Social service providers' knowledge of domestic sex trafficking in the Canadian context

Abstract

Canadian research on the domestic sex trafficking of adolescents and adults is in its infancy with little exploration of social service providers' knowledge. This is an important gap as international research has identified that providers are well situated yet often lack the knowledge necessary to identify and help sex trafficked persons. The current study used a critical social approach to examine social service providers' knowledge about domestic sex trafficking in Canada. Fifteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with diverse providers from Ontario. Interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Analysis revealed varying levels of knowledge among providers, sometimes inconsistent with self-rated expertise and experience. Some providers with moderate-to-high expertise conveyed detailed knowledge of sex trafficking definitions and a continuum between sex work and sex trafficking while others with the same reported expertise conflated sex work and sex trafficking, suggesting that they may have over-estimated their level of knowledge. Most discussed “vulnerabilities” perceived as increasing sex trafficking risk: lack of belonging, stigmatization, societal and individual level racism. Providers described tactics used by traffickers to lure and retain individuals in sex trafficking. Formal education about sex trafficking across regions and providers was lacking, suggesting that sex trafficked persons are subject to the “luck of the draw” when seeking help from social service providers. The development of a core curriculum could help ensure that all social service providers in Canada–and other jurisdictions in which domestic sex trafficking is an issue–have the necessary knowledge to appropriately address sex trafficked persons' needs.