Sex Trafficking
Sex Trafficking
RAHAB began over twenty years ago, long before trafficking was a familiar term. While the term has become more familiar in our society, it is still an often misunderstood issue, conjuring images from movies and media that do not represent the majority of trafficking cases in the United States or the breadth of it in your own community.
The truth is that sex trafficking is happening in every community, because of the widespread demand for commercial sex. When there is a high demand for commercial sex, such as pornography, prostitution, or strip clubs and other venues, there is a high rate of sex trafficking to supply the demand. Â
The information below will give you a brief overview of the issue of sex trafficking in the United States, but if you’d like to deepen your knowledge and understanding about the complex issue of trafficking, please attend one of our free training sessions. Click here to learn more about upcoming trainings or request a speaker for your organization or event.Â
Sex Trafficking Definition:
Sex trafficking, according to Federal Law is “a commercial sex act that is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not yet attained 18 years of age.”
Breaking It Down:
To meet the definition of a “commercial” sex act, something of value must be exchanged for the sex act, this can be money, food, shelter, drugs, or other things that may be perceived as valuable, including things of emotional value. These things of value do not have to be obtained by the person who is victimized in the sex act, but can be obtained by someone else.
A sex act is not limited to intercourse in trafficking, but can include other acts such stripping, pornography, phone sex and more.
The distinction between commercial sex work and sex trafficking is the induction by force, fraud or coercion, or the victim being a minor.
It is important to emphasize that any minor involved in commercial sex act is being sex trafficked.  Click here to learn more about how RAHAB is serving minors who have been directly affected by sex trafficking.
Induced by Force
Force includes, but is not limited to, physical assault, rape, sexual assault, beatings, and drugging.
Example:
A young woman uses substances as a coping mechanism for anxiety. She is unable to sleep without using drugs and has daily panic attacks if she doesn’t smoke. Her supplier routinely gets her high, then sexually assaults her, or allows others to for money, when she is in a stupor from the drug use. Even after she becomes aware of the assaults, she continues to go to her supplier to meet her substance needs.Â
Induced by Fraud
Fraud includes false job opportunities, lying about the type of work at a job or working conditions, false promises around payment for a job, and so on.
Example:
A woman starts working at a strip club to make money for rent. It is not until after she is employed that she finds out that the boss expects workers to perform sexual acts for clients in the VIP room when asked. She is told that the boss has fired people in the past who refused to participate in these acts. Needing the money to maintain a place to live, she does what is asked of her.
Induced by Coercion
Coercion includes threats to harm the person or their family, blackmail or revenge porn, confiscating documents, making someone afraid to seek help, and various kinds of intimidation.
Example:
A young woman is involved in a domestic violence relationship with a boyfriend, but lives at home. When she goes to his house, he insists on picking her up so she cannot leave on her own volition and must have him drive her home. He does not let her leave unless she engages in sex acts with him. In the past, he refused to drive her home by curfew, getting her in trouble with her parents. Fearful of that happening again, she complies with his sexual demands.
 There is no one demographic of people who are targeted by traffickers.Â
Survivors of trafficking expand across all economic statuses, races, ethnicities, gender, and social classes. What does remain consistent in survivors is that vulnerability puts them at higher risk to trafficking. These vulnerabilities could be from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), homelessness, mental illness, substance use and addiction, being in a minority population, or other life challenges.Â
Vulnerable people are sought out and chosen by those who want to exploit them. They look for people with vulnerabilities because they are more easily manipulated. Traffickers groom a vulnerable person to be dependent upon them so that they cannot simply leave. Â
There is no one demographic of trafficker.
Traffickers can be from any economic status, race, ethnicity, gender, age, or social class. Traffickers also have vulnerabilities which lead to them becoming a trafficker as a means of survival. A study of ex-pimps found that 68% had been trafficked themselves and 72% were recruited into that role. Many traffickers take on the role to fill their own missing sense of power, control or respect. While we will never condone their behaviors, it is important to recognize the cyclical nature of the trauma and that these offenders have also been victims.
Trauma tends to be cyclical or occur throughout multiple generations of a family.Â
The cyclical nature of trauma is a big component of how both survivors and traffickers become involved in trafficking.Â
If you believe that you, or someone you know, has experienced trafficking, we encourage you to report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.Â
If you have, or still are experiencing trafficking or any related issues and would like to connect with RAHAB for support, please click here to learn more about our services and how you can reach us. We would love to hear from you.