Child Prostitution In Georgia

Sex trafficking, particularly that of children, has become a growing concern in the United States over the past several decades (Kotrla, 2010). By definition, child sex trafficking is “when a child (under 18 years of age) is induced to perform a commercial sex act” (U.S., 2013, para. 4), and includes forms such as prostitution and pornography (Kotrla, 2010). Researchers suggest that children are the most vulnerable to becoming victims of prostitution (Kotrla), and it is estimated that there are at least 100,000 victims in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001). Sex traffickers, otherwise known as “pimps,” often lure children with promises of food, clothing, love, and shelter, and then the pimps manipulate the children to keep them in prostitution (U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ], 2015). Awareness of the issue has led to the development of organizations, such as Children of the Night, that seek to help victims escape the sex trafficking industry (Children of the Night [COTN], 2016d).

Have you ever walked into Wal-Mart and taken the time to look at the numerous pictures of missing youth that is plastered on the wall? When looking at how long they have been missing, it ranges anywhere from months to years. Looking at their age, both boys and girls, it is hard not to wonder if these kids are being trafficked. Child sex trafficking, also known as human trafficking, is a major issue that is not only plaguing the United States, but the world. Residing in a state where teen sex trafficking is very common, it is imperative that not only adults, but the youth understand what child sex/human trafficking is, what is a sex-trafficker, and the data that reveals the seriousness of child sex

California is rated one of the top three highest human trafficking areas in the United States. Children are among the most vulnerable victims. Most girls involved in the foster care system are at a higher risk for being trafficked. According to a blog post by Sarah Symons, entitled, “About Human Slavery”, about 22 percent of the children being enslaved do not even make it to their adulthood. More than 200,000 children are at a high risk for being lured into sex trafficking in the United States every year.

Human trafficking affects our children and our schools more than most realize. It is estimated that more than 200,000 American children are trafficked each year in America. Victims of trafficking often come from vulnerable populations, including migrants, oppressed or marginalized groups, runaways or displaced persons, and the poor (Talati). The children most likely to be targeted by traffickers are those not living with their parents, who are vulnerable to coerced labor exploitation, domestic servitude, or prostitution. Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Studies have shown that it is not just high school children at risk, demonstrating that pimps prey on victims as young as 12 years old. Victims

Imagine being trapped in a box and having things and people thrown at you. You cannot get out and you have no control of who or what comes in. That is the life of a young girl who is trapped in sex slavery. On average over 100 adolescent girls are being used in sex trafficking every night in Atlanta, and most of those girls are with at least three men. Sex trafficking mostly consist of people taking control of the lives of young girls. They take their bodies to make money: in fact, this industry makes over thirty billion dollars per year. They destroy their emotions by trapping them from their freedoms. Those that are taken into the system are often innocent girls who are walking in Atlanta which should be a save city. Girls are threatened or beaten if they try to escape and forced to do things no one wants to do. Many girls who do get out end up getting back into the system because they feel that they cannot do anything else to support themselves, or because they aren’t looked after and they get taken back in. Sex trafficking in Atlanta has become a huge issue and more action should be made to stop it and help those who are trapped in it.

Human trafficking is one of the largest growing criminal activities. The commercial sexual exploitation of children, also known as CSEC, is often perceived as a hidden atrocity that occurs in an international setting. However, this manifestation of sexual abuse has increased and has become a recognized health issue in the United States. You may hear this problem to be known as domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). Domestic minor sex trafficking is defined as the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act” where the person is a citizen younger than the age of 18 years by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This includes sexual acts like survival sex, prostitution, and stripping, where the child is the victim of criminal exploitation in exchange for remuneration in the form of money, food, shelter, or other valued entity. Approximately twenty-eight percent of US minors living on the streets are reported to exchanging sex for drugs or money. The estimation so far is that 150,000 to 300,000 children are falling at risk of being victimized each year, and the average age at which they are recruited is twelve to fourteen years of age. By raising awareness we are avoiding children suffering from long-term health consequences such as severe sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. By raising awareness a family may not lose their little boy or girl to human trafficking. Consider how many young women have been kidnapped, drugged, tricked or even sold by

According to the Human Trafficking Commission, “thirteen years old is the most common age in Ohio for children to becoming victims of sex trafficking.” Exact statistics on human trafficking are hard to calculate because of the secretive nature of the billion-dollar enterprise. With Cleveland’s high rates of poverty, there are few job opportunities, resulting in a plethora of problems, including sex trafficking. Ohio’s five major highways are partially to blame for the rising numbers in the human trafficking enterprise. With a sufficient amount of connections to other states, and to the Canadian border, there are more than enough accessible routes for victims to be transported.

