Sex Trafficking: Erase The Stigma
by- Amanda Hildreth
Human trafficking is one of the most devastating human rights violations happening in the modern world. Every 30 seconds a person or child is trafficked,3.8 million adults are trafficked and forced into sexual exploitation, and one million children are trafficked for forced sexual exploitation every year (Safe Horizon, 2022).
What Is Sex Trafficking And How Does It Happen?
Sex Trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, obtaining, harboring, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act that is induced by force or coercion (Laboratory To Combat Human Trafficking, 2023).
When a person is sex trafficked they are recruited, isolated and transported and then forced into sexual exploitation. There are several parts of how Sex Trafficking happens, including (The Canadian Centre To End Human Trafficking, 2020):
- Recruitment: Sex traffickers approach victims in several ways including pretending to be a potential friend or boyfriend, contacting them over social media, posting ads for jobs, or threatening or kidnapping them. They often use false promises such as money, work or education opportunities, and more.
- Traffickers often prey on Victims that are looking for a better life, an opportunity, or a relationship.
- Transportation And Isolation: Victims are often moved around by traffickers both to isolate them from people they know and areas that are familiar. Victims are often moved from hotel to hotel and from one location to another location.
- Exploitation: Exploitation is the critical element of Sex Trafficking when the Victim is forced into sexual exploitation by having them fear for their safety or the safety of someone they know.
- Traffickers will often use intimidation, violence, or deception to influence Victims and manipulate them to do what they want.
How Does Sex Trafficking Happen With Children?
What people typically envision when they think of a child being sex trafficked involves stories of children being kidnapped by strangers and forced into trafficking, however a study found that fewer than 10 percent of child Sex Trafficking cases involved kidnapping (Kotrla, Wommack, 2011).
Sex traffickers tend to prey on people who are socially or economically vulnerable such as children living in poverty and those who have experienced Sexual or Physical Abuse, or addiction. They act as a friend to the child offering gifts, meals, or someone to talk to. In certain cases, traffickers may also use another child to recruit Victims through public places, online, job opportunities and more (Polaris, 2020).
Using these different methods, the trafficker becomes someone that the Victim grows to trust, so traffickers don’t need to kidnap their Victims, as they can easily convince them to follow willingly. This can later lead Victims to feel self-blame, shame and guilt when they later try to escape their traffickers.
It is also common for parents or family members to sell children into Sex Trafficking for drugs, money or something else they value.
Men,Boys, And Sex Trafficking
Most often when people think of Sex Trafficking, females are viewed as the most common Victims with the trafficker being a male, however men and boys are Victims of Sex Trafficking as well. Sex Trafficking affects all genders.
In 2016, boys made up 36% of Sex Trafficking Victims in the United States (Swaner, Labriola, Rempel, Walker, Spadafore, 2016). In 2020, 78% of reports of online solicitation involved girls and 15% involved boys (National Center For Missing And Exploited Children, 2023). The range of these estimates is due to underreporting and stigma.
The Stigma With Males And Sex Trafficking
Based on research, informants asserted that law enforcement has very little understanding of sexually exploited boys and men (ECPAT-USA, 2008).
Many officers see males found in trafficking stings as sex addicts or just doing it for the money. These views prevent males from being identified as Victims and being assessed for sexual exploitation. There is a stigma that males should be strong enough to fight off a trafficker so they can’t be Victims. Sometimes these men are also considered to be gay instead of trafficked (Fight The New Drug, 2023).
Why Sex Trafficking Happens
Sex Trafficking continues to happen for a number of reasons, including (National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2023):
- Low Risk: Traffickers believe there is little risk compared to the consequences. Although there have been penalties in recent years, traffickers believe the high profit of trafficking is worth the risk. Low risk can be increased by ineffective laws, lack of investigation, missing resources for Victim recovery, lack of training, and low community awareness.
- High Profit: When individuals buy commercial sex, a market is created that makes it profitable for traffickers to exploit Victims.
If left unchecked, trafficking will continue in an environment where a trafficker can make substantial money with low risk.
