By: Gyovanni Boston-Crompton
I have never
actually thought about sex trafficking as being a huge societal problem in
America. Like most people in America, I have not been exposed to the stories of
these people who have been sold into this world unwillingly by other Americans.
It is always a stereotype that sex trafficking happens over in other countries
and America is immune to these horrible things when in fact it happens here
daily. I do know of one story from North Carolina where a five-year-old girl,
Shaniya Davis, was sold into prostitution by her own mother because she wanted
drugs and the man who she sold her to not only raped her but killed her as
well.[1] Although this was a very
popular story a few years back, I still don’t hear of the other stories of the
lost souls that have been kidnapped and sold into slavery instead you see what
is portrayed on television where prostitution is somewhat glorified. 
Sex
Trafficking is a “form of slavery and involuntary servitude resulting in grave
human rights violations”.[2] In America alone there
are 50,000 women who are sex slaves. These
women that are subjected into this lifestyle have to face mental, emotional,
and physical abuse from the men who own them. These men have been glamorized by
the media as these lavish pimps. In songs and movies the word pimp is thrown
out suggesting to the world that you must be “pimpin’” to live a grand life;
that you have to abuse and use these women in order to gain respect from the
others around which is simply not true. These men are brainwashing these young
girls into believing that they are going to live this amazing life together
which in reality he is using them to live his own grand life. The average age
for a girl to enter prostitution is between the ages of twelve and fourteen and
some have been as young as nine. Once placed into these conditions these girls
cannot escaped fearing what may happen to them if they do. Leaving others
behind could mean that the other girls be punished for their actions or being
caught while in the act and being punished themselves. Although in federal law
a child that is commercially sexually abused is a victim of trafficking is
abused under the age of eighteen; in some states some a child could be charged
with child prostitution. [3]
Not only Americans are sex slaves here but also
immigrants. Due to the ability of allowing many immigrants into our society
human trafficking is allowed to flourish. These men prey on individuals who are
here to seek freedom and know that they are willing to do anything to keep this
freedom. They force these women into brothels with the women in hope that maybe
one day they would be able to see the light of day again. These actions towards
these women go unpunished because they are not American citizens and with that
being said there is nothing legally the US can do to protect them. Even if they
are saved they are usually deported right back to the country they tried to
escape from. [4]
In order to save all of these women, we need to raise awareness.
[1] CBS News, "Shaniya
Davis: "Angel" Found Dead." Last modified 2013. Accessed January
31, 2014. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/shaniya-davis-angel-found-dead/.
[2] The Adovocates for Human
Rights, "What is Human Sex Trafficking?." Last modified 2013.
Accessed January 31, 2014. http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/what_is_human_sex_trafficking.
[3] Frundt, Tina. Women's Funding
Network, "Enslaved in America: Sex Trafficking in the United States."
Last modified 2014. Accessed January 31, 2014.
http://www.womensfundingnetwork.org/resource/past-articles/enslaved-in-america-sex-trafficking-in-the-united-states.
[4] Leah, Heather. Yahoo!,
"America's Modern Day Slave Trade: Human Trafficking in the Sex
Industry." Last modified August 29, 2006. Accessed January 31, 2014.
http://voices.yahoo.com/americas-modern-day-slave-trade-human-trafficking-67846.html.
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