Sex Trafficking Within The United States

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).

Children within the United States who are being trafficked are part of what is called, domestic minor sex trafficking. These adolescents are citizens who have been forced, coerced, or misled to become a part of the commercial sex industry. Some of the most common ways to force minors into trafficking is through exotic dancing also known as stripping, brothels, porn, escorting, and massage services just to name a few (Minor Domestic Sex Trafficking). It is disturbing to know that there are children who are going through this. In order to create prevention and intervention programs for trafficking, it is important to understand what a sex trafficker is and the strategies they use to recruit children.

Human trafficking is a prominent problem within the United States that is often overlooked. The definition of human trafficking is, “Human trafficking - the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation” (“Human trafficking”). People in the United States believe that human trafficking is a problem that occurs in other less developed countries compared to the United States. What these individuals do not realize is that human trafficking occurs on American soil contrary to popular belief. The United States is one of the top three destination countries of human trafficking and human trafficking is a top criminal enterprise across the world (“WEAVE, Inc.”).

The United States has always been known for sticking their nose in places where it does not belong. America has been part of wars that could have been avoided, scandals that had nothing to do with the United States. Millions of lives over the years could have been spared if America would have just simply stayed where they belong. What if though, America feels like they have to get involved in forging affairs if they think it can cause or is causing a problem on American soil or with the Americans themselves? Human trafficking is issues that most people do not necessarily knows about or even really think about. There are several different types of human trafficking and smuggling crimes that are in today's society. The number one kind of human trafficking is sex trafficking. The handlers usually kidnap someone, ninety percent of the time, a girl under the age of eighteen, and sell them to different people all over the world for sexual reasons. The girls they kidnap and sell can be from the area or just passing through and get in the wrong place at the wrong time. Forced labor is the second most common type of human trafficking in the world. This is where a person takes advantage of a worker and changes labor laws to make them work longer hours or harder, more tiring jobs with very little pay. Victims of forced labor most of the time do not even know what is happening to them. Most of the people that get sucked into the forced labor trade are very vulnerable;

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

2010). Others were living in poverty and abducted or forced and manipulated with empty promises of a better life, with agreements in which are deceptive to the young girls (Hodge, D. 2008). Once the girls trust is gained, the girls are then used in order to gain profits and/or narcotics for pimps, they are forced into sexual acts for the exchange of money or drugs (Kotrla, K. 2010). 79% of victims of DMST have reported they were forced into trafficking (Crompton, Hardy, McPhatter. 2013).

On decemeber 18, 1865 slavery was abolished by Abraham Lincholn why has it become so easy for women and children to have their rights taken away from them? Many can argue that slavery doesnt exist in our society today, yet women all over suffer from slavery as they are taken and forced into the sex trafficking business. If slavery were truely abolished why is it so easy for women and children to become worthless and traded for a few dollars?

Due to child trafficking, the “average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old” (“11 Facts”). This statistic is mainly due to child traffickers forcing their victims into prostitution. Intimidating minors into sex trade is a horrible trend among human trafficking and has become the norm. All the more, Gracie’s story gets worse; after a long two years, she was taken away by another man and was illegally smuggled into a foreign country. There, the man locked her in a room inside a brothel and coerced her to prostitute sex to men, as well as package drugs for local drug dealers (NSPCC). After Gracie managed to break free from this abusive environment, she was put in jail for fraudulent behaviors because of her fake

Over two hundred thousand of the American youth are reported to be at great risk, especially for sex trading. Cho (2015) argues that the majority of the victims come from the vulnerable populations, the poor, marginalized individuals, and the migrants; approximately eighty percent of them being women and children. The victims are often identified by race. However, it is reported that others fell into the activity by will, while others become lured into the inhuman affair. It has expanded to several parts of the states and there is the need for government intervention. The government need to focus on human trafficking now move than ever. Our country seems to be biased on this because it seems to affect more African Americans than other races. The government focuses on what will benefit other races instead of the

Without much notice, the sex trade was "their" situation to deal with, a terrible part of culture in third world countries. But media and anti-sex trade advocates have brought attention here to sex trafficking has sluggishly increased in recent years through the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and other federal state laws.

When looking for topics to research I wanted to do something that was a prominent problem in my hometown, which was Sex Trafficking (ST). Coming from Houston, Texas, Sex Trafficking is one of the major hubs in the United States. Houston’s main highway I - 10 is the main road used to travel these victims to state lines to get them out of the country. A better definition of sex trafficking is when someone uses force, fraud or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or cause a minor to commit a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is a list of things known as prostitution, pornography, and sexual performance done in exchange for any item of value, such as money, drugs, shelter, food, or clothes( United Nations, In the United States alone 14,500 - 17,500 people are trafficked alone in the United States and 46% of it is from Texas. Most cases found on sex trafficking come from Women and Child, but there are a percentage of males that are trafficked, but because the act makes most feel degraded they refuse to report it. The effects it has on victims is indescribable. Many programs were created and people were made available to help victims but still sometimes these victims do not get the closure they need. This topic is important because it is a worldwide social issue that destroys not only the person physically taken into the trafficking but everyone that is involved in saving that person. When choosing these two articles, “Sex Trafficking: Policies, Programs,

In 2014, the states considered more than 220 bills that addressed human trafficking, including 24 bills in 11 states that called for expanding services to sexually exploited youth. (State Legislative). The United States expanded services like the “safe harbor” for sexually exploited children. In the United States, about 300,000 children are at the risk of being exploited and trafficked for sex. Human trafficking impacts millions of people globally; as a community we need to come up with a solution to stop it; some solutions may be, provide security for victims (of being trafficked); and help force laws against it.

When looking for topics to research I wanted to do something that was a prominent problem in my hometown, which was Sex Trafficking (ST). Coming from Houston, Texas, Sex Trafficking has the 2nd largest home in Houston. The main highway I - 10 is the main road used to travel these victims to state lines to get them out of the country. A better definition of sex trafficking is when someone uses force, fraud or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or cause a minor to commit a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is a list of things known as prostitution, pornography, and sexual performance done in exchange for any item of value, such as money, drugs, shelter, food, or clothes. In the United States alone 14,500 - 17,500 people are trafficked alone in the United States and 46% of it is from Texas. Most cases found on sex trafficking come from Women and Child, but there are a percentage of males that are trafficked, but because the act makes most feel degraded they refuse to report it. Also the effects it has on these victims is indescribable and many programs created and people there to help still can sometimes not get close to giving these victims the closure they need. This topic is important because it is a worldwide social issue that destroys not on the people physically taken and put into the trafficking but everyone that is involved in saving that person. When choosing these two articles,“Sex Trafficking: Policies, Programs,

When one hears the word sex trafficking, many people assume that it only refers to prostitutes sold in poor countries in the Middle East or Asia. This is far from true. Sex trafficking is the modern day slavery for children and women; it happens in America as well as other parts of the world. The leaders of this rink appeal to the children’s vulnerabilities or the women’s needs in order to brainwash them to trust the leader. He or she then has the victim trapped and begins to sell them or use them for profit. So why are Americans not aware of this heinous crime happening right in their very own neighborhoods? There is not one direct answer to this question, but rather many factors that play a role in America’s unconsciousness.

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).