What Can We Do To Prevent Sex Trafficking?
Sex Trafficking is preventable and there are a number of things you can do if you feel that a person is being sex trafficked, including (Office On Trafficking In Persons, 2023):
- Know The Signs Of Sex Trafficking
It is important to know the indicators of Sex Trafficking, which can include (National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2023):
- Not wanting to engage in commercial sex but being pressured into it.
- Liveing where they work or are transported by guards between the home and workplace.
- Wanting to stop commercial sex but expressed being scared or unable to leave the situation.
- A child that lives with a dependent that has an abuse or substance abuse problem.
- Working in an industry where it can become common to be pressured into performing sex acts for money such as an illicit massage business, strip clubs, etc.
- A controlling parent, guardian or partner that won’t allow them to meet with anyone alone or monitors their communications, movements, and spending.
- Report A Tip
Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to BEFREE (233733).
- Raise Awareness
Share Sex Trafficking awareness resources in your community from sources such as the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
- Volunteer
Volunteer at a local anti-trafficking organization in your community or for Abuse Refuge Org. Ask if there is any way you could provide support byorganizing events or just raising awareness.
- Train
Register for training through the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center. Their training helps professionals to identify and address the needs of Victims affected by trafficking.
- Put Your Skills To Use
Use your everyday work skills to prevent trafficking. For example, if you work in a school, suggest anti-trafficking protocols, if you work in a hospital, learn about the proper response to trafficking and share with your coworkers, etc.
- Contact Representatives
Contact your local representatives and ask them how they are addressing trafficking. Make them aware of the needs of your community.
We at Abuse Refuge Org (ARO) are here to support you in your personal healing journey to complete well-being. We bring awareness and education to 21 different types of abuse including Sexual Abuse, Spousal Abuse, Physical Abuse, Psychological Abuse, Narcissistic Abuse, Financial Abuse, Self Abuse, Elderly Abuse, Isolation Abuse, Child Abuse, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Workplace Abuse, Religious Abuse, Medical Abuse, Food Abuse, Authority Abuse, Educational Abuse, Child Sexual Explotation, Sex Trafficking, and Political Abuse and help others heal and find peace. Please support our efforts by going to GoARO.org to learn how you can make an impact on the Abuse Care Community and provide life-saving financial assistance with a donation.
References
Human trafficking statistics & facts. Safe Horizon. (2022, August 11). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.safehorizon.org/get-informed/human-trafficking-statistics-facts/#statistics-and-facts/
Human trafficking – labor trafficking colorado. Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. (2023, January 6). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://combathumantrafficking.org/about-human-trafficking/?gclid=CjwKCAjw3POhBhBQEiwAqTCuBkme4CpxEK8G1dFHrxe09A8NmoQJeiQRB7Cb4xPyo_wxS4ka2gIUsBoCRB8QAvD_BwE#1591200766938-668893a7-bbc8
The Canadian Centre to End Human trafficking. The Canadian Centre To End Human Trafficking. (2020). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
Kotrla, Kimberly and Wommack, Beth Ann (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. Available at: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol2/iss1/5
What we know about how child Sex Trafficking happens. Polaris. (2020, August 28). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
Sawner, R., Labriola, M., Rempel, M., Walker, A., & Spadafore, J. (2016, June). Home | Office of Justice Programs. Youth Involvement in the Sex Trade: A National Study . Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
Child sexual abuse material. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2023). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
ECPAT-USA. (2008). And boys too – static1.squarespace.com. And Boys Too. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/594970e91b631b3571be12e2/t/5977b2dacd0f688b2b89e6f0/1501016795183/ECPAT-USA_AndBoysToo.pdf
Did you know men and boys can be victims of Sex Trafficking, too? Fight the New Drug. (2023). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
Human trafficking. National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2023). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/type-trafficking/human-trafficking#:~:text=Instead%2C%20human%20trafficking%20is%20fueled,profit%20from%20the%20existing%20demand.
Office On Trafficking In Persons. (2023). 10 ways you can help end trafficking. The Administration for Children and Families. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
Recognizing the signs. National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2023). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from ;
