Child Sex Trafficking in the United States
Child Sex Trafficking in the United States
Abstract
Child sex trafficking is a current epidemic in the United States. Being the second largest criminal industry in the world, the impact of human trafficking, especially among our youth should not be taken lightly. Currently, research has shown that the United States is one of 10 top destinations in the world for human trafficking, child sex trafficking included. As a result of the increase of child sex trafficking in the United States, programs are being pursued, on every level, to attempt to eliminate this social problem. The impact on child sex trafficking victims is substantial. They suffer from potential long lasting psychological problems and experience physical and emotional trauma. These children are at risk of getting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. They also have a higher increased risk of committing suicide. Implications to better protect all children from becoming a victim of child sex trafficking are given. Reasonably new characteristics of this topic are offered for potential directions for future research.
Child Sex Trafficking in the United States
Child sex trafficking is a horrible crime that is a major violation of the child’s human rights, and an extreme life-threatening form of child maltreatment (Rafferty, 2008, p. 13). Child trafficking includes the buying, selling, or stealing of children for an individual’s personal benefit. The illegal trade of children, sexual and non-sexual, is just one of the contributors to the extensive universal problem of human trafficking (Meier, 2008, p. 186). Benjamin S. Buckland (2008, p. 42), a self-employed political scholar in Geneva, describes human trafficking as a social phenomenon in which people are transported for the purpose of being exploited. Buckland’s definition is applicable for all types of human trafficking, including child sex trafficking. Unbeknownst to many, there are several types of human trafficking that are
Abstract
Child sex trafficking is a current epidemic in the United States. Being the second largest criminal industry in the world, the impact of human trafficking, especially among our youth should not be taken lightly. Currently, research has shown that the United States is one of 10 top destinations in the world for human trafficking, child sex trafficking included. As a result of the increase of child sex trafficking in the United States, programs are being pursued, on every level, to attempt to eliminate this social problem. The impact on child sex trafficking victims is substantial. They suffer from potential long lasting psychological problems and experience physical and emotional trauma. These children are at risk of getting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. They also have a higher increased risk of committing suicide. Implications to better protect all children from becoming a victim of child sex trafficking are given. Reasonably new characteristics of this topic are offered for potential directions for future research.
Child Sex Trafficking in the United States
Child sex trafficking is a horrible crime that is a major violation of the child’s human rights, and an extreme life-threatening form of child maltreatment (Rafferty, 2008, p. 13). Child trafficking includes the buying, selling, or stealing of children for an individual’s personal benefit. The illegal trade of children, sexual and non-sexual, is just one of the contributors to the extensive universal problem of human trafficking (Meier, 2008, p. 186). Benjamin S. Buckland (2008, p. 42), a self-employed political scholar in Geneva, describes human trafficking as a social phenomenon in which people are transported for the purpose of being exploited. Buckland’s definition is applicable for all types of human trafficking, including child sex trafficking. Unbeknownst to many, there are several types of human trafficking that are
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