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The Issue of Sex Trafficking Discussed by Two Academic Disciplines

Karissa Low

WRIT 2 (section 2400)

2 November, 2020
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The Issue of Sex Trafficking Discussed by Two Academic Disciplines

Sex trafficking is an international issue with impacts stretching across borders, presenting

problems that leak into policy making and psychological states alike. In India alone, there are

over one million children prostituted annually, accruing to over a billion dollars in revenue a year

(Silva). Due to the pervasiveness of the issue, multiple fields of discipline, like psychology and

law, have published literature considering the consequences of sex trafficking, and steps that are

to be made if improvement is on the horizon. The psychology article “Emotional Needs of

Women Post-Rescue from Sex Trafficking in India” by Irani Machado da Silva and Anuradha

Sathiyaseelan delivers detailed accounts of personal experiences from women who have been sex

trafficked, coming to a conclusion through thematic analysis the emotional needs survivors

require when re-entering society. Associate Professor at the Lincoln Memorial University

Duncan School of Law, Shelly George, however, asserts in his article “The Strong Arm of the

Law is Weak: How the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Fails to Assist Effectively Victims of

the Sex Trade”, the lack-luster efforts attempted by the United States government to tackle the

issue of sex trafficking, and how these efforts may be improved. While discussing the same

subject, these articles vastly differ in structure, discourse, and evidence.

To start, the structures of each article differ comparatively, with the psychology article

following a traditional scientific methods approach, and the law article providing a structured,

evidence-based argumentation style approach. Respectively, the psychology article begins with

a brief introduction, warming the reader up with statistics and information about sex trafficking

in India, which then quickly devolves into the research question at hand, specific objectives of
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the article, and the methods employed1. By structuring the article traditionally, the authors

appeal to other scholars within this discipline. Other psychologists are able to recognize this

format and identify important information easily, boosting the authors’ reputability within the

field of discussion. Similarly, the authors divide the third section of the article into eight sub-

sections to specify the emotional needs mentioned by the ten women participating in the

interview2. By dividing up each need, the author places importance on each factor, allowing

them to include excerpts from the interviews, which adds emotion. The purpose of this is mainly

for the audience. A clear and concise layout allows readers to understand the authors’ points

easily, making them more likely to be persuaded. This structure technique also restricts

paragraph size greatly, so that readers are not intimidated by a block of text and are more

engaged in the study’s findings.

In comparison, the law article takes on an entirely different approach in structure. Author

George Shelly gives a lengthy introduction to the topic, providing readers a sufficient amount of

context for the following arguments. The article then begins a critical analysis of the topic,

concluding with the author’s own suggestions on what steps need to be taken in order to rectify

the severity of the matter. There is a stark contrast in strategies used between the two authors.

While the psychology article is hardened by the scientific method in explaining findings, the law

article speaks to readers directly, with little breaks in paragraphs. The format resembles that of a

1
Irani Machado da Silva, and Sathiyaseelan Anuradha, “Emotional Needs of

Women Post-Rescue from Sex Trafficking in India.” Cogent. Cogent Psychology.

June 16, 2019.

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da Silva, 2
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novel or opinion piece more than an empirically researched and tested hypothesis. There is an

advantage in this structure, however, that allows the author to employ the power of language to

capture and maintain readers attention, leading to the next difference between the articles.

Secondly, the language used in each article also differs dramatically, showcasing the

disparities between discourse communities. Since the psychology article takes on a more

scientific approach, the diction employed ensues this, using mostly methodical language. For

example, when the authors explain choosing “…participants using [a] purposive sampling

technique,” that “…is especially useful in investigative research,”3 the operating tone is direct

and factual, using logos as an appeal to logic in order to convey its message. By invoking an

analytical delivery, the authors rely on logic and a systematic procedure to discuss the issue of

sex trafficking. Not only does this sustain propriety within the discipline of psychology, but it

also aids in reassuring readers that the authors know what they are doing and what they are

talking about. Moving on, the psychology article also makes a very distinct decision in the

discourse of the essay by using the word ‘survivor’ to describe the women being interviewed

about their experiences in sex trafficking in India. The connotation of the word ‘survivor’

compared to ‘victim’—which is used in the law article—draws a visceral line between the two

disciplines. ‘Survivor’ suggests someone who has suffered greatly but is victorious in their

recovery, while ‘victim’ implies a helpless nature related to one’s trials. The choice to use

‘survivor’ in the psychology article is an exemplification of the discipline in itself, in which

goals are oriented to understand human experiences and assist with traumatic experiences.

Overall, the psychology article uses deliberate discourse to describe the study conducted,

sprinkling emotion within the article by the use of first-hand interviews

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da Silva, 3
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In contrast to the psychology article, the law article uses a robust tone that fluctuates

throughout the article, giving variance in the elocution of the argument presented. In the

introduction, the author uses striking language, especially when describing how sex trafficking is

“occurring in epidemic proportions on a global scale while the victims are suffering in silence.”4.

