In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, let’s look at the link between pornography and human trafficking.
Porn fuels human trafficking and human trafficking fuels porn. Let’s explore this statement.
Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It’s buying and selling humans. It’s objectification. Traffickers turn people into products or commodities—not just in countries “over there,” but in the states also!
Right now, TODAY, people—men, women, and children—are illegally traded. They are recruited, controlled and used through deception, force, and coercion. You may be thinking: How is this possible? And Why should I care? Before I answer these questions, let’s look at some facts.
As a facilitator with E3 Family Solutions, I talk with students about risky behaviors. During one of our sessions, we cover the dangers of social media, grooming, and human trafficking. We show two videos, A21’s Can You See Me? and One Minute Facts: Human Trafficking. (I recommend watching these when you have a few minutes.) The second video states 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, victims exploited for sexual purposes.
The One Minute Facts clip reveals the average cost of a slave as $90. Let’s think about this for a moment. If I traffic drugs, I sell my product once. It’s consumable. I need to buy more before I can make another sale. However, if I traffic people for sex (or forced labor), I can sell my product over and over and over. It costs me $90 to lure, draw, or purchase a human. That cost is trivial compared to my return, even if I clothe, feed, and keep my victim supplied with drugs.
Let me throw a few more statistics at you. These may hit closer to home. Children as young as seven are exposed to porn for the first time.[1] Forty-six percent of youngsters with porn issues report the first time they viewed pornography they stumbled onto it by accident.[2] That means your child, your 7, 8, or 9-year-old child or grandchild can be on the internet for whatever reason—social media, research for school, you name it—and they unintentionally find a pornographic video. The porn industry targets youth because they know if someone gets hooked early, that person will be a lifetime consumer. And their goal is to make money. Period. No matter who it hurts.
The pornography industry is a billion-dollar industry. I’ve seen numbers ranging from $6 billion to $97 billion dollars, with $13 billion in the US alone.
Porn Fuels Human Trafficking
The reason porn producers stay in business, the reason the porn industry still exists, is the demand. Let me say this again: Porn fuels human trafficking. And, likewise, human trafficking fuels porn.
We don’t talk about the link between pornography and sex trafficking for a few reasons: it’s unknown, it’s ignored, or it’s misunderstood.
HopefulMom.net
We don’t talk about the link between pornography and sex trafficking for a few reasons: it’s unknown, it’s ignored, or it’s misunderstood. A misconception is that the actors and actresses featured in pornographic videos fully understood their choice to get involved, willingly picked their profession with excitement, and love everything about their jobs. This assertion is false. Most were deceived, coerced, or forced into the industry.
Let’s come back to the How question. The trafficking victim is abducted or trafficked by friends. Or the target is deceived by false job advertisements, sold by family members (even parents), or lured in by fake boyfriends (Romeo pimps) on social media. The last method is becoming more popular, especially in the states.
Romeo pimps create fake profiles and groom their victims by sweet talking them through an online game or social media. The groomers earn their trust and learn about them by asking personal questions. Then they fill a need, usually an emptiness the victim feels. The groomer isolates the child and tricks the child into dependence, typically through drugs or bribery.
After the groomer has lured the child away from their families, bribed them, or made the child dependent upon them, they begin the abuse and exploitation. By this time, the victim feels helpless and hopeless. They can’t see a way out. They feel stuck. They may want to escape and even have the ability to escape, but don’t believe it’s an option. (watch Can You See Me? for a dramatization of this process.)
And to answer the Why should I care? question: Groomers aren’t picky about their targets. A thirteen-year-old from a churchgoing middle class family of two parents attending a private school is as likely to fall into their trap as a thirteen-year-old from a low-income single parent home attending a public school. Groomers aren’t picky about gender either. Boys are trafficked, as well as girls.
How do we combat this issue?
- Stop the demand. People who watch pornographic videos feed into the system.
- Communicate and Educate. Be willing to speak up about the link between human trafficking and pornography. Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors. Tell your children that porn fuels human trafficking. Knowing the actors/actress in porn videos are being exploited/trafficked may be the motivating factor for your children to say no to porn. Warn your children not to talk with strangers online. They may be presenting a false front, a fake profile.
- Add filters to your internet and devices. They aren’t foolproof, but they should stop your young child or grandchild from stumbling across pornography. They’re also a deterrent for someone with a porn issue.
- Support an organization like A21 or International Justice Mission. They are committed to restoring victims of human trafficking and ending modern day slavery.
I love hearing from you. If you have something you are working through or would like addressed, comment below or send me a private message.
Word of mouth is the best way to reach other parents. Please share this post through social media or email. Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to receive updates and a two FREE resources: 7 STEPS AFTER YOUR CHILD SEES PORN and REFLECTION QUESTIONS for Sexpectations.
[1] https://fightthenewdrug.org/parents-this-study-shows-kids-as-young-as-7-are-accessing-porn/
[2] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5507751/NSPCC-offers-counselling-children-young-11-addicted-porn.html
About the author
Barb Winters is the author of Sexpectations: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Healthy Relationships and founder of Hopeful Mom. She’s a certified mental health coach and offers one-on-one consultations for parents. For more about Barb, click "About" in the menu.
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