This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers.
Local service providers say that human trafficking cases in Kingston are on the rise. Fortunately, there are ways to take action.
If you had a friend who started pulling away from you, stopped coming to your hangouts, and started spending all their time with a boy you don’t even know, how would you handle it; Would you feel upset? Offended? We might not consider the possibility that our friend could be in danger, and sex trafficking might be the last thing that comes to mind. Recognizing that these are signs of human trafficking, which is happening more than we think, is crucial to keeping our loved ones safe.
On the surface, Kingston is home to a vibrant student community and a thriving downtown core. Yet like many Canadian cities, it’s not immune to the crimes we imagine only happen elsewhere. The belief that human trafficking only occurs in large metropolitan centres is a myth, and a dangerous one.
Trafficking can happen anywhere, and it’s happening in our student town. Although Kingston may feel like a quieter alternative to the cities it sits between, its position as a halfway point between Toronto and Montreal actually makes it an ideal stop for traffickers.
Human trafficking cases have increased across Canada in the past decade. According to Statistics Canada, police-reported human trafficking incidents in 2023-24 were more than double those recorded in 2013-14. This rise can be partly attributed to increased awareness and reporting. Locally, Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac has also noted that numbers are climbing. Understanding what human trafficking looks like—and how to prevent it—is the first step to protecting our community.
Understanding Trafficking
When I first started volunteering with EVENforONE, a non-profit organization that combats trafficking through education, I had to undo some of my assumptions about trafficking. The instances depicted in the training videos I watched looked completely different from the trafficking I was familiar with from movies and television shows. In reality, the crime usually doesn’t involve kidnapping, crossing borders, or physically holding someone captive. It’s a crime that most often hides in plain sight.
Having a firm grasp of what constitutes trafficking helps our communities report it more accurately. Simply put, human trafficking is the exploitation of another person for material gain. In instances of sex trafficking, traffickers coerce victims into performing sexual services for the profit of others.
Traffickers often begin building trust with their victims by meeting a basic need—like housing or emotional connection. Once that trust is there, traffickers can emotionally or financially manipulate the person into selling sex. Those being exploited may feel like they have no other choice, and they might not realize that what’s happening to them is illegal.
This kind of trafficking can happen to students. Knowing the characteristics that make someone vulnerable to becoming a target, as well as the recognizable signs that trafficking is occurring, can help us to protect ourselves and our friends.
Traffickers are more likely to target young people whose needs aren’t being met. If a person is isolated and feels a need for belonging, a trafficker might step in to meet that need.
Lack of community, financial struggles, or a lack of awareness about one’s rights might make someone a target. Traffickers are also likely to be someone you know. In that same Statistics Canada report, 36 per cent of women and girls in police-reported cases were trafficked by an intimate partner. This means that while street-safety is important, we also have to look for red flags in our relationships.
Films and television shows make trafficking out to be a kind of spectacle. Action-packed movies like Taken sensationalize trafficking and increase the distance between the victims and us on screen. The characters are hard to relate to, and the trafficking situations are extreme and so different from our everyday lives that we cannot imagine it happening to someone we know, or to ourselves. 365 Days romanticizes and sexualizes human trafficking, giving audiences false ideas about the realities of the crime. It disrespects real survivors by making sex trafficking and abuse out to be desirable.
These kinds of movies fail audiences. They give us a false understanding of how trafficking operates and lull us into a false sense of security by making it out to be a faraway crime. They contribute to the myth that trafficking won’t happen in a small town or between friends on a university campus. Better, non-sensational representation is needed to keep us safe.
In the meantime, though, we can take a step back and consume these narratives critically, while also educating ourselves about what trafficking looks like. Staying aware that trafficking can happen to someone you know, learning how to recognize if it does, and familiarizing yourself with your city’s resources are easy ways to combat misconceptions in the media.
Know The Signs
Missing classes or practices, demonstrating a lack of control over where one can go or who they can spend time with, or withholding information about new relationships can all be signs of exploitation. Trafficking may also leave signs of physical control or abuse, though not always. Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, or name tattoos could be indicators that something’s wrong.
Labour trafficking, though less talked about, is also prevalent in Canada. Also called forced labour, victims are made to work against their will through various forms of control, including violence, threats, or debt. In a city like Kingston, where students, seasonal workers, and newcomers form a large part of the population, understanding these patterns is especially important.
As we approach the end of the school year and students get ready to begin new jobs, take extra caution by familiarizing yourself with the signs of labour trafficking.
If you’re made to work without receiving the pay you were promised, told that you owe money for housing, transportation, or the job itself, or threatened with deportation or harm if you leave, you may be experiencing labour trafficking. Additionally, it’s illegal for an employer to withhold your documentation like a passport or work permit, or to dictate where you live or who you can talk to. Remember that you always have the right to refuse unsafe work and to leave a job.
The realities of trafficking may feel overwhelming, but there are practical ways students can make a difference. And in a city shaped by its student population, prevention really does start on campus.
Find Support, Right Here in Kingston
Despite the increase in cases in Kingston, our city is well-equipped to meet the needs of victims and survivors. The people in our community have started doing great intervention work to provide support for victims who have left or are leaving their traffickers. But more needs to be done to prevent the crime from taking place in the first place. Students need to feel empowered in their ability to recognize trafficking when they see it. We should advocate for better education about trafficking in high schools and universities and give a voice to survivor-led organizations. We must think critically about the media we consume and change the way we think about trafficking, or we risk vulnerability.
The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking operates a 24/7 hotline for victims or concerned individuals. Conversations are confidential, and they can help connect you to resources in your community.
For in-person support on campus, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services at Queen’s University is located in Mackintosh-Corry Hall (B506). While not an emergency service, they can help you understand your options and guide you toward next steps.
Off campus, Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac offers wrap-around care for victims of human trafficking. Including crisis intervention and system navigation. They provide trauma-informed case management, accompaniment, and safety planning to survivors.
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Don’t attempt to confront a suspected trafficker directly. Your role is not to investigate, but to connect people with professionals who are trained to help.
Education is one of the most powerful tools we have against trafficking. As awareness grows in Kingston, so does our ability to respond. By starting conversations with friends about healthy relationships, workplace rights, and financial vulnerability, students can help create a campus culture where exploitation is harder to hide. Trafficking thrives in isolation, but our community at Queen’s is a powerful one.
By looking out for one another, we can ensure that Kingston continues to be defined by its vibrant communities, and not by exploitation.
Jessica Wilson is a fourth-year English student.
Tags
human trafficking, Opinions, sexual violence
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