The author incites an urgent and serious tone, much unlike the hardened scientific inflection used

in the psychology article. In this way, the main strategy used is pathos, an appeal to emotion.

The introduction of the article serves to hook readers, with emotion-packed verbiage and diction

to grab the audience by the gut, ensuring they receive context on this emotional issue, especially

considering that “as a whole, our global community has remained silent,”5 in regard to sex

trafficking. Additionally, the author makes use of statistics to highlight the pervasiveness of the

issue, stating that “In 2000, the U.S. Congress determined that sex trafficking is a form of

modern slavery, affecting nearly 700,000 women and children yearly,”6. Here is one example

showing an extremely high number in relation to the impact of sex trafficking. By using specific

numbers to underscore the ubiquitous nature of sex trafficking, the author employs an appeal to

logic, or logos. Statistics provide a factual and immovable reality to the situation, informing

readers and other scholars alike in the ongoing issue of sex trafficking. The author also notably

uses the phrase ‘modern slavery’, which inspires the severity of the tone and language in his

message.

Lastly, each of the authors utilizes evidence in a different way in order to develop the

main argument of article. Psychologists use methods like thematic reasoning, and qualitative

research to support a thesis, while lawyers use historical evidence and legislation to prove a

point. Beginning with the psychology article, the author uses the scientific method to test the
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George Shelly “The Strong Arm of the Law Is Weak: How the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Fails to Assist
Effectively Victims of the Sex Trade.” Creighton Law Review, 563
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Shelly, 566
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Shelly, 566
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research question at hand, a component that plays into the structure of the article as well. The

scientific method is an umbrella term for the evidence that derives from it, like thematic analysis

and qualitative reasoning. Both of these strategies are appropriate because of the pre-existing

standards within the discourse community. As stated previously, by following these constraints

and guidelines, the author builds respectability and reputability within the community. Thus, the

findings of the article are less likely to be declared illegitimate and readers are more likely to be

persuaded. More importantly, the findings of the psychology article are based on first-hand

experiences of women who were once in the sex trade in India.7 Through interviews, the

emotional needs of women and survivors of sex trafficking were assessed. The interviews

provide a crucial piece of evidence, acting as the backbone to the entire article, with all analysis

originating from these ten women.

Conversely, the law article employs evidence through much different strategies than

gathering data and qualitative reasoning. The main source of evidence in the law article is

through structured argumentation by critiquing historical evidence and legislation. The author

makes assertions based on the past and the status quo, claiming neither to be sufficient or

effective in mitigating sex trafficking as a global issue8. Due to this, the author relies heavily on

logos to explain how his own thought processes and ideas hold validity and ought to be

implemented. Rather than reaching a conclusion based on a testable hypothesis, the author is

producing his own solutions, requiring a thorough critical analysis and articulation of thought.

Such strategies are exhibited in this discourse community, where reasoning through speculation

and examination forge future appraisals of fairness and equity. This approach was effective with

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da Silva, 3
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Shelly, 571
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readers and delivered a passionate, detailed and biting review of current laws designed to

improve sex trafficking.

As a whole, there is a wide range of differences between these two articles in how they

discuss sex trafficking. The primary differences are demonstrated by structure, discourse, and

evidence. Psychology and law are two vastly different disciplines with their own respective

discourse communities, contributing to the key disparities between each article in how the

authors deliver their argument. On the other hand, while dissecting the differences of each

discourse community illuminates various strategies unique to that community, there are also

some similarities worth mentioning. Both of these articles are written in an academic setting,

using formal language and proper grammar to communicate ideas. Likewise, both authors share

a goal of improvement towards the issue of sex trafficking. Whether change is by implementing

and tweaking new laws, or providing more holistic care to those who have been directly

impacted, both authors agree that sex trafficking is a pervasive issue plaguing the basement of

global society. To conclude, although both authors consider the same topic, the argumentative

approach diverges profoundly. Despite these differences, both authors manages to develop clear

arguments, conjuring their own personal style, adhering to the expectations of each discourse

community. Both are effective in their singularity, showcasing how two disciplines are

successful in the dissertation and argumentation when examining the issue of sex trafficking.
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Bibliography

George Shelly. 2012. “The Strong Arm of the Law Is Weak: How the Trafficking

Victims Protection Act Fails to Assist Effectively Victims of the Sex Trade.”

Ebscohost. Creighton Law Review. April 2012.

Machado da Silva, Irani, and Anuradha Sathiyaseelan. 2019. “Emotional Needs of

Women Post-Rescue from Sex Trafficking in India.” Cogent. Cogent Psychology.

June 16, 2019.