Child sex and human trafficking is more prominent and recognized today in the United States than it has ever been. Sex trafficking “occurs when someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or causes a minor to commit a commercial sex act” (Shared Hope, 2016). A commercial sex act includes pornography, the act of sex (prostitution), or any other sex act in exchange for some type of compensation, including money, drugs, or basic human needs such as shelter, clothing, or food. Children are lured into the sex trafficking world through social media/social networks, their neighborhood, the internet, and school. The pimps/traffickers are able to lure them through promising them protection, love, an adventure,
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The number of pimps and traffickers continues to rise because people see that they can make money off of this illegal trade of children (Shared Hope 2016). Additionally, child sex trafficking is a social problem because it has stayed steady over time. Sex trafficking has been known to exist for hundreds of years, starting with the African Slave Trade where African people were brought over to the United States and exploited for not only sex, but labor as well. After slavery was banned in the United States, this brought attention to “white slavery” where people noticed that white woman and girls were being sold for money and being forced into prostitution (Oster …show more content…
This problem affects, besides the children, many other individuals in society such as policymakers, social workers, friend groups, and the people buying the service from pimps/traffickers. It affects policymakers because they have to attempt to find a way to solve the problem and keep children safe. Social workers are affected because they have to attempt to help the children put in these sex trafficking situations and care for their mental health as well as their placement in institutions, such as foster care. Friend groups are affected because they often reject the child who is involved in sex trafficking and ostracize the child. The buyers of child sex slaves are affected because they are the ones using the service and encouraging the spread and continuation of the child sex trafficking. The problem is thought to be very widespread. It happens in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C. and many other countries throughout the world. Even though legislation has been put in place to try to prevent child sex trafficking, the problem is still very widespread and goes unnoticed by a lot of common
The number of pimps and traffickers continues to rise because people see that they can make money off of this illegal trade of children (Shared Hope 2016). Additionally, child sex trafficking is a social problem because it has stayed steady over time. Sex trafficking has been known to exist for hundreds of years, starting with the African Slave Trade where African people were brought over to the United States and exploited for not only sex, but labor as well. After slavery was banned in the United States, this brought attention to “white slavery” where people noticed that white woman and girls were being sold for money and being forced into prostitution (Oster …show more content…
This problem affects, besides the children, many other individuals in society such as policymakers, social workers, friend groups, and the people buying the service from pimps/traffickers. It affects policymakers because they have to attempt to find a way to solve the problem and keep children safe. Social workers are affected because they have to attempt to help the children put in these sex trafficking situations and care for their mental health as well as their placement in institutions, such as foster care. Friend groups are affected because they often reject the child who is involved in sex trafficking and ostracize the child. The buyers of child sex slaves are affected because they are the ones using the service and encouraging the spread and continuation of the child sex trafficking. The problem is thought to be very widespread. It happens in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C. and many other countries throughout the world. Even though legislation has been put in place to try to prevent child sex trafficking, the problem is still very widespread and goes unnoticed by a lot of common