Myth: Human trafficking always involves kidnapping or physical restraint.

This is one of the most pervasive and harmful myths about human trafficking. While high-profile cases and movies often depict trafficking as a dramatic abduction—someone being snatched off the street and held in chains—the reality is usually far more subtle and insidious.

Most traffickers don’t need to use physical force or confinement to control their victims. Instead, they rely on psychological tactics like manipulation, threats, deception, and emotional abuse. They may promise love, a job, shelter, or a better future—especially to individuals who are vulnerable due to poverty, unstable housing, prior abuse, or a lack of supportive relationships.

This process is known as “grooming.” A trafficker might first appear caring and generous, providing gifts or attention to build trust. Over time, this trust becomes a tool of control. The trafficker may slowly isolate the victim from others, create emotional dependency, and introduce coercive demands. Victims may be threatened with violence, deportation, or harm to their families if they try to leave or tell anyone.

In many cases, victims are not locked away—they may still go to school, appear in public, or hold jobs, making their exploitation harder to detect. Because there are no physical chains, outsiders may not recognize what’s happening, and victims themselves may not immediately realize they’re being trafficked.

Understanding that trafficking often looks like coercion—not kidnapping—is critical to identifying and supporting victims who are suffering in silence.

Myth: Human trafficking only happens in other countries.

Many people think of human trafficking as a problem that only happens “somewhere else”—in developing countries or distant war zones. But the truth is that human trafficking is happening right here in the United States, in communities just like yours. Trafficking occurs in every U.S. state, across urban centers, quiet suburbs, small towns, and rural areas. Victims can be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, adults or children, and of any gender identity, race, or economic background.

What makes trafficking so hard to detect is that it often happens in plain sight. Victims may be forced to work in restaurants, nail salons, hotels, factories, agricultural fields, private homes, or on construction sites—places we all encounter regularly. Others are exploited online, in pornography or through escort services, often without ever being visibly “moved” from one location to another.

Sex trafficking can happen in illicit venues, but it also occurs in schools, neighborhoods, foster care systems, and even homes. Labor trafficking may look like “under-the-table” work or informal caregiving but may involve long hours, withheld pay, and threats of deportation or violence.

The idea that trafficking is a foreign problem can cause Americans to overlook victims in their own communities. In reality, many traffickers are local individuals, sometimes even family members, romantic partners, or employers who exploit someone’s vulnerabilities for personal or financial gain.

Recognizing that human trafficking is a domestic issue—not just an international one—is critical to prevention, intervention, and the protection of victims where we live.

Myth: Victims will always ask for help or try to escape.

It’s a common misconception that if someone is being trafficked, they will obviously try to get away or ask for help. In reality, many trafficking survivors do not—and often cannot—reach out for help, even when they are in public or appear to have freedom of movement.

There are many reasons for this. Fear is one of the most powerful tools traffickers use. Victims may be threatened with violence against themselves or their loved ones if they speak out or try to leave. They may fear arrest, deportation, or retaliation—especially if they’ve been forced to commit crimes as part of their trafficking experience.

Shame and stigma also play a major role. Survivors may feel embarrassed or blame themselves for what’s happened, especially if they were manipulated into believing they consented or “chose” their situation. This is especially true when the trafficker was someone they once trusted—like a romantic partner or family member. Trauma bonding—a psychological response that causes victims to develop loyalty or emotional attachment to their abuser—is another powerful barrier. Victims may defend their trafficker, believe they are in love, or feel dependent on them for basic needs like shelter, food, or emotional connection.

In many cases, especially with children and teens, the person being trafficked may not even realize what is happening to them is wrong. If they were groomed from a young age, raised in abusive environments, or isolated from outside support, they may see exploitation as “normal” or simply the cost of survival.

Assuming that someone must not be a victim because they haven’t run or asked for help can lead to further harm and missed opportunities for intervention. Understanding the psychological and emotional control traffickers exert helps us recognize red flags and offer compassionate, informed support when it matters most.

Myth: Traffickers are always strangers.

Contrary to what movies and news headlines often suggest, most traffickers are not shadowy strangers lurking in the toy aisle at Target or waiting to snatch people from parking lots. In fact, many victims are trafficked by someone they already know and trust—a family member, romantic partner, friend, neighbor, or employer. This dynamic is especially common in both sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Traffickers often begin by building trust and emotional dependency. A trafficker may pose as a boyfriend, a parent figure, or a supportive boss. They might offer affection, promises of a better life, or financial security—especially to people who are already vulnerable due to poverty, instability, or emotional neglect.

In these situations, the line between “care” and coercion becomes intentionally blurred. Once the victim is emotionally bonded, the trafficker may gradually introduce forms of exploitation—demanding sex acts, long hours of labor, or complete control over the victim’s earnings or freedom. Because the manipulation happens over time, the victim may not recognize what’s happening as trafficking until it’s too late—or at all.

In labor trafficking cases, victims are often recruited by employers who promise legitimate work, then threaten them with deportation, harm, or isolation once they’re in the trafficker’s control. Domestic workers, agricultural laborers, and restaurant employees are especially at risk.

This myth—that traffickers are always strangers—can lead people to overlook red flags when the abuse comes from familiar or even “respected” individuals. It can also cause victims to feel more isolated, confused, or ashamed, especially if they care for or depend on the trafficker.

Recognizing that traffickers often exploit relationships and familiarity is key to understanding the true nature of trafficking—and helping survivors break free from the invisible chains of manipulation and control.

Myth: Victims who break the law aren’t really victims.

One of the most damaging misconceptions about human trafficking is the belief that if someone has committed a crime—especially offenses like prostitution, theft, or drug possession—they can’t be a “real” victim. In truth, many survivors are forced or coerced into illegal activity as part of their exploitation.

Traffickers often use force, fraud, or coercion to make victims engage in criminal acts. This can include selling sex, transporting drugs, stealing, or using false documents. Victims may be told that breaking the law is the only way to survive—or that refusal will result in punishment, homelessness, or violence. Some are manipulated into believing they are choosing these acts freely, when in reality, they are being groomed, threatened, or psychologically controlled. This is especially common for youth or those trafficked by romantic partners or family members.

Because of this, many trafficking victims are arrested and charged, sometimes spending years in the criminal justice system before anyone recognizes the abuse behind their actions. These legal consequences can further isolate survivors, increase their trauma, and make it harder to rebuild their lives.

Recognizing that someone can be both a victim and involved in a criminal act is essential. Laws in many states are evolving to reflect this understanding—some now allow survivors to have convictions related to their trafficking vacated or expunged. Survivors need compassion, legal support, and trauma-informed services, not judgment or punishment. Holding traffickers accountable while helping victims recover is how justice truly begins.