What Do You Really Know About Sex Trafficking?

When you graduate high school the first question EVERYONE asks you is, "What's next? College? Job? Marriage?" They are unavoidable questions until you are past college age. Because of this question, and my response, sex trafficking is a common subject amongst people I talk with.

My most recent encounter was with this older gentleman. I was getting up-to-date on all my mandatory shots because I'll be out of the country many times while in school. Because of this fact, which apparently was put into my "chart" at the doctor's office, the first question the older gentleman asked me while giving me my Hep A shot was, "What are you going to school for?"

My response was very robotic because I've been asked the same question a billion times. I simply said, "Social Justice. Such as sex trafficking, child soldiering, etc... mainly with the focus on childhood injustices." I figured that would be where the conversation ended. Honestly, I figured this man was just making small talk to make it less awkward between us. He just wanted to get the shots in my arm so he could be done for the day. I was fine with that though, I felt the exact same way!

To my surprise he kept on asking me questions. His next one, "Where are you planning on going?" This is the typical follow-up question once I've expressed what I'm going to school for. So, I wasn't shocked or blown away by this question, I just answered it as I always did when talking to other people, "Germany actually. That's my first planned spot, though I know plans can change. But I really want to move to Germany for a couple of years to work with sex trafficked girls." I was caught off guard when his jaw practically hit the floor at my response.

I just stared at him, awkwardly, because that's what I do. I really wasn't sure why he was so shocked. It was just Germany, not a super dangerous place or anything like that. Finally, after a long awkward pause, he managed to pick his jaw up off the ground and said, "Sex trafficking goes on in GERMANY?!?!?" Okay, now it's my turn to be shocked. I had to then pick up my jaw off the ground, but once I did I managed to calmly reply, "Yes, Sir. Sex trafficking happens everywhere. Even in this beautiful State we so happily call home." After this, all bets were off. I couldn't stop talking about sex trafficking with this guy. He asked questions and couldn't wait to hear about all the things I was planning on doing with my life and through my studies.

After I left, as happy as could be that I informed someone else of the statistics of sex trafficking, I couldn't help but stop and wonder why everyone was SO shocked about the stats I brought to their attention in regards to this subject. The most common response when I'm telling someone about sex trafficking is, "I didn't know it was THAT bad!" It shocks me every time I hear someone say those words. I then must remember that it's not a common "dinner table" conversation topic. People just simply need to be informed. It's really that plain and simple.

This led me to write this post. When you're faced with someone who doesn't know a thing about sex trafficking, but wants to be further informed, it's really nice to have some good stats under your belt so you can answer their questions accordingly and correctly. Here are some that are my favorites, because they inform people on how bad sex trafficking is, and tend to answer the many questions I've been asked in my past "sex trafficking information" conversations:

-There are approximately 27 million boys and girls that are currently victims of sex trafficking all over the world.
-1 in 5 pornographic photographs on the internet are of a child.
-Between 14,500 and 17,500 girls are trafficked into the U.S. Yearly. That's not including the girls that are trafficked within the U.S. itself.
-The average global cost to buy a sex trafficked girl/boy for a "trick" is $90.
-1.2 million people globally fall into sex trafficking, each year.
-The U.S. is a destination country for thousands of people trafficked from East Asia, Mexico, and Central America for sexual/labor exploitation.
-The U.S. is one of the top 3 countries of destination for sex tourism.
-The average victim involved in sex trafficking can be forced to have sex 20-48 times a day.
-More then 50% of sex trafficking victims are under the age of 18.
-In 2011, 94% of sex trafficking victims were females, 6% males. This is from a case study that the Department of Justice did of 389 cases of sex trafficking involving 460 victims.
-It's reported that in the past 30 years 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation.
-There are girls as young as 6 and 6, in  the U.S., that are forced to do sexual acts for an economic gain, by pimps.

These are just a FEW facts. You can find many more on our twitter (AMAsexTfacts) or by searching the internet. But, I hope the next time you are faced with questions about sex trafficking these statistics help you to be confident in your answers and in the information you wish to share with those around you.

