Sex Trafficking : A Form Of Modern Day Slavery

Human trafficking is one of the many faces of organized crime. Human trafficking is a broad term which contains trafficking for the purpose of sex along with the exploitation of labor. Currently, there are 20.9 million victims of sex slavery (Stacy.j.cecchet 2014 482) whom have or are suffering suffer inhumane circumstances and consequences. Sex trafficking is one of the largest criminal activities in the world (Stacy 249). Vulnerable women and children are taken advantage of and thrown into sex slavery, yet there is no explanation available as to how women and children are taken and thrown into the industry within countries such as Canada and the United States of America (482 Stacy j Cecchet 2014), which have human rights protection. Sex slavery leaves everlasting mental and physical effects on the abused women and children being trafficked. Even though sex trafficking is a crime it is also, for a lack of better words, an industry which would cease to exist if it was not for the supply and demand for women and children.

Sex trafficking is essentially systemic rape for profit. Force, fraud and coercion are used to control the victim’s behavior which may secure the appearance of consent to please the buyer (or john). Behind every transaction is violence or the threat of violence (Axtell par. 4). Just a decade ago, only a third of the countries studied by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had legislation against human trafficking. (Darker Side, par.1) Women, children, and even men are taken from their homes, and off of the streets and are brought into a life that is almost impossible to get out of. This life is not one of choice, it is in most times by force. UNODC estimates that the total international human trafficking is a

Every year thousands of people of all genders, race, and age become victimized in sex trafficking. These people who become victims are usually vulnerable and are living in poverty structured areas. Many countries around the world are dealing with this serious issue, even in the United States. The United States federal law has defined sex trafficking as an act, “in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age” (Polaris Project). Sex trafficking is not only seen as a crime but is also seen as a business of supply and demand to many people. This business makes a profit of about 9.8 billion dollars a year. In recent events it has been shown that sex trafficking increases during big sporting events. As a result, some actions have been taken to combat the issue, but not enough. Therefore, due to the fact that sex trafficking is a worldwide issue and it is increasing over time; I will argue how there needs to be changes to the approach we have on the issue of sex trafficking.

Human trafficking, or the selling and buying of people, is a well-hidden yet prominent issue within today’s society. It is both an immoral and horrific topic that needs brought to attention and dealt with. When human beings are manipulated into work, sexual servitude, or economic hardship, human trafficking is occurring. In the year of 2006, only one individual is convicted of human trafficking per 800 victims (UNGIFT). By looking at straight statistics, reasons human trafficking happens, and the toll it has on people, it is very clear that this is a major issue that is happening in our world.

Sex trafficking is a problem that is happening and occurring all over the world. Many families and individuals suffer due to sex trafficking. Many people are not even aware of what it really is. Sex trafficking is when young girls, as young as five or six, get kidnapped and are used for the sexual pleasure of others with a profit, or are sold as sex slaves to other people. The official definition is, “Human sex trafficking is a form of slavery and involuntary servitude resulting in grave human rights violations. Sex trafficking involves individuals profiting from the sexual exploitation of others and has severe physical and psychological consequences for its victims.” (The

This article provided an overview of relevant issues surrounding contemporary sex trafficking, including risk factors. The article estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and child are sex trafficked every year. It also explains three main factors that play into sex trafficking: human rights, migration, and security. This article exemplifies women’s lack of agency in relation to their bodies. Although there are male sex workers, there are many more female workers, further exploiting women’s sexuality. This aids in the fear women grow up and live with; the fear of being sold.

Human sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing and most insidious man made epidemics, coming only after the criminal industry of black market drug-trade. Perpetrators of human trafficking prey upon and agonize our most vulnerable members of society. These unprotected people are our men, women, children, who experiencing an institutional lack of resources. These individuals

Oftentimes when people hear the term human sex trafficking, they think of heinous acts that take place in other countries where adults, children, girls and boys are exploited to perform sexual acts in exchange for money or goods against their will. They think it typically occurs in places that are less developed than the United States. However, the reality of this horrific crime is that it is taking place in the United States, and it occurs more and more each and every day. Young girls are not solely the victim of human sex trafficking, young boys are victims of this monstrous act as well. Individuals residing in the United States need to be made more aware of this issue as it has started to rise through social media, large events, and by those in other countries being promised work here. After researching, it is apparent that there is a great deal of information that is lacking, on sex trafficking in the United States. Not only is sex trafficking an issue, but the lack of awareness about sex trafficking is also an issue. This thesis proposes that human sex trafficking is an unacknowledged epidemic within the United States, and it seeks to discover why it has become so prevalent.

