Throughout the years, human trafficking has increased greatly across the United States. Sex trafficking, however, has continuously become the focus of kidnapping as well as murder since the industry gains millions a year. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year. The exploitation of men, women, and children have become a career for those involved in trafficking. The national government, as well as state governments, have created strategies, acts, and legislations to reduce the number of victims and increase the punishment for those involved. However, these efforts have not always been successful while others have created a great impact in the decrease of trafficking. For instance, the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2014, would make it a felony to post prostitution ads online. Resulting in making it more difficult and ultimately decreasing sex trafficking through social media. To furthermore analyze the United States efforts, the question, how has the government attempted to reduce sex trafficking in the United States, has become a focus.
Kreuser, Hannah. "AB 1708: Combating Sex Trafficking by Targeting Prostitution." University
of the Pacific Law Review, vol. 48, no. 3, July 2017, pp. 743-759. EBSCOhost,
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In this article, Hannah Kreuser informs the reader about the ways California addresses sex trafficking by focusing on prostitution. The underground sex economy in San Diego County is an $810 million per year enterprise, second to the county’s illegal drug industry (Kreuser 744). Kreuser focuses on informing the audience of the federal, as well as California’s, laws on sex trafficking. AB 1708 was first introduced in California to combat sex trafficking by targeting the buyers of sex. “Over half of all first-time arrestees for prostitution are, in fact, victims of sex trafficking.” (759). However, this bill was vetoed by Jerry Brown, the governor of California, due to laws regarding prostitution were already provided by SB 420 (759). Although this bill was vetoed, it had the potential to make a great impact in the world of sex trafficking.
Hannah Kreuser is a student at University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law. Kreuser is a part of the editorial staff as a primary managing editor for The University of Pacific Law Review Volume 48. Law Review Volume 48 is an academic journal focusing on legal issues and provides an analysis of several selected 2016 California Legislation topics. Kreuser contributed to the Law Review by discussing the legislations on sex trafficking. This source contributes to my research question, since it involves information concerning sex trafficking and its severity across not only California, but also in other states. Kreuser explains how trafficking is considered an offense across all states; however, that does not mean each state is equally attempting to prevent the further expansion of the issue. Strategies implemented to eliminate the concept of sex and reduce the trafficking numbers are analyzed by Kreuser. Federal laws and California laws are put under research as Kreuser identifies statistics, arguments, and legislation.
Tiefenbrun, Susan W. "Updating the Domestic and International Impact of the U.S. Victims of
Trafficking Protection Act of 2000: Does Law Deter Crime?." Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, vol. 38, no. 2, 2006/2007, pp. 249-280. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25753594&site=ehost-live.
The article written by Susan W. Tiefenbrun, “Updating the Domestic and International Impact of the U.S. Victims of Trafficking Protection Act of 2000: Does Law Deter Crime”, analyzes the exploitation of women, children, and men in the sex trafficking chains across the United States. The undercover industry, “earning as much as seven to ten billion dollars annually for traffickers” as Tiefenbrun writes, has become an area of focus across state and the federal government (250). She furthermore analyzes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its efficiency of aiding victims of sex trafficking in the U.S. According to the article, this federal statute, signed by President Clinton, resulted in an increase in arrests and convictions of traffickers both in the United States and internationally (278). This effort to eliminate sex trafficking in the U.S ultimately impacted the attempts of other nations to also deter this criminal act (280).
The source ultimately contributes to the question: how is the United States government helping reduce the amount of sex trafficking, through the intensive research of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and international efforts. The national effort to eliminate the continuous exploitation of women and children became international as “The Department of State has assisted in convincing eighty-five countries to sign the U.N. Palermo Protocol on trafficking,” (Tiefenbrun 272). The article, proof read and peer reviewed by multiple assistant researchers, uses credible sources from multiple universities, as well as government agencies such as the Central Intelligence and the Department of State (Tiefenbrun 1). The information concerning agencies as well as the national government’s effort in the United States as well as international countries, contributes to the research question that, in fact, the U.S. has been contributing in the reduction of sex trafficking.
Franco, Melanie. "Human Sex Trafficking: An International Problem with an International
Solution Requiring National Implementation." Florida Journal of International Law, vol. 27, no. 3, Dec. 2015, pp. 421-439. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=113498354&site=ehost-live.
In Melanie Franco’s article, “Human Sex Trafficking: An International Problem with an International Solution Requiring National Implementation”, analyzes sex trafficking in the United States. Franco, however, researches the strategic devices and perspective the international community uses to combat sex trafficking and compares it to efforts made in the United States. Franco begins to criticize the perspective the United States has taken on sex trafficking and what its definition should be. She states, “the United States continues to define trafficking according to the narrow criteria requiring proof of force, fraud, or coercion (434). Europe put into force the European Union Trafficking Directive in April of 2013, stating that trafficking victims should be protected from prosecution or punishment for criminal activities (434). Adult victims are sometimes arrested in the U.S due to the lack of law enforcement training on differentiating between a criminal and a victim (433). Ultimately, Franco believes the amount of sex trafficking victims will not reduce if the United States does not open their view on who are labeled victims as well as adopt the international community’s strategies.
