Obviously, we're not saying that there isn't abusive behaviour that falls under some of the much narrower definitions of human trafficking. There are situations of extreme abuse that meet those definitions. These situations are very marginal and much rarer than the numbers often show. Moreover, it is quite difficult to trust the numbers, because the definitions are unclear. That includes data from sources that are not reliable.
On the other hand, what we do know, especially if you go back to the human trafficking situation, particularly in Canada, is that underage people are trading sexual services, and they're mostly doing so under very poor conditions. In our communities, we often see LGBT youth who've been expelled from their families, particularly young gay men who find themselves on the street and who have no choice, in order to survive, but to find someone who will pay the rent, someone with whom they will have sex. For many of these young people, the central problem in their lives is not the exchange of sexual services. They will be very vulnerable to abusers who will take advantage of the situation. Ultimately, it's because they don't have a place in society. They have nowhere to live. They don't trust the child welfare system. They have to hide from the police. That's where most of this violence comes from.
Most of the young girls who also end up in these situations come out of the youth centres or end up on the street in difficult situations. Young indigenous girls find themselves in the city without any support.
The exchange of sexual services is rarely the issue for these people. When we talk to them, they tell us that they want to be safe and survive and that the violence they've experienced is a problem. For them, the exchange of sexual services is a solution. They say it's no worse than going out and stealing a bike to survive or begging for money on the street corner than doing anything else when you're truly in trouble.
In my opinion, if you focus on these issues, that's where you'll find solutions as well. The police crackdown on the sex industry, including this endless search for minors, often ends up placing these young people in greater danger and can drive them into deeper hiding. This gives abusers a lot of leeway to target them with impunity.
The issue is not whether or not to deny violence or violence resulting from human trafficking. There are indeed young people who exchange sex in very bad conditions. Rather, it is about examining their reality and asking them what they need.
Police enforcement is not the answer.