Within the relatively short history of the United States of America, one can discern an overarching theme: Freedom. This country was formed from the idea that men and women can and should exercise personal freedom without fear of repercussions from any government or person. But even after fighting two wars to enable autonomy and abolish slavery, not all in this country are free. Beneath the glittering pride of this nation lies a hidden shame, a shame that many in this nation don’t even know exists, and those who do often choose to ignore. Slavery not only still survives, it thrives within these streets that have been paved with the blood our ancestors gave to abolish its existence. Human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) still runs rampant within our country. However, the lack of proper definitions, unified efforts, and the hidden nature of the industry makes it extremely difficult to track and combat.
The state of Georgia is no exception to the booming nature of this business. This state’s capital, the grand city of Atlanta, is one of the main hubs for human trafficking in the United States. Its “thriving adult sex industry” and national reputation as a “sexual tourist destination” creates a sexually driven atmosphere, which opens the doors for demands that can only be met by exploiting others (Hidden 21). In our capitalist society, demands create products, and this industry is no different. The legal adult entertainment industry, such as strip clubs and adult bookstores, act as gateways to more reprehensible activity, such as prostitution and CSEC (Humantrafficking, Combat_Trafficking).
Before going further into this horrific situation hidden within our society, an understanding of the different facets of this industry is needed. There are several different terms thrown around when discussing this subject, all of which have different meanings. First, there is the general term of human trafficking, defined as “subjecting [others] to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.” (ACF Fact Sheet, Human Trafficking). In other words, human trafficking is the overall term that lumps all forms of trafficking together.
Underneath human trafficking are labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Here it gets a little tricky, because sex trafficking can also be categorized as a type of labor trafficking, which is generally divided into three parts: bonded labor, forced labor and child labor. Bonded labor is when someone is enslaved to pay off a debt, such as to pay off a loan (though their time of service usually overpays for the amount owed), forced labor is where someone is coerced to working against their will through threats and punishment, child labor is when children are exploited and worked in a way that interferes with their normal development or growth (ACF Fact Sheet, Labor Trafficking).
Sex trafficking occurs when “a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years,” (ACF Fact Sheet, Sex Trafficking). Sex trafficking can fall under labor trafficking because victims can be coerced under the delusion of having to pay off a loan or “favor” (bonded labor), they can be forced into performing these acts through threats and acts of violence (forced labor), the victim could be under the age of 18 (child labor), or all three.
Because of the confusion and the absence of clear definitions both here in the U.S. and around the world, it is extremely difficult to track and evaluate how widespread and severe these issues are. As a result, surveys and evaluations can become skewed. Since police departments and governments file cases under different sections and then report them in various ways, it can be nearly impossible to track information (Global 13-22). Additionally, many trafficking situations go completely unreported. They operate in an underground society that is adept at covering their tracks, so it can be hard to catch perpetrators and victims of trafficking. Also, victims often will not admit to their situation, whether out of fear of retaliation or from being manipulated into seeing themselves as willing participants (Hidden 7-8).
True results are also difficult to attain because societies who are more aware and more equipped to report and handle human trafficking often file higher amounts of cases. On the other hand, those who are not as advanced in detection have a lower amount of reports. This makes evaluations tricky because it becomes unclear whether areas that seem to have an unusually high amount of activity are truly extreme, or if they just appear that way because they have an effective reporting system (Global 13-22). Sex trafficking also takes many different forms around the world, from capturing and coercing foreigners to perform sexual acts, to exploiting local women and children. The diverse and hidden nature of these industries is perfect for producing confusion.
Georgia, and especially Atlanta, faces all of these same issues. Since the year 2000, Atlanta’s government has become more aware of the CSEC within its streets, and has begun to shift its view from accusing these children to trying to help them. Police officers and hospitals are becoming trained in detecting signs and how to report them, and as a result more cases are coming to light. But many roadblocks still exist, not the least of which is that underage victims are exploited while young and vulnerable, and therefore do not realize that they are being abused. Girls and boys as young as 10 and 11 are introduced into the world of sex trading and are groomed not to know any better (Hidden 8-17).
Most organizations against human trafficking will tell you that awareness is the first step to eradicating this form of slavery. One of the reasons CSEC can thrive so well is because it’s so good at remaining cloaked and undetected. But the first step to winning this new battle for freedom in our society is simple: become aware of what’s going on, and help others do the same.
