Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Community

17 Facts About The Global Sex Trafficking Crisis That Everyone Should Know

Know the signs, know the stats, and understand what contributes to the rise of sex trafficking.

Ella Pitman

Jul 02, 2019

Troy University

121

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnT_IC-ActY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Instagram//@enditmovement

This weekend, I will be performing an ensemble dance piece that sheds light on sex trafficking. Before this week, I knew that sex trafficking was a form of slavery existing universally, that most victims were female and that it was a larger problem than I could ever comprehend. In my recent research for my performance, I have come across statistics, facts and testimonies that have brought me to my knees. It amazes and appalls me that this kind of exploitation of humans still exists after all history has tried to teach us.

"Awareness" has become a dirty word because of its association with "social media activism" which is often seen as empty, lazy and ineffective. But if people living in freedom don't know that slavery still exists, how can they help those who have had their freedom stolen? Awareness of the details of sex trafficking is absolutely vital in finding a means to an end.

1. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It generates a profit of $99 billion every year and is expected to pass the drug industry in revenue in less than five years.

2. An estimated 27,000,000 people around the world are modern-day slaves; more people are enslaved today than at any other time in history.

3. Slaves around the world are cheaper than at any other time in history: about $90.

4. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children.

5. The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14-year-old. Many victims are runaway girls who are sexually abused, in foster care, identify as LGBTQ+, African-American or Hispanic.

6. Traffickers use many different tactics to coerce or force their victims into sex slavery. It is not uncommon for traffickers to send "broken-in girls" to recruit younger girls into the sex trade.

7. Over 50% of human trafficking victims are children.

8. Two children are sold every minute.

9. Victims see an average of 30 "clients" per day and work 7 days a week.

10. The average pimp makes over $100k annually. "High end" pimps make millions. This is because most sex trafficking victims are not allowed to keep the money they make on the track and hiding money results in revocation of privileges, beatings or rape.

11. Sex traffickers use a variety of ways to condition their victims: starvation, rape, physical abuse, confinement, threats of violence toward the victim/victim's family, forced or coerced drug use and shame.

12. Human trafficking exists in all 50 states, with the South and East coasts being the most affected regions.

13. Interstate 20, which runs from Texas, through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, is a superhighway for sex trafficking. Many trafficked women are forced to work behind truck stops.

14. There are fewer than 100 beds in the entire US for displaced underage victims.

15. India has the largest number of individuals in human trafficking globally: 14 million. It takes 48 hrs for a street child to be lured into prostitution.

16. Only 1% of human trafficking victims are ever rescued.

17. Most "Johns" (people who pay for sex) in the US are married white men (this includes live purchase of service and pornography.) It is the consumption of the exploitation of women that is propelling the industry forward.

"When people are left out, when they're neglected, when they're not supported, and when they're not given the love they need to grow, it becomes an incubator for trafficking, and this refugee crisis, if we want to be serious about ending slavery, we cannot ignore them, we cannot ignore our support for this issue in that space, because otherwise, we're going to have to deal with it for years to come," -Ashton Kutcher (actor and creator of Thorn, a software that helps locate traffickers and victims)

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Smith College

91080

college students waiting in a long line in the hallway

StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

waitlisted

Swoon

Navigating the Talking Stage: 21 Essential Questions to Ask for Connection

It's mandatory to have these conversations.

National Writers Society

153443

a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less

single life

Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

Marist College

64641

loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets

StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Recommended for you

17 Facts About The Global Sex Trafficking Crisis That Everyone Should Know

Know the signs, know the stats, and understand what contributes to the rise of sex trafficking.

1. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It generates a profit of $99 billion every year and is expected to pass the drug industry in revenue in less than five years.

2. An estimated 27,000,000 people around the world are modern-day slaves; more people are enslaved today than at any other time in history.

3. Slaves around the world are cheaper than at any other time in history: about $90.

4. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children.

5. The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14-year-old. Many victims are runaway girls who are sexually abused, in foster care, identify as LGBTQ+, African-American or Hispanic.

6. Traffickers use many different tactics to coerce or force their victims into sex slavery. It is not uncommon for traffickers to send "broken-in girls" to recruit younger girls into the sex trade.

7. Over 50% of human trafficking victims are children.

8. Two children are sold every minute.

9. Victims see an average of 30 "clients" per day and work 7 days a week.

10. The average pimp makes over $100k annually. "High end" pimps make millions. This is because most sex trafficking victims are not allowed to keep the money they make on the track and hiding money results in revocation of privileges, beatings or rape.

11. Sex traffickers use a variety of ways to condition their victims: starvation, rape, physical abuse, confinement, threats of violence toward the victim/victim's family, forced or coerced drug use and shame.

12. Human trafficking exists in all 50 states, with the South and East coasts being the most affected regions.

13. Interstate 20, which runs from Texas, through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, is a superhighway for sex trafficking. Many trafficked women are forced to work behind truck stops.

14. There are fewer than 100 beds in the entire US for displaced underage victims.

15. India has the largest number of individuals in human trafficking globally: 14 million. It takes 48 hrs for a street child to be lured into prostitution.

16. Only 1% of human trafficking victims are ever rescued.

17. Most "Johns" (people who pay for sex) in the US are married white men (this includes live purchase of service and pornography.) It is the consumption of the exploitation of women that is propelling the industry forward.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

It's mandatory to have these conversations.

1. What do you do for a living?

2. What's your favorite color?

3. Do you have any siblings?

4. What's your favorite television show?

5. When is your birthday?

6. What's your biggest goal in life?

7. If you had three wishes granted to you by a genie, what would they be?

8. What's your favorite childhood memory?

9. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

10. Are you a cat or a dog person?

11. Do you believe in a religion or any sort of spiritual power?

12. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

13. What is your ideal date night?

14. Who was/is your celebrity crush?

15. What's a good way to cheer you up if you're having a bad day?

16. Do you have any tattoos?

17. Can you describe yourself in three words?

18. What makes you the most nervous in life?

19. What's the best gift you have ever received?

20. What do you do to relax/have fun?

21. What are your priorities at this phase of your life?

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Trending Topics

Top Creators

Trending Stories

Best of Community

Subscribe to our
Newsletter