Sex trafficking
A form of modern slavery for sexual exploitation.
Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators, called sex traffickers or pimps, use force, fraud, and coercion to recruit, transport, and provide victims for commercial sex. It has been called a form of modern slavery because victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery.
- field
- Human trafficking, sexual exploitation
- known_for
- Defined by the Palermo Protocol and U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000; involves force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sex acts
- global_victims_2012
- 4.5 million in forced sexual exploitation (ILO)
- global_victims_2016
- 5 million in sexual exploitation (ILO)
- global_profits
- $99 billion (ILO)
Lore & Background
Sex trafficking is defined internationally by the Palermo Protocol, adopted in 2000, which requires member states to criminalize trafficking. The protocol outlines three elements: action (recruitment, transportation), means (coercion, fraud, abuse of power), and purpose (exploitation including prostitution, forced labor, slavery). In the United States, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defined sex trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for a commercial sex act; for victims under 18, no force, fraud, or coercion need be proven.
Reader's Guide
The covert nature of the crime makes accurate statistics challenging. Traffickers often operate across state and country lines, creating jurisdictional difficulties for prosecution. The Palermo Protocol provides the foundational international definition, though many nations' domestic laws are narrower, leading to fewer prosecutions. In the United States, traffickers frequently recruit victims in public places, using promises of money or jobs, and maintain control through coercion, drugs, and withholding documents.
Did You Know?
- In the United States, if the victim is under 18, no force, fraud, or coercion needs to be proven for a sex trafficking charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sex trafficking?
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, movement, or provision of individuals into commercial sexual acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. It sits within the broader category of human trafficking but is specifically oriented toward sexual exploitation.
Who are the perpetrators in Sex trafficking?
The individuals who carry out these crimes are commonly called sex traffickers or pimps. They manipulate, deceive, or physically compel victims into providing sexual services for financial gain.
Why is Sex trafficking described as a form of modern slavery?
Victims are compelled to perform sexual acts without genuine consent, placing them in a condition of sexual bondage. This mirrors historical slavery in that individuals are effectively reduced to property exploited for another person's profit.
What legal instruments define Sex trafficking?
The Palermo Protocol and the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 are the principal legal frameworks that establish the definition. Both center on the elements of force, fraud, or coercion used to secure victims for commercial sex acts.
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