Human Trafficking Myths and Misconceptions: A Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence and Practical Implications

Abstract

Human trafficking is frequently interpreted through stereotypes and misconceptions that may shape victim recognition, blame, and institutional responses. This scoping review mapped how trafficking myths and related perceptions are conceptualised and measured, identified recurring myth domains and correlates, and examined evidence relevant to educational or communication interventions. Following PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidance, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Criminal Justice Database, and PsycINFO were searched without date limits for peer-reviewed empirical studies in English or Spanish. After deduplication, 1645 records were screened, 149 full texts were assessed, and 34 studies were included. Studies published from 2016 to 2025 were geographically concentrated in the United States, although evidence also came from Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Vietnam. Six recurrent domains emerged: ideal-victim/deservingness schemas; definitional and coercion misunderstandings; sex-trafficking/prostitution narrowing and under-recognition of labour trafficking; victim/offender and local/foreign prototypes; ideological, gendered, and conspiratorial beliefs; and professional/organisational factors affecting recognition and response. Direct evidence on myth-reduction interventions was limited. Trafficking myths are heterogeneous but recurrent across public and professional samples. The evidence supports cautious conclusions about associations with recognition, blame, and response, but is insufficient to establish the comparative effectiveness of particular training formats.