Melanie Franco attended the University of Florida Levin College of Law and is currently an attorney at Hill & Ponton, P.A. Her article, “Human Sex Trafficking: An International Problem with an International Solution Requiring National Implementation”, was featured in the December 2015 Florida Journal of International Law scholarly publication. This source was beneficial to the research topic because this academic journal provided information on the legal issues internationally and how the United States can improve their tactics on eliminating sex trafficking.
HOLMAN, MELISSA. "The Modern-Day Slave Trade: How the United States Should Alter the
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in Order to Combat International Sex Trafficking More Effectively." Texas International Law Journal, vol. 44, no. 1/2, Fall/Winter2008, pp. 99-121. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=38228014&site=ehost-live.
In the article, “The Modern-Day Slave Trade: How the United States Should Alter the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in Order to Combat International Sex Trafficking More Effectively”, Melissa Holman researches the connection between legalized prostitution and sex trafficking. She argues that “states that practice legalized prostitution is condoning violence against women” due to consequences prostitution can bring such as rape, trauma, and sexual abuse (101). Despite the fact the international community has created awareness as well as other protocols to prevent the issue, these efforts have not been enough to diminish the approximate rate of women kidnapped in the commercial sex trade. Holman also analyzes the effects on women that have consented to participate in the sex trade through prostitution and how such an approval of legalized prostitution can bring issues to the community. Pimps and traffickers often subject women in prostitution to brutal rapes in order to condition them to prostitution (119). In other words, countries which do allow prostitution creates a demand that men will want to meet and can meet due to the available resources. Legalization will not deter the kidnapping and violence that comes with sex trafficking; instead, it will further influence it.
Melissa Holman attended the University of Texas and currently works at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas as a government lawyer. She wrote her academic article for the Texas International Law Journal Volume 44 scholarly publication. Melissa Holman does not specifically dislike the legalized commercial sex trade; however, she analyzes the concept that such legalization of a dangerous trade can lead to violence in international communities. She argues “in countries where prostitution is legal or tolerated, there is a greater demand for prostitutes, and thus a greater demand for trafficking victims” (115). The U.S fails to recognize that prostitution is a fundamental contributor of international sex trafficking, thus if the U.S wants to eliminate sex trafficking it must amend the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act so that the minimum standards require nations to have stringently enforced laws against prostitution (121).
LEVY, ALEXANDRA F. and MARTINA E. VANDENBERG. "Breaking the Law: The Failure
to Award Mandatory Criminal Restitution to Victims in Sex Trafficking Cases." St. Louis University Law Journal, vol. 60, no. 1, Fall2015, pp. 43-72. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=113916309&site=ehost-live.
Alexandra F. Levy and Martina E. Vandenberg, writers and researchers of “Breaking the Law: The Failure to Award Mandatory Criminal Restitution to Victims in Sex Trafficking Cases”, argue for the victims of prostitution as well as sex trafficking in the United States. The topic of criminal restitution for sex trafficking victims comes to light as they provide information on the case of Craig Gadley and his sex trafficking victims. Gadley, like many other pimps, gathered a variety of women through force and threats to perform sexual acts on others as he directed their lives completely. Eventually arrested, neither him nor his partner, Joshua Smith, had to pay restitution. The failure to award restitution to victims of sex trafficking is typical in United States courts (44). Among cases surveyed that involved sex trafficking offenses, the fraction of cases without restitution orders rose to nearly two- thirds (43). They list seven steps that could be taken so the restitution law is enforced in the U.S for sex trafficking victims, for example, training federal judges to order restitution under the proper statute and appropriate calculations. Ultimately, the statute puts responsibility on courts to order restitution (71).
Alexandra F. Levy, “an attorney at the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame”, and Martina E. Vandenberg, “President and Founder of the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center”, both joined together to research the after-effects of the victim’s traffickers being caught. Since the lives of the victims have consequently been destroyed, they must now strive to rebuild with the little they have. Criminal restitution is needed to continue the building of their lives. These two women research the efforts made in the United States for the possibility of criminal restitution for sex trafficking victims.
Kotrla, Kimberly. "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States." Social Work, vol. 55,
no. 2, Apr. 2010, pp. 181-187. EBSCOhost,
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In the article, “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States” written by Kimberly Kotrla, the topic of U.S children and youths being victims of sex trafficking and the efforts to prevent are analyzed. On the basis of research from two studies, at least 70 percent of women involved in prostitution were introduced into the commercial sex industry before reaching 18 years of age (182). The connection between child prostitution and sex trafficking is made; therefore, if a child is a victim of a pimp then the pimp is labeled a sex trafficker. The culture of tolerance is analyzed and questioned if it is an influence or key factor of sex trafficking, such as the glamorization of pimping. Nonetheless, the culture of tolerance as well as era of technology have created various forums for sex traffickers. Social media has easily become a medium in which sex traffickers use to increase the amount of child and youth victims.
Kimberly Kotrla attended the University of Texas and is an assistant professor at Baylor University, School of Social Work. Kotrla researches the efforts of the United States in targeting this group of victims to prevent the further increase of child and youth sex trafficking. She states, “although data is beginning to emerge documenting the prevalence of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States, little research with this population has actually been conducted” (186). Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking has not been a target of attention for legislators or researches. Consequently, Kotrla argues that the prevention and reduction of child sex trafficking must first begin with the attention, awareness, and research.