Sex Trafficking in the United States

Danielle Miller

Prof. Sieben

Teaching Writing

Argument Paper

6 December 2011

           

“Ladies of the Night”

(A closer look at the problem of sex trafficking in the United States)

Sex trafficking is a global epidemic that is growing each and every day, however, people living in the United States understand that the problem is just as severe state side, as it is around the world.  According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, sex trafficking is defined as, “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.”  Many of the reports focus on either sex trafficking abroad, or international women being trafficked into the United States; the fact that no reports have been recorded about domestic sex trafficking causes huge problems for trying to put an end, or at least create a solution, to the problem.  

Although not many reports have been done to truly gage how dire the sex trafficking situation is in the United States, some researchers and organizations have begun to gather information to help bring more of a factual based awareness to the issue.  In the report, Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A Review of the Literature, researches found that between 244,000 and 325,000 American youth are considered at risk for sexual exploitation, and an estimated 199,000 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors occur each year in the United States.  Based on this report, only the minor’s being trafficked are counted, these figure do not include all the people over eighteen years of age who are trafficked in the United States as well.  In another report, Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States, researchers noted that the United States has been less visible as a site for transnational and domestic trafficking in women because, for one reason, research on sex trafficking in the United States has been limited. 

One of the major problems with the way sex trafficking is handled is that a lot of the time the prostitute is the one charged in the crime when they’re caught in the act.  Many “johns” are not charged when they get caught with a prostitute, but the female is.  In the report, Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States, researchers report that the penalties for human trafficking are far less punitive in most countries than the penalties for drug trafficking.  Somehow, I feel the opposite should be the case.  Trafficking a human being seems far more of a crime to me than the trafficking of illegal drugs.

Much of the public also seems to unaware of just how close to home sex trafficking is hitting.  Street prostitution, escort services, strip clubs, massage parlors, and internet pornography are just a few of the places where innocent women and children are being forced into sexual servitude.    In the report, Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States, researchers report that the Metro New York area, Manhattan specifically, has the highest number of escort service listings in the yellow pages, which falls second to the listing of attorneys.  The sex industry works off of the basic business model of supply and demand; if there wasn’t a demand for women, there would be no need to supply them through trafficking.  In Mickey Goodman’s article, “Super Bowl a magnet for under-age sex trade,” child-rights advocates said, “Pimps will traffic thousands of under-age prostitutes to Texas for Sunday's Super Bowl, hoping to do business with men arriving for the big game with money to burn.”

Part of the problem with addressing the issues of sex trafficking in the United States is that Americans don’t want to accept that “upstanding” American men are taking part in continuing this hideous cycle of abuse.  It’s easy for American’s to sit back and say, “oh that’s a Chinese issue,” or “that only happens in the Middle East,” because than we, as Americans, can blame the “barbaric” nature of the people in those nations for not putting a stop to such a heinous crime.  In Lesile Bennetts article, “The John Next Door,” a victim of sex trafficking, who was forced into the industry at the young age of 10, quoted, “They’re the cops, the schoolteacher—the dignified, respected individuals. They’re everybody.”

Another major flaw with the mindset of the American public is that the women involved in the sex industry, specifically those over the age of eighteen, make the conscience decision to be there, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  According to Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States, researchers report that eight-six of U.S, women reported being physically abused by their pimps and traffickers while in the sex industry; one half of those women described frequent, sometimes daily physical assaults.  Many of the beatings take place as a way to control the women.  The pimps instill such fear in them that they couldn’t run away if the door to the brothel was left wide open.

Based on many of the reports out there on sex trafficking, one may feel discouraged that there will ever be a solution to help deal with this issue; however, there are ways to start to help bring attention to the issue.  Two ways are through education and public awareness.  One of the biggest hurdles domestic sex trafficking faces in the United States is the complete disregard that it’s even happening here.  Educating the public is one way to help them see that sex trafficking in the U.S. is a very real and huge problem.  A third way to help address sex trafficking in the U.S. is stricter penalties and consistent law enforcement.  As of late, law enforcement departments have been setting up task forces specially designed to tackle sex trafficking crimes.  Although these few examples are a start, much more needs to be done to help stop these crimes, and save the women and children forced into them.

Works Cited:

Bennetts, Lesile.  “The John Next Door.”  Newsweek Magazine 18 Jul 2011.  The Daily

 Beast online.  Web.  4 Dec 2011.

Clawson, Heather J.  Dutch, Nicole.  Grace, Lisa Goldblatt. Solomon, Amy.  Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A Review of the Literature.  ASPE August

 2009.  Web.  4 Dec 2011.

Goodman, Mickey.  “Super Bowl a magnet for under-age sex trade.”  Reuters 2 Feb

            2011.  Reuters online.  Web.  5 Dec 2011.

Hughes, Donna M.  Raymond, Janice G.  Sex Trafficking Of Women In The United

            States.  Coalition Against Trafficking in Women March 2011.  Web. 4 Dec 2011.