Sex trafficking affects men and boys too. Learn how male victims are exploited, underreported, and often overlooked.
Sex trafficking is often misunderstood. It’s not just about transport or captivity—many victims are manipulated without physical confinement. And the idea of “consent”? It’s a myth when fear and power imbalances are at play. Discover the shocking truths behind these myths and why consent is never as simple as it seems.
Millions will gather for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting renewed concerns about sex trafficking. Here’s what the research says about major sporting events, why trafficking is a year-round issue, and what pornography has to do with it.
Sex trafficking shares a variety of symbiotic connections to pornography. Even in the production of mainstream porn, sex trafficking can still occur—and it happens more often than most people think.
What if the connection between porn and sex trafficking is bigger than most people realize? Here’s what the research, survivor stories, and trafficking data reveal.
We’re not claiming all porn ignores consent. But according to the research some of the porn you’re watching may be sex trafficking, can you tell the difference?
Virtually every major porn site has reportedly hosted and profited from trafficking, child sexual abuse material, image-based abuse, and/or degradation.
Sex trafficking is legally defined as a situation in which “a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.” That means that sex trafficking doesn’t always involve kidnapping or physical force.
Complex social issues like sex trafficking need multi-faceted solutions that include protection, prosecution, and prevention. Can we solve it?
The issue of sex trafficking is not a myth, but there are myths about sex trafficking. If you want to get involved in helping to rescue victims, start with factual information supported by anti-trafficking experts and survivor-led organizations.
Sex traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims into exploitation. Porn is the marketing department of the sex trafficking industry.
“Sex traffickers are motivated by one thing,” Dr. Shively said. “They are trying to make money. It’s a market, and the commodity is people. Without demand, there is no motivation to come up with that supply.”
