf/74192.pdf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Marlene Dalley has served in the development of National Missing Children Services program for over 20 years. Dr. Dalley has published three books on child development, numerous articles and papers on missing children and related issues, including the research study reports on stranger abduction, parental abduction and the domestic trafficking of Canadian children at-risk, recently released, titled Hidden Crime, Hidden Abuse.

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