Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws
In this paper, we explore third parties who unexpectedly fell within the legal definition of a sex trafficker. The anti-trafficking lobby and media stories frequently portray traffickers as organised, psychopathic, violent, and child kidnappers. We dismantle these depictions by showing the unexpecte...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Anti-Trafficking Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/613 |
| _version_ | 1818060656330407936 |
|---|---|
| author | Amber Horning Loretta Stalans |
| author_facet | Amber Horning Loretta Stalans |
| author_sort | Amber Horning |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper, we explore third parties who unexpectedly fell within the legal definition of a sex trafficker. The anti-trafficking lobby and media stories frequently portray traffickers as organised, psychopathic, violent, and child kidnappers. We dismantle these depictions by showing the unexpected people who qualify as traffickers. This paper incorporates findings from two studies involving eighty-five third parties in New York City and forty-nine in Chicago. We analyse how teenagers, drivers, and boyfriends qualify as traffickers under US law. We find that two-thirds of them hold inaccurate views about the difference between sex trafficking and facilitating prostitution. Trafficking can be incidental or temporary, and traffickers in these samples were often oblivious to their legal status, potentially resulting in lengthy prison sentences. We conclude by calling for differential sentencing based on traffickers’ age, and awareness campaigns designed to alert third parties of the legal distinctions between pandering and sex trafficking. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:35:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6acb77dad16649a88de12497a569ae21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2286-7511 2287-0113 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:35:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anti-Trafficking Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-6acb77dad16649a88de12497a569ae212022-12-22T01:46:49ZengGlobal Alliance Against Traffic in WomenAnti-Trafficking Review2286-75112287-01132022-04-0118678610.14197/atr.201222185561Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking lawsAmber HorningLoretta StalansIn this paper, we explore third parties who unexpectedly fell within the legal definition of a sex trafficker. The anti-trafficking lobby and media stories frequently portray traffickers as organised, psychopathic, violent, and child kidnappers. We dismantle these depictions by showing the unexpected people who qualify as traffickers. This paper incorporates findings from two studies involving eighty-five third parties in New York City and forty-nine in Chicago. We analyse how teenagers, drivers, and boyfriends qualify as traffickers under US law. We find that two-thirds of them hold inaccurate views about the difference between sex trafficking and facilitating prostitution. Trafficking can be incidental or temporary, and traffickers in these samples were often oblivious to their legal status, potentially resulting in lengthy prison sentences. We conclude by calling for differential sentencing based on traffickers’ age, and awareness campaigns designed to alert third parties of the legal distinctions between pandering and sex trafficking.https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/613domestic sex traffickingpimpingus sex trafficking lawsstereotypes |
| spellingShingle | Amber Horning Loretta Stalans Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws Anti-Trafficking Review domestic sex trafficking pimping us sex trafficking laws stereotypes |
| title | Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws |
| title_full | Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws |
| title_fullStr | Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws |
| title_short | Oblivious ‘Sex Traffickers’: Challenging stereotypes and the fairness of US trafficking laws |
| title_sort | oblivious sex traffickers challenging stereotypes and the fairness of us trafficking laws |
| topic | domestic sex trafficking pimping us sex trafficking laws stereotypes |
| url | https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/613 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amberhorning oblivioussextraffickerschallengingstereotypesandthefairnessofustraffickinglaws AT lorettastalans oblivioussextraffickerschallengingstereotypesandthefairnessofustraffickinglaws |