Heidi Shope Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 5th, 2018

Taken: Preventing Sex Trafficking in the US

Let’s get right to it, I’m scared to go to Walmart by myself at night. I am scared to go

most places at night by myself. The fear put into our heads about sex trafficking is real. Sex

trafficking, according to Shared Hope International, 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. There is a very strong demand for sex with minors and that’s the reason the industry Deleted: is

thrives so much today. It is a form of modern-day slavery that is stripping people of their

freedom as we speak. It has becoming a booming industry in the US, especially in Atlanta, GA,

where it’s worth $290 million. SO, How the United states is trying to prevent such a large, Deleted: I’m here to research
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growing industry and how people can become aware that it is happening and stop it. Deleted: h
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There are hundreds of thousands of victims of sex trafficking in the United States. It is

happening all around us and people have to be aware of it before it can be stopped. The victims Deleted: that

are waiting for you to notice it. It can start with an innocent relationship that turns violent and the

girl becomes afraid, scared to stand up for herself and hopes others will notice her struggle.

According to Adrianna Robinson, a journalist for Charlotte Stories, there is an average of 78 sex Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

trafficking cases every year in North Carolina and Charlotte is the #1 city. It is happening closer
than we think it is. It is a very secretive industry and for many, it goes unnoticed, but there are Deleted: e
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many people trying to prevent it, and provide comfort for the victims. Deleted: is
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A popular organization fighting to prevent sex trafficking is called Polaris Project,
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founded in 2002. They are attempting to help victims who are afraid to come forward, build the Deleted: was

largest public data sets of the number of vitcims of sex trafficking in the US to raise awareness, Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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and enlist law enforcement to prevent and disrupt it. They have a National Human Trafficking

Hotline that people can call if they need help, or if they see something they think they should

report. This is a very efficient way of preventing sex trafficking because bystanders and/or

victims can easily and anonymously report it and get help for the victims. Another popular

organization is Shared Hope International. An organization much like Polaris Project, they are

fighting to prevent sex trafficking, restore the victim’s lives, and bring justice. Organizations like

this are what help the victims stand up against their traffickers. These can bring the victims

closure after their experience and possibly even provide a job and a home in order to pursue a

normal life again.

There are many myths about sex trafficking that people have to be aware of, according to

Natalie Jesionka, a journalist for The Muse and a professor at Rutgers University. People often Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

think that sex trafficking is something that happens across international borders, never right in Deleted: i

America. Although it happens worldwide, people have to realize that is a local issue and if they

aren’t aware they could potentially be the next victim. Another myth is that there must be

evidence of a physical force or bondage to consider it sex trafficking. Even if the victims are not

physically tied up doesn’t mean they can escape. Many victims are threatened that if they leave Deleted:
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they will be found and killed, therefore the victims are verbally restrained and are too scared to

try to leave or run away. Lastly, a very popular false accusation is “if they are a victim they will Deleted: that
immediately come forward to the police and ask for help”. There are multiple reasons that this is

myth. The victims are traumatized after the unimaginable situation they have been put through

and some don’t have the courage to come forward immediately, or ever and face what has

happened to them. Another reason is that they are afraid of being accused of a crime rather than

be treated as a victim and have a significant amount of trust issues. Lastly, these victims often

blame themselves for the situation and don’t want to come forward thinking it was something

they did wrong and shouldn’t have gotten themselves into. Therefore, when it comes to

recognizing victims of sex trafficking, you need to be aware of the signs and possible

experiences the victim is going through in order to help them. You can’t always believe what

you hear, myths like these come up a lot in sex trafficking. You need to educate yourself about

the topic in order to prevent what is happening.

One major problem with sex trafficking is mistaking it for kidnapping, prostitution, or

rape. People have to understand the issue before a real change is made. Sex trafficking is not

simply kidnapping, or a rape investigation. Many victims are afraid to come forward because of

the fear of getting accused of prostitution. In a recent case, a 24-year old woman was persuaded

to get in a vehicle with a strange man on her way home from a friend’s house. He gave her Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

ecstasy tablets and told her that she was his property. Four years later she got arrested and Deleted: 4
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accused of prostitution. Once she bravely told her story she got help and the charges dropped

because it was proved against her will. Sadly, in some states, laws against sex trafficking aren’t

put into place and the victims only hope is a good lawyer. These states need laws against it in

order to allow for the victim to have future jobs, housing, and a social life.

