In Week 7 of the Blog Swap, we hear from C. Streetlights about the link between human trafficking and pornography
When it comes to social causes that I the most feel passionate about, the issue of sex trafficking is the one that I will lose sleep over and constantly brainstorm over ways I can do the most work for. In fact, any time I can promote the nonprofit of my choice in raising awareness for sex trafficking – Operation Underground Railroad – I do it, because it is OUR rescues women and children who have been trafficked into sex slavery.
Globally, there are an estimated 4.5 million people trafficked into sexual exploitation at the moment (International Labor Organization). According to UNICEF, approximately 2 million children alone are exploited in the sex trade a year. The statistics only get worse from there. I understand the uncomfortable shifting in the seats that people experience when reading about this topic because I’ve seen it before; nobody wants to believe it happens. As Tim Ballard, CEO and founder of OUR says, though, “Once you see it you can’t NOT do something about it.” With knowledge comes accountability.
Sex trafficking exists in all industrialized countries, not just “third world countries half-way around the world.” It exists on all continents except for Antarctica, obviously. It’s the fastest growing criminal activity – second only to drugs – and the fastest growing business of organized crime. If you want an easier or more visual representation of how rampant the problem is, in the one minute it takes you to heat up some water in the microwave, two children are sold into sex slavery.
So where do we even begin to combat this obviously overwhelming problem? Pass legislation? It’s already obviously illegal to buy human beings, hold them in captivity and then sell them again, especially if they are minors. As we all know, criminals will always break the law – that’s why they are criminals. And they will definitely break the law if there is money to be made. For example, the illegal sex trade industry in Atlanta, GA made just under $300 million in 2014 alone.
If we are to make lasting and global change, and we know that criminals will not respond to legislation, than we must begin by effecting societal change. Brian Iselin, an international human trafficking expert says, “…those in the anti-trafficking community decry their lack of impact and point to a mounting body of evidence of an upward spiral in trafficking.” He suggests the reason for this lack of impact is due to a failure to tackle male demand (since the demand is largely male): “To tackle trafficking for sexual servitude without tackling demand is a losing battle. All the expensive measures in the world will add up to naught unless there is an attitude change on the part of men to buying and selling women [and children].”
According to Iselin, in order to take buyers out of the sex markets – and disrupt the demand – is to make the casual buyer think before acting and therefore interrupt the transaction: for example increase the effort needed or the inconvenience to buy.
In simple economic terminology, if there were no supply than there would be no demand. And the easiest way for the average individual like myself to go after the supply of sex traffickers is to go after the porn industry.
Global revenues from the adult industry in 2007 was estimated to be around $20 billion with half of that being from the United States alone. Obviously, with the accessibility of internet porn, this estimate is a conservative one. For example, revenue from internet porn tripled from $1 billion to $3 billion between 2001 and 2007. By 2015, mobile phones and tablets accounted for approximately of 70% of porn revenue. Consider that in one second the following has happened:
- $3,075.64 was spent on pornography
- 28,258 people viewed pornography
- 372 people typed adult search terms into their search browsers
Why is the key to taking down sex trafficking in pornography? Because it’s about shutting down the supply. Let’s deconstruct.
First, it’s about biology. I can cite studies, meta analyses, including the recent 2013 Cambridge study with its accompanying bran MRI scans to say what should be obvious: the more a person watches porn, the more graphic porn that person will need to watch in order to become aroused. What has also been indicated in these studies is that the viewer develops a distortion between what is viewed and reality. For example, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health, prolonged pornography use can lead to an exaggerated perception of sexual activity in society.
Second, it’s about the subject material itself. Let’s consider for a moment who appears in porn. Not every person who appears in a porn film or photograph is a Hollywood star or member of the Screen Actor’s Guild. In fact, the porn industry is not unionized so there is no paramedic on set and there are few big name stars. Just where do you suppose all these women are coming from to show up for these casting calls? Realistically, do you honestly believe that there that many actresses who want to wake up each morning, hoping to find a message from their agent saying they have a role in a low budget porn film? Or that they even have an agent? Or that they are even old enough to consent? When people balk at the idea that porn is not a big deal because it’s a “victimless crime”, keep in mind that every 39 minutes a new pornography video is being created in the United States.
Really consider it for a minute. Then remember, two kids are sold into sex slavery in one minute.
Third, it’s about escalation. Researchers have described prostitution and pornography as having a symbiotic relationship to sex trafficking, saying that the latter would not exist if not for the former. Laura Lederer, a legal scholar and former Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Persons in the Office for Democracy and Global Affairs described pornography as advertising for prostitution at a briefing on Capitol Hill on the dangers of pornography, noting that viewers then want to enact the fantasies through prostitutes. One research study indicates that 80% of prostitution survivors, when interviewed, said johns brought porn with them to illustrate what tricks they wanted the prostitutes to perform. In two other studies, sex trafficking survivors told researchers they were forced to watch porn in order to become desensitized to violent sex acts and to be instructed on what to do with their johns.
Many of these sex trafficked victims will be photographed or filmed while being exploited by their pimps, and these photographs, films or live streams will then become part of multi-billion dollar porn industry. And if you think victims are only on the low-budget websites, you’re wrong. There is a case pending now involving Hustler Magazine Group (United States v. Bagley, et al) where a trafficked victim with mental disabilities appeared on Taboo magazine in 2007.
When faced with a problem as overwhelming as sex trafficking, it is easy to feel like there is nothing we can do. As average citizens we can’t be part of the ex-Navy SEAL jump teams like members of OUR and save children from sexual exploitation. Donating money is helpful but sometimes we want to do more. We want to feel as if we are actively making change.
And we can. We can be more vocal about aggressively fighting pornography. By shutting down porn we will be shutting down demand. We can contact corporations like Verizon Broadband and tell them that actually no, we don’t want hardcore porn titles and themes that include child and incest. We can pledge to only stay at hotels and resorts that have instituted policies to remain porn-free. (These hotel chains are Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG.) We can contact members of Amnesty International and let them know that their discussions on legalizing prostitution would be a victory for sex traffickers only.
Lastly, we can be courageous in speaking out against the pervasiveness of pornography. We don’t have to accept the falsehood that it’s “normal” or that it’s “harmless” or – my favorite argument – it’s “not real”. When we are passively looking the other way, allowing people to view pornography because we don’t want to offend them by saying they shouldn’t, or worry about being accused of judgin others for their habits or proclivities, what we’re really doing is saying that we’re more concerned for protecting the rights of someone watching porn than we are for a sex trafficked victim.
I say let’s be on the right side of the battle.
After writing and illustrating her first bestseller in second grade, “The Lovely Unicorn”, C. Streetlights took twenty years to decide if she wanted to continue writing. In the time known as growing up she became a teacher, a wife, and mother. Retired from teaching, C. Streetlights now lives with her family in the mountains along with their dog that eats Kleenex. Her new memoir, Tea and Madness is now available.
You can follow C. Streetlights on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
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