// *TW: Violence, Abuse //
Sex trafficking is one of the most prevalent forms of trafficking that exists. In 2019, there were 8,248 cases of sex trafficking out of the 11,500 cases of trafficking reported nation-wide. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing crimes. In a study on survivor insights done by Thorn, they found that “technology is playing an increasing role in grooming and controlling victims of DMST,” or domestic minor sex trafficking. Finally, sex trafficking is wildly underreported.
This is the first installment of Katherine and my mini-series on sex traficking. In part one, we give a detailed overview of what sex trafficking is, who is specifically targeted, and where sex trafficking is the most prevalent in the United States.
While only 1% of victims report, sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states, and 83% of victims are citizens of the United States. 99% of “buyers,” or predators, are male, and the average age of entry into the sex trade for females is 15 years old. In fact, 9,357 of victims in 2019 were females while 1,304 involved a male victim. The age of entry is even lower for male victims of sex trafficking. One in six victims who responded to a Thorn survey were under the age of twelve and it is estimated that the number of at-risk or already affected children could fit 1,300 school buses.*
By definition, sex trafficking is the trade of anything worth value in exchange for a sexual act through force, coercion, or fraud. By law, these last three provisions do not need to be proven when minors are involved–any sort of sexual exploitation relating to a child is a federal crime. One of the reasons why sex trafficking is so underreported is because of an overpowering fear of the predator, isolation, and a consistent feeling of unworthiness or incapability.
Community Indicators
According to the Guardian Group, there are community indicators, hospitality indicators, and indicators of sex trafficking for parents, caregivers, and educators. Let’s first explore some of the community indicators you can pay attention to:
- Brand- a tattoo of a crown, money, or a rose may be visible, often on the neck or the chest
- Time- a minor with someone late at night or during school hours
- Eye Contact- a younger individual either being controlled or demeaned by another (often older) person. The younger individual does not make eye contact with others.
- Words- Words such as “The Game, The Life, Track, John or Trick, Bottom Girl or Bottom Bitch, Trap or Square” may be indicators. Often the victim may call the perpetrator “daddy” or “boyfriend”
- Location- A victim may not be able to tell you where they came from or where they currently are
Hospitality Indicators
In 2017, hotels were within the top three venues for sex trafficking reports, next to illicit spa or massage businesses being number one and online ads or unknown venues being number three. In 2019, this changed, with illicit spa or massage businesses still at the forefront, while pornography and residence-based commercial sex followed. Some red flags are:
- A hotel room that multiple men frequent at various intervals
- Large amounts of cash and multiple cell phones or computers found within a room
- Frequent requests for new towels or sheets
- An adult checking in with a minor or group of girls that do not appear to be their children, or a young girl being dropped off at a hotel and the driver waiting in the parking lot
- A young person checking in with no identification, few to none personal possessions that are often carried in a plastic bag–This person may be hesitant about personal information, like an address or a phone number.
Parental/Caregiver/Educator Indicators
There are 150,000 new escort ads posted online daily. The network spreads far and wide and exists closer to us than we would like to think. Here are some indicators for educators and caregivers that must not be ignored:
- Unexplained cash or expensive new items, such as clothing or electronics
- References to music video or modeling jobs/ an older boyfriend
- Sudden AND frequent missed days of school or a drop in grades
Not only is sex trafficking extremely pervasive, but it occurs in a cycle of phases that are identified in the next section.
Vulnerabilities & the “Assessment and Recruitment” Phase
Each account of sex trafficking is incredibly complex and varies from one victim to the next, but there is a general pattern found in a horrendous cycle. First, traffickers look for specific vulnerabilities in their victim which accounts for the “assessment and recruitment” phase. The predator identifies victims who portray specific types of vulnerabilities. The Guardian Group explains how predators may target a young girl with self-esteem issues by observing how they react to a compliment: “if she lowers her head, she is potentially a good target.”
While no one is exempt from potentially being targeted, there are certain individuals who are at a higher risk due to specific vulnerabilities that they may possess or be exposed to. Traffickers often look for children who are runaways or homeless. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported in 2019 that one in every six children who had run away were victims of sex trafficking. There were over 23,500 runaways in 2019, so almost 4,000 children were victims of child sex trafficking. The Guardian Group refers to “survival sex,” or “the act of trading your body for a sexual act for a basic human need (i.e. food, clothing, shelter)” in order to help explain some of the vulnerabilities that are explored throughout this article. Furthermore, “less familiar forms of DMST (domestic minor sex trafficking), including those trafficked by family members or without a clear trafficker, emerged in the DMST landscape. However, consistent in all types of DMST observed are common experiences of childhood abuse and neglect.”
Another group of individuals who are targeted are foreign nationals. Traffickers base their threats on issues of immigration: deportation, potential harm to the victim’s family, or exploitation of the language barrier. Another type of vulnerability is a history of abuse, similar to the DMST landscape. This includes survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, or war. Not only are foreign nationals targeted, but displaced individuals in general are also vulnerable. Individuals who have fled their country due to political unrest, violence/war, or because of a natural disaster are more likely to be trafficked because many of these individuals end up in dire situations.
Lastly, people who are living in poverty are at a higher risk. Impoverished people are more likely to be forced to look for ways to make money to support themselves or their family. These conditions are ideal for traffickers because they can readily exploit groups of people who rely on them for their basic needs, akin to the “survival sex” cited by The Guardian Group.
The “Grooming” Phase
After a trafficker has successfully targeted and “recruited” a victim, the predator will tactically groom their victim. There are 3 different strategies that are used by predators. The first is the “Romeo Pimp” style which is when a trafficker manipulates and nurtures the victim at the same time. The trafficker poses as a boyfriend or romantic partner, and he insinuates or makes the victim believe that they must perform sexual acts as part of the relationship. The second form is the “Gorilla Pimp”. This style of predator uses violence to control his victims. The last is based on familial trafficking which occurs when the family members sell their child or children for money.
The “Breaking” Phase
The third phase is referred to as breaking, and for many, this can be a very violent phase. Traffickers break a victim down whether that is by crushing his/her self-esteem, through violent acts such as gang rapes, by making the victim feel eternally indebted to the trafficker, forms of isolation, or different types of psychological abuse. The Guardian refers to this as introducing the victim into “the life.” Traffickers force or intimidate their victims to continue in “the life” through psychological abuse, such as shaming. Statements like “You are just a whore now” “No one will believe you” “Your family won’t love you” or “You are the one committing a crime” may be used. Typically, if the victim does not enter recovery before this phase, it becomes much more difficult to do so after.
The “Maintenance” and “Automatic” Phase
The breaking phase is essential to the last phase of this cyclical process: maintenance. Individuals who enter into this phase continue to do what they are told in order to prevent punishment or violence. The Guardian refers to this phase as running on “autopilot.” It is a phase where the victim has become numb, whether this is as a result of feeling worthless or fear of them or their family being harmed. It is incredbily essential to intercede and break this cycle to avoid patterns and cycles of sex trafficking. Even more importantly, victims are broken down to the point where they have compromised the value of their own life.
We must empower victims while also identifying predators in order to target the issue of sex trafficking. While we will get into detail on how to help victims in our last article, our next article in the series will address how COVID-19 has exacerbated situations and vulnerabilities associated with sex trafficking, making it easier for traffickers to identify and prey on victims.
*Statistics taken from the Guardian Group
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