Summary: The Social Effects Of Sex Trafficking
“Although there are insufficient data that report the social effects of sex trafficking, anecdotal evidence suggests that victims have a greater prevalence of illiteracy, homelessness, poverty, and societal isolation. Trafficked women engaging in sex work tend to have fewer resources, limited options, and increased vulnerability to violence and abuse than women who are not trafficked” (Deshpande & Nour, 25-26). Sex traffickers may often target families living in poverty and seek to purchase girls or young women with the promise of a better life in a richer nation. Traffickers may also target women who are already engaged in prostitution to be transported overseas. Traffickers commonly recruit potential victims who are either economically
or socially vulnerable. They may also recruit women suffering from: drug addiction, violence in the families, a history of child sexual abuse, family dysfunction, school failure, or a history of criminal behaviors. Typically, victims are recruited through either finesse or guerrilla pimping. Finesse pimping involves using compassion, kindness, and psychological games such as luring victims through small gifts of cash, clothes, shelter, food, and drugs that make them feel obligated or indebted to the trafficker. Guerrilla pimping involves using violence, threats, intimidation, or aggression in order to recruit and then enslave the victim. The countries from which many of the victims originate have unstable political climates and are economically disadvantaged. An article tells the story of a 15 year old girl that ran away to ‘find herself’. She met a 32 year old man who offered her a place to stay and won her trust with gifts and long late-night conversations where he listened to stories about her hopes and dreams. This man won her over using lies and deception and eventually he made his intention clear that he was only interested in exploiting her for sex. Traffickers may also target girls who have absent or abusive fathers. Sometimes the trafficker is a legitimate employer, or acts like one, and offers and promises a job opportunity. The victims typically come from unstable and economically devastated places that are vulnerable and characterized by oppression, high rates of illiteracy, little social stability, and few economic opportunities.
or socially vulnerable. They may also recruit women suffering from: drug addiction, violence in the families, a history of child sexual abuse, family dysfunction, school failure, or a history of criminal behaviors. Typically, victims are recruited through either finesse or guerrilla pimping. Finesse pimping involves using compassion, kindness, and psychological games such as luring victims through small gifts of cash, clothes, shelter, food, and drugs that make them feel obligated or indebted to the trafficker. Guerrilla pimping involves using violence, threats, intimidation, or aggression in order to recruit and then enslave the victim. The countries from which many of the victims originate have unstable political climates and are economically disadvantaged. An article tells the story of a 15 year old girl that ran away to ‘find herself’. She met a 32 year old man who offered her a place to stay and won her trust with gifts and long late-night conversations where he listened to stories about her hopes and dreams. This man won her over using lies and deception and eventually he made his intention clear that he was only interested in exploiting her for sex. Traffickers may also target girls who have absent or abusive fathers. Sometimes the trafficker is a legitimate employer, or acts like one, and offers and promises a job opportunity. The victims typically come from unstable and economically devastated places that are vulnerable and characterized by oppression, high rates of illiteracy, little social stability, and few economic opportunities.