Sex Trafficking And Prostitution In The United States

Within the last decade, the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation has become a major concern for governments, nongovernmental agencies and the media. Although the United States has been less visible as a transnational and domestic trafficking in women than other countries, this situation has dramatically changed. Trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation has become a national problem that is increasing in scope and magnitude. (Raymond & Gomez, 2010). The sexual exploitation of women and children through sex trafficking continues to occur in the United States and across the globe at increasingly alarming rate. The majority of sex trafficking victims are domestically trafficked within their own country …show more content…
Women and children are especially vulnerable to sex trafficking because of their experience of powerlessness, poverty, gender-based discrimination, and the history of sexual and physical violence (Viviene Cree, 2017). Traffickers employ a variety of methods to recruit their victims. They prey on weakness and vulnerability and may use coercion, extortion, threats, physical and emotional abuse, or they can manipulate and seduce their victims into compliance. They often use fraudulent ads that promise employment opportunities; once the victims are recruited they are sexually exploited and kept under control by the use of violence and drugs. Victims of sex trafficking suffer from violence and abuse from pimps and customers. Two thirds of pimps assault the prostitutes they control. Prostituted women have the highest homicide mortality rate, and have a mortality rate almost 200 times greater than other women (Wagner,& McCann, 2017). Also, victims suffer from sexually transmitted disease, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, psychological distress and other health problems. Some victims develop trauma coerced bonding with their captors as a result of complex abuse dynamics, exploitationof power imbalances, and intermittent positive and negative behavior ( Rayhavan & Doychak, …show more content…
Demand for the commercial sexual services sustains and grows the sex trafficking industry; it ensures the high profitability of the industry that encompasses both prostitution and sex trafficking. Men who buy sex are the primary customers of the industry, they influence the desired type of females and locations for seeking services. Unfortunately, male demand has increased the demand for the number of clean girls or virgins, which makes children an increasing target for the sex trafficking industry (Yen, 2008). Men who engage in commercial sex have hostile aggressive personalities, and view women as disposable objects that are tossed aside when used (Farley, Golding, Matthews, Malamut & Jarret, 2015). To meet this demand, pimps obtain a greater number of vulnerable individuals, including children, whose bodies will be used in the commercial sex