© 2015 by Women Of Renowned Distinction Recovery Center
The Mid-West has been named, a "Pipeline" in Sex Trafficking. "People need to understand that just because they see a kid on the street doesn't mean that child wants to be there. They could have been thrown from their home, or left it to escape physical or sexual abuse," Bailiff said. "Any number of situations and they're just trying to survive, and unfortunately sex traffickers prey on those types of young kids." (click image for more details)
Pimp-Controlled Prostitution
Human trafficking victims are often found in street prostitution where they are forced to provide commercial sexual services by a controller or “pimp.” Pimps force adults and minors to sell commercial sex on the streets by means of physical abuse, threats, lies, manipulation, and false promises. Victims are often expected to earn a nightly quota, ranging from $500 to $1000 or more, all confiscated by the pimp. Victims are typically U.S. citizens, including adults, girls, boys, and transgender youth. Although less common, immigrants may also be victimized.
Depending on the jurisdiction, a pimp may not be violating any law. A pimp can be defined as one who finds and manages clients for a prostitute and manages the women in prostitution in order to profit from their earnings. A pimp may not necessarily force a woman to stay with him in order to prostitute her. So, even if prostitution is illegal, a pimp who doesn't use force, fraud, or coercion to compel adult women to prostitute themselves would not be considered a trafficker.
Nearly half of all incidents investigated by U.S. law enforcement agencies between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, involved allegations of adult prostitution (48%). Forty percent involved prostitution of a child or child sexual exploitation. Fourteen percent of cases contained allegations of labor trafficking.
Glorification of Pimps –
Pop culture glamorizes pimps in music, movies, and video games that are directly marketed towards youth. Such representations hide the violent and abusive nature of pimping, and often fail to describe the ways in which pimps engage in behaviors that meet the very definitions of human trafficking.
consuming pornography is an experience of bought sex” and thus it creates a hunger to continue to purchase and objectify, and act out what is seen. And in a very literal way, pornography is advertising for trafficking, not just in general but also in the sense that traffickers and pimps use pornographic images of victims as specific advertising for their “products.
--Catherine Mackinon, a feminist professor at Harvard Law School
Pornography & Sex Trafficking
Pornographic images and videos are used as training tools for sex trafficking victims. This is first introduced during the Training stage, or "breaking" phase. Victims are repetitively beat, raped and forced to watch pornography until they are broken in spirit, completely helpless and understand the expectations of them. Moreover, clients often request pornography be shown during acts, to further enhance their own brutal experience. Pornographic images are captured of victims during the “Introductory” and continuously through the breaking and “Life” phases, to keep ads current. Visualize a 12-year-old girl who once before innocent and free that such images or acts even existed, now forced to watch, perform continually, in addition to their now shattered virtue broadcasted to the world. All, with adult men fluctuating in age of 20’s through 60’s and 70’s years old. Not only does pornography drive the demand for sex trafficking, pornography production is a form of trafficking. When we question the injustice of trafficking, first we need to look at the condition of our culture. What kind of culture is producing so many men who are eager to buy women and children for sex, contributing to a $32 billion annual human trafficking industry? The same culture that produces and perpetuates a $100 billion per year pornography industry.
Social Stigma –
The negative social stigma attached to prostitution is commonly exploited by traffickers in order to prevent victims from revealing the ways in which they are being abused and hurt. Survivors of street prostitution recount instances where family or the public treated them differently, limiting their ability to find help and access services in a non-judgmental environment.