Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking is a practice performed all over the world, and it does not happen to young girls and women as most may expect but to men as well as young boys. “Sex trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Traffickers use force, fraud or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or sexual exploitation.” This is defined by Homeland security and differentiates from the definition used in America.
In America, any minor under the age of 18 engaged in commercial sex acts is automatically considered a victim of sex trafficking under the law. This comes from the website, endslaverynow.org. They also estimate that there are about 4.5 million current victims of sex trafficking right now.
The issue is not only impacting worldwide but here in America as well as agencies in America importing and exporting in and out. Sex trafficking though does not and is not defined as having to do with transportation at all. It is sexual exploitation upon minors by force, fraud or coercion.

Through the internet as well, there has become easier ways to traffic victims and obtain them. Ways to lure victims may be by posting promising ads on a dating site to trade in consensual sexual activity, seemingly safe for the viewer. These ads can be monitored and administered by trafficking agencies. It can be difficult to track which ads are safe and not attempts to lure victims; traffickers will even pretend to be someone they aren’t. The day that craigslist had opened the adult service section, from endslaverynow.org, there were 10,000 to 16,000 postings a day in the category, this goes to show just how difficult it can be to properly filter these kinds of ads out. Additionally, traffickers can use fake website ads, social media to market the younger audience having them unknowingly come to them. This goes to show just how simple the internet can make the traffickers task.

Victims are sometimes in situations where they do have the ability to escape or even find outside contact, one of the reasons human slaves of any kind will not always attempt this is because of their so-called debt was given to them by who trafficked them often for the costs of living to sustain for them. Some organizations help these people realize that they do not indeed owe any debt to them and that they can not correctly or legally be owned. The toll of psychological damage that takes place can make victims feel as though they’re at home, give up and accept their circumstances or not know that what’s happening is illegal. Victims were taken in at a young age or who have been in the scene for so long may think it’s their job and not see giving their body away in prostitution as slavery. That is why it is essential to act sooner than later, and for it to be spoken about but often we as Americans don’t realize this happens so close to home or because it has no practical or direct impact on the average American, they may never take action. Ways that we can fight human slavery is by donating to organizations who help speak out about it in areas where it is well known to take place and inform people of it before it happens. We need to speak about it more, most of the time, human trafficking agencies work alongside legitimate businesses, there are sites which can inform individuals of which companies are in favor or use trafficking to be sure customers are not helping them profit them.