Yet another large issue when it comes to portraying sex trafficking is the media. Many

movies assume the trafficker is a strong gangster who takes innocent girls. The traffickers aren’t
always powerful pimps, they could be clean cut, nice men or in some cases, normal women. The

victims aren’t always innocent women; sometimes it can be children sold to the traffickers by Deleted: ,
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their parents, or women getting tricked and lured into the industry. It is even common for women

to make the choice to be trafficked because they can’t get a job, but soon regretting it after

realizing there It is extremely difficulty to escape and heal from. Therefore, watching a movie

about sex trafficking does bring fear, but doesn’t supply you with all the things you should look

for when trying to prevent sex trafficking from happening.

A big question for most people who aren’t educated about sex trafficking is what makes

you susceptible to sex trafficking. There is nothing that makes you specifically susceptible. It

could happen to the girl that you see in class every day, that is dreaming of becoming a nurse,

who listens to Ariana Grande, and gushes about her boyfriend. Girls, just every day girls/women

who are like everyone else. To give a good example, Equality Now, who helps advance women’s

and girl’s rights – explains a story about a girl named Ruth who was just 12 years old when her

mother’s boyfriend raped her. She then ran away and was picked up by a pimp and forced to

have sex for money. She escaped and became a poet where she wrote the poem Finish Line.

“See, none of this would have happened if I had help from the start – see, for me, it started in this

place that sometimes felt like hell, - But I still had to call it home” In this excerpt of her poem

she tells how it happened right in her own home. A 12-year old girl, susceptible to sex

trafficking, in a place where she should feel safe? What made her so susceptible to sex

trafficking? That is a perfect example of how it can happen anywhere and to anyone. If there are

signs that it could happen you should immediately ask for help to get yourself out of the

situation. It can happen to anyone, so be aware of your surroundings for your own safety as well Deleted: s
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as the people around you Deleted: .
 In October 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was enacted. And in the

following years up until 2013, 9 more acts were put into place to prevent sex trafficking.

Although these were enacted, the trafficking still hasn’t stopped. It is now more popular than

ever and people will always refuse to follow these laws. These laws could be more effective if

enacted in all states. In some states, sex trafficking isn’t a conviction in the court, so like in the

paragraph earlier, the victim had to get the prostitution charges she was accused of dropped in

order to continue with a normal life. Worrying about a criminal record should not be a victims’

problem because they should be getting help and the trafficker should be found and charged. The

steps to start preventing sex trafficking is to be aware of it happening around you, investigating

the cases more in depth to find and stop the trafficker instead of just help the one single victim,

and not mistake it as rape, kidnapping, or prostitution. It is a big industry that may never be

completely stopped but it can be reduced by a significant amount if those few steps were taken

more seriously.

Sex trafficking is a devastating thing and a very difficult topic to comprehend. Many

women are scared to be alone because of the stories they have heard, and the fear that is imposed

on them about being taken and forced into sex trafficking. No matter where you live in the

United States, there is a strong chance that it is happening nearby. Whether it be at the Walmart Deleted: ¶
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where you shop, or the next-door neighbor. Sex trafficking strips people of their freedom and
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scars them for life. If every person was aware of it and tried avoiding it or help victims it would ¶
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make a world of difference, literally. It is a depressing thing and once you know the realities of ¶
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it, you will want to take-action and do these things to help prevent it. ¶
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Works Cited:

“Sex Trafficking.” Polaris, 26 Oct. 2017, polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking.

“What Is Sex Trafficking?” Shared Hope International, sharedhope.org/the-problem/what-is-

sex-trafficking/.

Robinson, Adrianna. “The Charlotte Region Is Now #1 In North Carolina For Human
Trafficking.” Charlotte Stories, 23 Jan. 2018, www.charlottestories.com/charlotte-region-
now-1-north-carolina-human-trafficking/.

Jesionka, Natalie. “Human Trafficking: The Myths and the Realities.” Free Career Advice, The
Muse, 17 Jan. 2012, www.themuse.com/advice/human-trafficking-the-myths-and-the- Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5"
realities.

“R, J, L & V.” Equality Now, www.equalitynow.org/r_j_l_v.

“Human Trafficking Victims Accused of Prostitution.” Hg.org, www.hg.org/legal-articles/human-

trafficking-victims-accused-of-prostitution-39120. Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"