Human trafficking of U.S. citizens and foreign nations persist and thrive for various reasons, one is the low risk involved. This is when the community is unaware of this issue, when the government/community institutions aren’t properly trained to respond, and the biggest reason yet is when law enforcement does not investigate and prosecute the crime, human traffickers perceive little risk or deterrence to affect their criminal operations. The next reason why human trafficking is so successful is because the high profits; when individuals are willing to buy commercial sex, they create a market and make it profitable for the traffickers to sexually exploit children and adults. (“Why”)

Ronald Weitzer, Professor of Sociology at George Washington University, in his article “Sex Trafficking And The Sex Industry: The Need For Evidence Based Theory And Legislation,” states that sex trafficking is defined as “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.” Adults who sell sex with the help of someone, are not considered trafficking victims (1337). First, the important goal is to not eliminate trafficking but rather to eliminate prostitution (1344). Second, prostitution is said to “create the demand for trafficking”, but there is no reason why prostitution would “demand” trafficked participants if it is defined as involving deception or force with willing migrants, and why it could not extract from a local pool of workers instead (1344). For example, a few of Eastern European women who sell sex recruit their girlfriends in the home country to work with them. According to many writers and the government officials, sex trafficking has reached epidemic levels worldwide, victimizing “hundreds of thousands” or “millions” of people every year (1347). Third, claims regarding a growing worldwide epidemic are contradicted by the U.S. government’s own figures. For example,

Each year almost 800,000 women and young children are being trafficked across the borders. This happens in public and private locations (“Sex”). Women and young girls all together make up 98% of the victims of trafficking for sexual abuse. Sex trafficking is illegal in every country in the world. Woman being held as sex slaves is the fastest growing criminal activity in the world (Globa.).

Sex trafficking according to the National Human Trafficking (2000) is defined as a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act in induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years. Sex trafficking is mostly comprises of force, fraud and underage women or men to engaged in unwilling activities in order to get what they need in life. Most often people are brought to the United State specifically in search of job but little would they know that they have fallen into sex trafficking. Such activities generally tarnishes the image of the community where such practice is condone and moreover gives the people a bad image related to sexually transmitted diseases

In order to decrease the demand for sex trafficking, knowledge of the sources that create it and the factors that perpetuate it is critical. Regardless, if this knowledge is not implemented into interventions that heal the damage sex trafficking creates or, better yet, prevents it from occurring in the first place, it is essentially useless. Opinions on how to stop sex trafficking in general are varied, and suggested solutions on how to stop the demand are no exception. One approach that has been discussed is education and public outreach. One thing that was made apparent throughout the semester in this class was that sex trafficking is a little-understood topic, and interest in it is still gathering. As a result, not only is the current information on sex trafficking insufficient, but the general public understands very little about it. Some people are not even aware it exists. This allows the issue to perpetuate because men purchase services from prostitutes under the assumption they are willingly choosing that profession. Hollywood glamorizes prostitution through movies such as Pretty Woman, and while most people understand prostitution is not someone 's first career choice, the idea that someone could be forced into doing it usually does not cross the mind of customers.

Sex trafficking has been a problem worldwide for a very long time. It has up until recently been seen as a problem in other countries and not seen as a large problem in the US. Over the last decade though there has been major findings that it is a thriving industry in the US as well. Sex trafficking is defined as, “A commercial sex act which is induced by force, fraud or coercion in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.”(Raymond, Hughes & Gomez, 2001) For this paper I decided to focus on the scope of the sex industry, the victims of the industry and what some hopeful solutions to the problems caused by the sex trade might be.

Sex -trafficking has not dissipated over time; it is a growing, adaptive market that is prevalent across the world. We are not talking about an industry that sells depleting commodities. Sex trafficking is a giant market that profits on human slavery. It is paramount that this issue be moved nearer to the forefront of global consciousness, in light of violations of basic human rights and losses of autonomy.