Thank you very much.
Madam Chair and honourable members of the House of Commons, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. Today I'm very honoured to be here in person. My name is Tiana Sharifi. I'm the CEO of Exploitation Education Institute, formerly known as SEE, Sexual Exploitation Education. I personally have been working in the field of human trafficking for 10 years and have educated over 80,000 Canadians in my time. I come to you today as someone who has knowledge and experience in this field, as a woman and as a mother.
For background, Exploitation Education Institute, while based in Vancouver, B.C., specializes in the prevention of child and youth sexual exploitation across Canada. We do so through consulting services. We were contracted last year by the international cybercrime research centre and have co-authorship of research regarding the presence of human trafficking on escort sites.
We have presented at a nationwide RCMP training...for law enforcement across Canada and are presenting an educator sector training...through the Canadian sexual exploitation summit in a couple of days, as well through our educational programs. Our student educational programs are supported by the Ministry of Education in B.C. and other school boards across the country. Just from this January until now, we have educated over 20,000 students and 7,000 adult groups, be they parents, teachers or service providers.
I share with you this experience, because I wish to shed light on how the pandemic has transformed grooming and recruitment into sex trafficking in Canada, as well as what we find makes for effective prevention programs.
Throughout my time working in this field, I've seen the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation shift and change markedly with the emergence of the digital space. I believe this shift must be reflected in any current and future studies relating to the issue of human trafficking in Canada.
You may be aware through Statistics Canada that the majority of human trafficking victims are Canadian citizens within our country, and that almost 70% of police-reported victims are under the age of 25. You may be aware of the traditional grooming methods into sex trafficking, including the boyfriending process, or what we would refer to as the “Romeo pimp”, or by way of their recruiters, who lure their victims through the promise of a luxurious lifestyle or basic needs, which ultimately leads to their sex trafficking.
While these traditional tactics continue to exist both in person and digitally, social media platforms and influencers, those who have a strong presence or carry a strong following online, have now shifted the very nature of grooming into sexual exploitation.
Sexual exploitation can be defined as a minor engaging in sexual activity in exchange for something. This is what we refer to as a need, an exchange for a need, whether this need is for shelter, drugs, financial security, protection or love. This demonstrates the very complex nature of this crime, which we must keep in mind, because the victimized party perceives that they, too, have benefited in some shape or form by getting their needs met.
While traditionally we would define vulnerable populations of sexual exploitation to be those who lack their basic needs, such as for drugs, shelter, family—for example, youth who run away or who are in foster care—the digital space has shifted this traditional label. When online, youth seek to meet their higher level needs, such as belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization. These are the needs that all minors and adults are constantly striving to meet. Therefore, we are finding that minors who typically would not fit the traditional mould of being at risk have now become so by means of the Internet.
On one hand, the pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerabilities that come with being online. A nationwide isolation has led to a greater need for connection amongst children and youth. Our organization has heard first-hand about an alarming number of children and youth who admit to having sought romantic relationships or flirtatious encounters through social media platforms that they are on. This has only increased since the pandemic.
On the other hand, particular platforms whose popularity only grew since the pandemic are now grooming minors with the promise of a luxurious lifestyle by means of influencing. Platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram have demonstrated to our younger generation that anyone could potentially come into fame or fortune, with much of this being directly connected with their hypersexualized content and objectification on these platforms. The more scandalous and sexualized you are, the greater your likelihood of likes and follows.
I wish to disclose that I am on TikTok. I find it both entertaining and informative, because the algorithm understands that I'm a mother and my interests.... I get that particular information. However, if you are a youth, the algorithm that you are provided with—and I know I'm supposed to wrap up now—is very different.
All I want to end on here is that self-exploitative platforms, which include TikTok, OnlyFans—