4 common misperceptions of human trafficking in Colorado

COLORADO, USA — CONTENT PAID FOR BY COLORADO HUMAN TRAFFICKING COUNCIL

The State of Colorado is educating people about the true-crime of human trafficking through a multi-year, multi-media campaign. A deeper understanding of human trafficking will ultimately help expose and prosecute this crime that is happening to people of all backgrounds.

“We know that a lack of awareness can make cases hard to prosecute because we don’t have witnesses or the information that law enforcement needs to make the case,” said Christian Gardner-Wood, Colorado Human Trafficking Council Chair, Colorado District Attorney’s Council, Senior Deputy District Attorney Boulder County.

The Council’s campaign hopes to debunk common misperceptions by showing real experiences of human trafficking survivors. Common human trafficking misperceptions include:

1. All human trafficking is sex trafficking
2. Human trafficking only happens to women or girls
3. Human trafficking victims are usually foreign nationals
4. It is easy for victims of human trafficking to just leave

These misperceptions can result in inaccurate reporting or unbefitting resources.

RELATED: Statewide campaign exposes true crime of human trafficking

“While most reporting and law enforcement calls involve sex trafficking, the majority of our services involve labor trafficking victims,” Gardner-Wood continued. “The truth is that you are not looking for one type of person, it can really be anyone.”

The Colorado Human Trafficking Council’s current campaign portrays real-life human trafficking scenarios, told from a victim’s point of view. Victims who often don't realize what is happening to them is a crime.

RELATED: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

For examples of how the campaign checks common misperceptions click the victim profiles below. 

• Daniella what hospitality labor trafficking looks like
• Brian human trafficking doesn’t just happen to women and girls
• James what coercion and fraud look like in agricultural labor trafficking
• Elena an example of why victims don’t just leave

Learn what to look for, at ThisIsHumanTrafficking.com, report the crime anonymously at 866-455-5075.

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