Sex trafficking

Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking and is a serious crime and violation of human rights. It involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through the use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Definition

The United Nations defines sex trafficking as "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation."

Causes

Sex trafficking is driven by a range of factors, including poverty, gender inequality, war and conflict, and corruption. It is also linked to organized crime and globalization.

Effects

The effects of sex trafficking on victims can be devastating. They include physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological trauma, PTSD, HIV/AIDS, and even death.

Prevention and response

Efforts to prevent and respond to sex trafficking include law enforcement, victim support services, and public awareness campaigns. International cooperation and legal instruments such as the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children also play a key role.

See also

• Human trafficking
• Child trafficking
• Forced prostitution
• Sexual slavery

Sex trafficking

• 
  RealStars trafficking model
• 
  Offences in Relation to Sexual Services Compared to Other Types of Human Trafficking in Canada
• 
  Power and control wheel
• 
  60000 girls
• 
  Stopping Sex Trafficking in the United States