Joy Smith has dedicated her life to fighting against human trafficking, whether that meant making tougher laws during her time as an MP, or the reason she will be in Yorkton on December 6, to educate people on how human trafficking works in Canada.
“I think it’s very wise to make sure that everybody knows about human trafficking and everyone knows how it works.”
Smith believes it’s important to get out and talk about human trafficking because it’s a subject that people find uncomfortable, so they otherwise avoid it. This is especially true since the majority of victims are in the sex trade.
“They neglect to find out that for most of those girls, the average entry for servicing men sexually is between 12 and 13 years old. What happens is a lot of predators prey on them and lure them into the sex trade. It absolutely ruins their lives in so many ways.”
Predators work by forming a relationship with their eventual victims, while steadily separating them from support structures and family, Smith explains.
“What they do is totally captivate these young girls. The reason why that happens is they’re kids, they’re easily influenced... It’s not a decision these young girls make, it’s a luring, it’s a process that’s very deceptive.”
Telling people about how human trafficking works is a way to prevent it, Smith explains because it helps parents understand the signs that their kids might be groomed, or telling kids might help them recognize the signs in their own relationships or that of friends.
“I hear from so many young people who say, I don’t realize it but I’m being groomed. Predators groom these young people, and they do it very skillfully. Kids are kids, and I believe we should allow kids to be kids.”
Since it often involves young people, Smith believes it’s important to reach out to parents, but also admits that for many parents they don’t want to think this is something that could affect their children.
“This is not something parents want to talk about, this is a very fearful thing for parents. But, unfortunately, they are unaware of how skillful these men and some women are, because they become friends and get the trust of the young person.”
Smith says the Canadian Intelligence Institute has stated predators make between $260-280,000 annually per victim through human trafficking. But there is also hope, as more trafficking rings are broken up and people become more aware of the problem.
Raising awareness is part of the challenge, Smith says, because if people ignore the problem, it makes it easier for predators for operate. She’s encouraged that there have been more arrests recently and trafficking rings broken up, and believes the public is the key to the problem.
“I don’t think there are enough police officers and I don’t think there are enough social workers. What we have to do is educate the public.”
Joy Smith will be in Yorkton on December 6 at St. Mary’s Cultural Centre. Tickets are $25 each and can be picked up at Glauser’s on Broadway Ave in Yorkton. Doors open at 5 p.m.
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