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Darcee Young

Professor Broadbent

Writing 39C

25 April 2018

HCP Draft

Although the United States is rooted in the doctrines of freedom, current issues today

such as sex trafficking prove that individuals in the United States are not actually free. While the

type of slavery that existed in the past is commonly associated with images of chains and whips,

human sex trafficking in the United States is a more modern and growing form of slavery that

exists today. Although cases of sex trafficking in the United States may not be evident in plain

sight, individuals are being trafficked in public places such as neighborhoods, schools, and

stores. According to Kimberly Kotrla and Beth Wommack, “Sex Trafficking of Minors in the

U.S.: Implications for Policy, Prevention and Research,” the Victims of Trafficking and Violence

Protection Act defines sex trafficking as “a recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or

obtaining of a person for the purpose of commercial sex act” with commercial sex acts being one

where some sort of worth and value is exchanged between the individuals involved (Kotrla and

Beth Wommack). Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that continues to thrive until this day with

women and minors as the main victims. This leads to detrimental, lasting physical and

psychological effects on its victims.

Sex trafficking is an industry that makes billions of dollars by exploiting mainly women

and minors. Minors are those that are 18 years of age or younger. Camille A. Gibson, “Sex

Trafficking within the United States” explains that in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San
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Francisco, and Las Vegas, “about 50,000 persons are enslaved in the United States and that about

half of these might be minors” (Gibson). This is significant because minors are being enslaved

and forced into sexual acts even until today. Natalie M. McClain and Stacy E. Garrity, “Sex

Trafficking and the Exploitation of Adolescents,” state that many young girls fall for the tricks of

sex traffickers and the average age that these young girls are trafficked at is the age of 13

(McClain and Stacy E. Garrity).

The definition of sex trafficking is complicated because people have different views on

whether sex trafficking is synonymous with prostitution. For example, according to Galma Jahic

and James Fickenauer, “Representations and Misrepresentations of Human Trafficking,” many

see trafficking as another form of prostitution because they both are seen as a women’s body

being sold and bought. (Jahic and Fickenauer 33). On the other hand, those that advocate for a

distinction between human trafficking and prostitution argue that “it is not necessarily in the best

interests of trafficking victims to be placed in the same basket with sex workers” (Jahic and

Fickenauer 33).