Kotrla, K., & Wommack, B. A. (2011). Sex Trafficking of Minors in the U.S.: Implications for Policy, Prevention and Research. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 2 (Iss. 1), article 5.

After having sex with this male he convinced her to have sex with other men to prove her love, which is how her tragic story began. He forced her to continue selling her body and became her “pimp”, otherwise known as owner in sex trafficking, and then shipped her off to Atlanta where Sex trafficking is a huge business. Traffickers will often “use recruiters to spy out needy youth by frequenting their typical locations” and will present themselves as “compassionate boyfriends who offer to help minors escape from an abusive home or harsh living conditions on the streets” (Reid, 2014) which is exactly what happened to the victim from the CNN interview story. Some girls are forced to have sex with as many as 40 men within a day stated the victim. Local news stations just want the public to become more aware of the potential dangers that residence face within these large cities as well as suburbs. According to interviews with the victims they say that these criminals like to deal within big cities because it’s easier to hide and move around. Places that are used to traffic will be places such as barbershops, massage places, meeting at motels and many other types of cover-ups. Awareness will make the public more skeptical and intelligent to signs beforehand.

A topic usually pushed into the dark, sex trafficking is a serious problem within our district that often goes unnoticed and ignored. Lurking underneath the mask of common businesses or seemingly normal neighbors, sex trafficking is prevalent not only throughout the world, but in our very own communities. Just months ago in May, Galveston County residents were shocked to hear that four Galveston men were charged with federal charges for their alleged involvement for conspiring to recruit, entice, and harbor minors for sex trafficking. (KHOU, 2015). These men had allegedly transported underage girls to various hotels throughout Galveston County, forcing them to have sex with men and then keeping all of the profits. This situation is unfortunately a recurring theme happening throughout the U.S., with our citizens oblivious to the horrors that are occurring just down the street in modern suburbia. Victims of sex trafficking are often subject to horrendous treatment from not only clients, but by their traffickers as well. The issue however is that sex trafficking is often right in front of our eyes, yet we continue to punish victims rather that punishing those who are the true problem to society. What many Texans, as well as Americans, fail to understand is that prostitutes in our community are ever rarely working independently, and are often victims of sex trafficking. It is time that our district takes a step to punish those who exploit these victims for their own selfish

According to the Bureau of Justice, human trafficking is becoming the nations second largest problem, following the war on drugs (“Anti Human Trafficking Initiative” 1.) Statistics on human trafficking in the United States are very scarce and there have not been many studies conducted on the issue. Of the studies done, many of the studies focus only on minors. 100,000-300,000 children are prostituted each year in the United States. In the Ohio, 1,078 people will be trafficked into the sex trade each year. Between January 2003 and June 2006, 15 human trafficking cases were identified in the Columbus and Toledo area. Human trafficking is not something that only takes place in foreign areas, which is why the Polaris project is working to fight human trafficking not only in foreign areas but also in the United States.

Thanks for your post! I was especially moved by your story of about the women on the Christian radio station. You are absolutely correct, this is a sad story that is entirely too close to home. I do not know all of the details pertaining to this young lady or how she ended up in this situation but it is very unfortunate. I am sure that when she entered into this household she was unaware of the owner’s motives and objectives. Georgia has been labeled, as a state for having high sex trafficking offenses. It just goes to show that as a society we should all be cautious and watchful as it relates to our surroundings.

Traffickers manipulate adolescents and youth into the sex trafficking through targeting their emotional vulnerabilities. To begin, traffickers use threats, intimidation and violence to enforce or entice adolescents into trafficking. One adolescent, a runaway from Baltimore County, Maryland, is gang raped by a group of men associated with the trafficker, who thereafter executes a “rescue” (Walker-Rodriguez & Hill, 2011) Following the “rescue”, the trafficker imposes she recompense him by working for him as one of his prostitutes (Walker-Rodriguez & Hill, 2011). Unfortunately, in many cases youth are generally beaten up until they yield to the trafficker’s orders (Walker-Rodriguez & Hill, 2011).

Many Americans remain ignorant of human trafficking within the United States, believing that this inhumane act only occurs in third-world countries. No one likes to believe that it can be happening in our own country let alone in some of our own states and cities. Society rarely takes the time to understand these women and what lead them into trafficking and what factors contributed to them staying in trafficking. This study seeks to voice the ability to raise awareness, enhance penalties for the traffickers/violator’s, and offer rehabilitation for the victims.

Slavery is a modern, pervasive problem. Human trafficking has been found in every state in America (humantrafficking.org). It seems that most Americans likely live within a comfortable drive of someone who is being exploited through human trafficking. There is a growing trend in human trafficking toward sexual exploitation (Bennetts, 2011). The Information Age has helped to create new opportunities for sex trafficking to flourish.