The realm of combating child sex trafficking is complex and includes narratives that often oversimplify these complex realities. One of these narratives comes from some adult sex workers who vehemently proclaim their right to sell their bodies as a career – prostitution. While I do not dispute their right to do so as an adult, the issue is not simply about their choices as a function of their free will. The issue is about how prostitution, which almost always begins as a child or youth, condones and normalizes abuse on numerous levels (including self-abuse), and how it became a career choice. I discuss this in more detail in my doctoral dissertation. ProQuest is one of the largest online libraries with a “portfolio of assets including content, technologies and deep expertise.1” https://www.proquest.com/docview/2795205907/. There is other research on this topic as well and I encourage you to refer to these studies.
A Note
My intention is to illuminate the distinction between child sex trafficking and other narratives, specifically adult sex work. Through these articles, I want to encourage greater public engagement in the protection of our children. Some of what is discussed may seem redundant to what I have discussed in other articles. Some things can never be repeated enough. If you find I’m repeating similar preventative and/or action steps, it means these processes are important enough to iterate again.
Child Sex Trafficking
Child sex trafficking is a crime that is morally and ethically reprehensible, and it demands our collective attention and action. This is a complex issue involving various factors, including social and cultural grooming, pornography, lack of education, predatory behaviors, perversion, and pedophilia. Sex workers and pro-prostitution factions argue that decriminalizing prostitution will reduce child sex trafficking. This argument is based on faulty assumptions.
Adult Sex Workers & Prostitutes
One of the narratives challenging any anti-sex trafficking initiative is coming from adult sex workers and pro-prostitution factions whose main argument is that decriminalizing prostitution will reduce child sex trafficking by bringing it out of the shadows and into the light. This argument ignores the fact that many who are trafficked into the sex industry are not there by choice. Legalizing prostitution would not address the root cause of trafficking, which is the demand for commercial sex acts, most of which are violent assaults against the victims. In fact, the sex industry is rife with abuse, exploitation, and violence. Many are subjected to indescribable physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial abuse, causing them to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Decriminalizing prostitution would not solve this problem, but it would legitimize an industry that is inherently exploitative and abusive.
Sex work and pro-prostitution activists do not address the genesis of their views or beliefs. Nor do they discuss, explain, or admit the historical events that led them to choose to sell their bodies (and arguably, their humanity) for a cheap price (which they may not even receive).
The Prostitution Industry
To better comprehend the issues of child sex trafficking and the beliefs behind sex work and pro-prostitution factions requires us to take a critical and logical approach. This is where education comes into play. Education is huge because we must eliminate myths, fallacies, and illogical conclusions surrounding this industry. Then we can start adequately discussing solutions and how to inform families and communities to protect our children best.
References
https://about.proquest.com/en/about/who-we-are/
Article #2 in this series – Sex Trade
Article #3 in this series – Anti-Child Sex Trafficking Efforts
Unapologetically for the children™
