Abstract
The popularity of underage human trafficking in the United States is rising. Up to 1.2 million people are trafficked across international borders yearly. This equates to two people a minute! Of the 17,500 people illegally forced into the US each year, over half are minors. More often than not, these children are forced to enter the complex industry of sexual trading. This not only destroys innocence, but it also creates a horrid cycle of murder, crime, and violence. Across international borders, the trading of children proves to be incredibly lucrative. The lure of money and power draws many men, known as “pimps” into the prostitution business. With trickery and manipulation, children are coerced into performing sexual “tricks” for men, known as “johns”, who are usually over twice their age. The problem has continued to grow since originally being recognized in the 1970’s, and in 2005 it was estimated that as many as 800,000 American children are at risk of being forced into prostitution.
Despite government attempts to decrease underage human sex trafficking, the crime rate continues to grow. In 1974 Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act. This Act prevents the detention of runaway minors. Before it was passed, police officers were required to arrest and detain run away minors. In keeping the children off the streets government officials hoped to decrease the amount of crimes and acts of violence the kids committed. It did not work. While petty crime decreased, larger, more serious crimes continued to be committed. With money being spent, and wasted, on arresting and holding the children, Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Act. This made it illegal to arrest a minor and hold them after running away.
The number of minors trading sex for money sky rocketed after the passing of this act. Because underage children were living on the street and being forced to support themselves, many of them turned to prostitution for money. They found financial support in entering the industry on their own. Once the children became more experienced in the business they were approached by “pimps” who promised them warm food and a place to stay. After falling prey to the “pimps” many child prostitutes never received money for performing “tricks”. The industry they once entered to survive quickly shifted into awful forms of modern slavery. The law still exists today and the advancement of taking child prostitutes off the street is still lacking.
Because most of the sexual trading happens in private places, it is virtually impossible for police to detect when underage trafficking is taking place. If more people are told what is happening, and learn the facts, they will be able to recognize a problem and report it fast. A good way to educate the public about this issue is to bring awareness to it on a community level. Many adults are aware of the issue but, since it does not directly affect them or their family, it is not prioritized as a significant problem. There is no doubt that if most people understood the urgency of this issue, they would not hesitate to help stop the exploitation in any way they could. Unfortunately the importance of stopping underage prostitution is not well known. The public must be educated.
Television is a very useful tool in spreading knowledge. If public service announcements (PSAs) were broadcast throughout major cities, like San Diego, the facts about child prostitution would be better known. The issue of minors being sexually trafficked would be brought up regularly, therefore increasing the problem's awareness. Along with these PSAs children should be informed of the issue through lessons taught in school. Middle school and high school students are the main targets of sex criminals so it is very important that they understand the issue their demographic faces. They should be taught to notice the signs victims of the sex trafficking business may display and they should know where to report a crime like this. The lessons taught in school will provide them with this knowledge. They will be aware of the issue as it is happening and be able to minimize its popularity in the future by not falling victim to the traps many uneducated children fall for.
The popularity of underage human trafficking in the United States is rising. Up to 1.2 million people are trafficked across international borders yearly. This equates to two people a minute! Of the 17,500 people illegally forced into the US each year, over half are minors. More often than not, these children are forced to enter the complex industry of sexual trading. This not only destroys innocence, but it also creates a horrid cycle of murder, crime, and violence. Across international borders, the trading of children proves to be incredibly lucrative. The lure of money and power draws many men, known as “pimps” into the prostitution business. With trickery and manipulation, children are coerced into performing sexual “tricks” for men, known as “johns”, who are usually over twice their age. The problem has continued to grow since originally being recognized in the 1970’s, and in 2005 it was estimated that as many as 800,000 American children are at risk of being forced into prostitution.
Despite government attempts to decrease underage human sex trafficking, the crime rate continues to grow. In 1974 Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act. This Act prevents the detention of runaway minors. Before it was passed, police officers were required to arrest and detain run away minors. In keeping the children off the streets government officials hoped to decrease the amount of crimes and acts of violence the kids committed. It did not work. While petty crime decreased, larger, more serious crimes continued to be committed. With money being spent, and wasted, on arresting and holding the children, Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Act. This made it illegal to arrest a minor and hold them after running away.
The number of minors trading sex for money sky rocketed after the passing of this act. Because underage children were living on the street and being forced to support themselves, many of them turned to prostitution for money. They found financial support in entering the industry on their own. Once the children became more experienced in the business they were approached by “pimps” who promised them warm food and a place to stay. After falling prey to the “pimps” many child prostitutes never received money for performing “tricks”. The industry they once entered to survive quickly shifted into awful forms of modern slavery. The law still exists today and the advancement of taking child prostitutes off the street is still lacking.
Because most of the sexual trading happens in private places, it is virtually impossible for police to detect when underage trafficking is taking place. If more people are told what is happening, and learn the facts, they will be able to recognize a problem and report it fast. A good way to educate the public about this issue is to bring awareness to it on a community level. Many adults are aware of the issue but, since it does not directly affect them or their family, it is not prioritized as a significant problem. There is no doubt that if most people understood the urgency of this issue, they would not hesitate to help stop the exploitation in any way they could. Unfortunately the importance of stopping underage prostitution is not well known. The public must be educated.
Television is a very useful tool in spreading knowledge. If public service announcements (PSAs) were broadcast throughout major cities, like San Diego, the facts about child prostitution would be better known. The issue of minors being sexually trafficked would be brought up regularly, therefore increasing the problem's awareness. Along with these PSAs children should be informed of the issue through lessons taught in school. Middle school and high school students are the main targets of sex criminals so it is very important that they understand the issue their demographic faces. They should be taught to notice the signs victims of the sex trafficking business may display and they should know where to report a crime like this. The lessons taught in school will provide them with this knowledge. They will be aware of the issue as it is happening and be able to minimize its popularity in the future by not falling victim to the traps many uneducated children fall for.
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