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Darcee Young
Professor Broadbent
Writing 39C
25 April 2018
HCP Draft
Although the United States is rooted in the doctrines of freedom, current issues today
such as sex trafficking prove that individuals in the United States are not actually free. While the
type of slavery that existed in the past is commonly associated with images of chains and whips,
human sex trafficking in the United States is a more modern and growing form of slavery that
exists today. Although cases of sex trafficking in the United States may not be evident in plain
sight, individuals are being trafficked in public places such as neighborhoods, schools, and
stores. According to Kimberly Kotrla and Beth Wommack, “Sex Trafficking of Minors in the
U.S.: Implications for Policy, Prevention and Research,” the Victims of Trafficking and Violence
obtaining of a person for the purpose of commercial sex act” with commercial sex acts being one
where some sort of worth and value is exchanged between the individuals involved (Kotrla and
Beth Wommack). Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that continues to thrive until this day with
women and minors as the main victims. This leads to detrimental, lasting physical and
Sex trafficking is an industry that makes billions of dollars by exploiting mainly women
and minors. Minors are those that are 18 years of age or younger. Camille A. Gibson, “Sex
Trafficking within the United States” explains that in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San
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Francisco, and Las Vegas, “about 50,000 persons are enslaved in the United States and that about
half of these might be minors” (Gibson). This is significant because minors are being enslaved
and forced into sexual acts even until today. Natalie M. McClain and Stacy E. Garrity, “Sex
Trafficking and the Exploitation of Adolescents,” state that many young girls fall for the tricks of
sex traffickers and the average age that these young girls are trafficked at is the age of 13
The definition of sex trafficking is complicated because people have different views on
whether sex trafficking is synonymous with prostitution. For example, according to Galma Jahic
see trafficking as another form of prostitution because they both are seen as a women’s body
being sold and bought. (Jahic and Fickenauer 33). On the other hand, those that advocate for a
distinction between human trafficking and prostitution argue that “it is not necessarily in the best
interests of trafficking victims to be placed in the same basket with sex workers” (Jahic and
Fickenauer 33).