Buyers determine the life of sex trafficking if there were no buyers sex trafficking would cease to exist, they influence the demand for prostitution, so if they stop buying it will choke the sex industry and curb human trafficking. “A buyer is a person who is convicted of soliciting or engaging in or attempting to engage in commercial sex acts with a minor under the age of 18,”(“Demanding Justice”). It’s important to know that both males and females buy and purchase sex and transgender individuals are especially popular in the sex industry due to discrimination in a normal work environment (“Catching Johns”).
Illinois Sheriff, Thomas J. Dart once said, “Sex trafficking continues to destroy countless lives, and this broad national movement should send a strong message to prospective johns that their ‘hobby’ is much more than a ‘victimless’ crime,”(“Arresting Johns”). On February 5, 2017, during Super Bowl weekend there were 522 sex buyers and traffickers that were put under arrest in the US. “It’s particularly meaningful that this sting culminated on the day of the Super Bowl, which unfortunately has emerged as a prominent haven for sex trafficking,” quote an officer at the scene (“522 Johns at Super bowl”).
Nowadays popular tourist attractions, such as the Super Bowl, is a common track the “prostitutes” to roam. The customers are always all male, they are all different races and ages, from all levels of society; but seek a good time. The internet is the main factor of why sex tourism’s popularity is growing. Which lures Johns to countries to have sexual orientations with young adolescence, this is most prevalent in countries in poverty, since statutory rape isn’t recognized or prostitution is not a preeminent topic.
This tourism can benefit a country’s tourist agencies, hotels, or local prostitutes (“Sex Tourism”). But it is important to note that not everyone who works in the sex trade is a victim, in some cases, especially in the United States, the line amongst trafficking and consensual sex labor can become indistinct (” Target Johns”). Stopping sex trafficking is stopping the availability of buying from Johns, in most cases, the buyers are ignored. But without them, this crime ends.
Exposing buyers and traffickers is what is necessary for the sex industry to go out of business. Those who are trafficked, are victims, not criminals and law supports this. Usually, the trafficker gets paid, without any fear of punishment, the victim gets arrested and then the buyer goes home. Young victims and veteran debaters about domestic abuse concluded that sex trafficking is a public health problem instead of a criminal justice issue. “Victims are like hostages that live among us,” quote an ABC news reporter.
Victims endure health difficulties such as addictions, malnutrition, infections, injuries, and STD’s (“CDC Sex Tourism”). Children, especially those enrolled in high school or in a similar age bracket, are the ones pimps seek out the most. Most of the victimized young children, in the US, are from foster care. They tempt the girls with what they want to hear, including love and security. In some situations, they are kidnapped off the street and sold by traffickers and gangs. Yet when the victims get caught making a sex deal, they are convicted.
In this field of work the pimps plan for this occasion, they train the girls to stay quiet, and make the girls refer to the pimps as either “daddy” or their “boyfriend”. The pimps don’t care if their girls get arrested, traffickers think nothing of taking sex-trafficked children, who are too frail or mentally sick to serve in the “life”, start selling them again but this time for their organs and body parts on the black market. Due to only the prostitutes getting arrested, the sellers and buyers continue without terror of legal consequences.
Law states that there is no such thing as a “child prostitute” since they undergo abuse. They are victims of modern slavery, human trafficking, 80% of the victims are sexually exploited. Victims of sex trafficking acquire harmful physical and psychological health conditions and social disadvantages. This is due to sexual and emotional abuse, cause by different varieties of pimping, such as guerilla pimping and finesse pimping. Guerilla pimping involves using violence, threats, intimidation, or aggression to recruit and then enslave the victim.
Finesse pimping is when the pimp uses tactics like compassion, kindness, and psychological games such as enticing victims through small gifts such as money, clothes, shelter, food, and drugs that make them feel like they owe the pimp. They are then in the “game” and they are the pimp’s property. Slavery is forced labor, and forcing sexual exploitation is illegal per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and 1815 Declaration Relative to the Universal Abolition of the Slave Trade International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 8) etc.
Every day the victims are required to give an exit fee: the daily amount of money supposed to be earned. If they don’t acquire the amount necessary, each day they are beaten. It will be a ridiculous amount, to discourage her from parting from the life. Per the study, pimps in one city earned an average of $32,833 per week. Most pimps never permit their victims to leave easily. Many laws state slavery is illegal, in the US especially, which states that sex trafficking is a crime.
So, slaves, the victims, commonly called “prostitutes” are not the criminals; it is the Johns and traffickers who are to blame. They treat them like objects and mistreat them just for money. Raising the value of women will decrease sex trafficking. “Until we start changing the culture to see the value of women, we can continue to make it more difficult for those who want to purchase them. No demands equal no supply. ” Quote a survivor leader, Rebecca Bender. If boys were taught at a young age to value women, they won’t mistreat women in the future.
Young children are influenced greatly by television, community, school curriculum, their parents, etc. For example, if children live in neighborhoods where racism is prevalent, it is probable that he/she would become racist as well. So, growing up with a negative stigma around sex trafficking and a positive atmosphere of human rights will path the child to avoid being a buyer or seller. Society is very influential, it consists of governments, religions, civil society, the private business sector, law enforcement, educational institutions, the media, and individuals from all levels of society.
If society distinguishes sex trafficking as something bad, it will become the main concern for law enforcement (“Society and Sex Trafficking”). Society affects people by shaping their belief system, behaviors, and values. The social impact on not shedding light on the topic of sex trafficking; will spread life-threatening disease throughout the world, such as HIV and AIDs. Society might tolerate sex trafficking if it takes place in a poor country because it helps the economy.
In order for criminalization of the purchasing of sex with children to become a priority for law enforcement, there must be a call to action, an outrage, a community swell, an overwhelming public opinion that the sale of human beings is a bad thing for everybody involved,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Margie Quin (“Demanding Justice”). Society, is the main factor of the life of sex trafficking, to kill it a stigma needs to be set. The government needs to stabilize the economy and raise the sentences and fines and that will help sex trafficking go out of business altogether.