I also love to be informed on new stats that I don't know. So if you know more or you think we forgot any that should definitely be in this post, please comment, email, or somehow contact Nicole and I and we would love to add your new stats to this post to contribute to the information that others, including myself, might use to confidently inform someone on the subject of sex trafficking.

Sincerely,
Janice and Nicole

Your Answer: Yes or No

A fast heads up about this post. It has similar ideas to a post that was done when this blog first started. The post is called "Hookers Matter Too." If you have read it please keep that in mind and if you haven't read the post, after reading this one, go and check it out! Now, to start!

 Hello wonderful people! I hope that you are all doing good and that you are excited for the weekend. My week was very busy. Part of it is because of a research paper I am doing, yes it is about sex trafficking. But, part of my research has brought me to a question. This question is something I have thought about a lot in the past. And the question is really starting to pop up every where in my research.

Is prostitution a form of sex trafficking?

Now, what is your answer? Lately, as I have been really going into this question I have found that some people say yes, and some say no. I have not asked enough people to truly know the full, well rounded, average answer, but as I am sitting here typing, I think it would be awesome to go around and pull enough people to truly get the idea of what people say for their answer.

Anyway, this topic is something that Janice and I have talked on before and that we both believe is true. Prostitution is a form of sex trafficking.

Do you agree with our statement? Do you disagree with our statement? Or do you agree with our statement but you don't really know how it is a part of sex trafficking? Well, now, don't worry. Janice and I are going to shed some light on the situation and the next time you are asked this question you have more of an informed opinion.

By definition sex trafficking is, "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose...Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to preform such act has not attained 18 years of age. The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery."

Now, in that definition there are several very important terms I would like to draw from. One being peonage, which by Webster's dictionary means, "the use of laborers bound by servitude." I may have slightly added this one in because I didn't know what it meant. And the next word I want to bring in is debt bondage, which in this case means the working of a person to repay a debt owed to another.

So, some of you may see where I am going with this and if you don't, keep reading anyway. You will find out soon enough.

Okay, so, here is what's up.  Prostitution is a hot topic, and here is part of the reason why. Many people believe that a prostitute is someone who chose openly and willingly to start with the sale of his or her body. And, in some cases this is true, I agree with that. But, here is where the definition of sex trafficking makes an appearance. Many girls who enter into prostitution cannot get out, once in. Too often they become the property of a pimp who would rather force her to continue to go out and make him or her money then to let her leave the age old business.

This is where the whole slavery, forced prostitution, peonage and debt bondage come in. The want of money because more of a, "I helped make you who you are in this and I want my money back. And you are going to get me that money." The fear of the pimp is put into the girls and they generally cannot leave.

Now, this is not always the case but it is the case more often then not. But, here is the next part of the issue. A lot of girls who are prostitutes, by definition, are forced from start to finish. And with that, that falls into the definition of sex trafficking.

I have a little analogy for you guys, one that I am pretty proud of, if I do say so myself.

We are going to view sex trafficking as the whole higher education system.

I go to a Christian University. But that is not the only type of universities there are. There are a lot. Then add the fact that there are Christian Colleges as well. Then there is your amazing high up Colleges and Schools, like Harvard, Yale and Oxford. You catch my drift. But don't forget about your normal run of the mill community colleges that will almost always accept any application (please know I am not bashing any form of higher education, I am trying to prove a point rather extravagantly).

Now, look at sex trafficking. We are going to consider prostitution as community colleges. Community colleges are still considered a form of higher education. Though it may not take a lot to get in, their price to attend is not extravagant and they are found almost everywhere. We still consider them a form of higher education.

This is how we also view prostitution as a form of sex trafficking. Though, there are a lot of views on the matter and the fact that there are so many different factors with prostitution, it is still a form of sex trafficking. You wouldn't say that community colleges weren't a higher education source because you cant live on its campus. So, why would you say that prostitution isn't sex trafficking because you are only forming the answer on personal opinion or because there are different factors that play into prostitution?

To stop sex trafficking we cant ignore part of the issue. It would be like trying to cure a person with brain and liver cancer but only attacking the cancer around the liver. The cancer on the brain would cause issues no matter what and not go away on its own.

Lets make sure to attack every form of this cancer called sex trafficking,

Nicole and Janice

Email: askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com
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