Sex trafficking is a form of slavery where people are coerced, defrauded or forced into performing sexual acts for profit. Victims are mostly women and girls, but can be of any gender or age. Traffickers use psychological intimidation and physical violence to control their victims. Sex tourism is a lucrative industry, and international cooperation is necessary to stop sex trafficking. The United Nations and the United States Department of Justice are responsible for investigating and prosecuting sex traffickers and their clients. Victims can get help through the Department of Health and Human Services.
Sex trafficking occurs when people are coerced, coerced, or defrauded into performing sexual acts for a commercial purpose. The profits go to the traffickers, who usually have some form of control over their victims, preventing them from seeking help or escaping. Victims of sex trafficking are mostly women and girls, but can be of either gender or of any age. This activity is a form of slavery and often crosses state or international borders.
Traffickers find their victims by picking up runaways, advertising for workers in poverty-stricken countries, and buying them from families or spouses. Prisoners are forced into prostitution or exhibitions such as pornography, striptease or live sex shows. Traffickers use psychological intimidation and physical violence to control victims. Often, victims cooperate because they fear that if they don’t, their families will be harmed.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking. Runaway teenagers or children living on the street are often desperately looking for a means of support. Traffickers prey on them by promising food, shelter and education. People from least developed countries looking for work can end up enslaved by sex trafficking offenders and forced into prostitution. Without money or outside connections, they have no escape.
Victims of sex trafficking face many dangers. In addition to beatings or torture, they may be starved, forced to work until they drop, or take drugs to which they can become addicted. They may be malnourished and contract sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV/AIDS or other diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. Victims can be killed by their captors. They are also likely to suffer from psychological issues such as depression, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic bonding, known as Stockholm syndrome.
Sex tourism is a lucrative industry, especially in Central and Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, and parts of the Caribbean and Africa. Travelers from all over the world pay handsomely for the opportunity to have sex with a minor or perform acts that may be prohibited where they live. Under US federal law, severe penalties apply to citizens who travel for the purpose of having sex with a minor or use the mail or the Internet to participate in illegal sex trafficking activities. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for investigating and prosecuting sex traffickers and their clients. Victims in the United States, citizens or otherwise, can get help and means to contact their families through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
International cooperation is a necessary step to stop sex trafficking. In 2000, the United Nations established the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. By 2009, it had been signed by 117 countries. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is responsible for enforcing this protocol. The Council of Europe also works with the United Nations to ensure the protection of victims of sex trafficking and other human rights violations.
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