I agree with you that we don’t see victims of human trafficking as true victims. We see them as common prostitutes. Of course, that is we see them that way if they are not white, upper class, with no criminal record. If a girl or woman fits this description, then she makes a good victim, and will be treated as such. This, however, ignores the fact that the rest of the human trafficking industry contains victims, too. Yes, even those girls who work in trip clubs, date much older men, and have substance abuse problems. The problem is that while these girls still fit into the formal definition of human trafficking, they often don’t fit into the common definition, which, as described above, mostly includes girls who are perceived as innocent.
According to the “Sex Trafficking Fact Sheet” from the Department of Health and Human Services, victims may suffer a variety of problems, including “traumatic bonding” where the victim becomes attached to the person who traffics them. This very attachment to a pimp, though described as a not unheard of issue by the Department of Health and Human Services (a reputable source), may de-victimize girls in the eyes of the public and law enforcement. Once she shows attachment to her pimp, she is seen as having chosen a life of abuse and prostitution, and therefore completely responsible for the decision. This steals away from many victims the opportunity to press charges against an abuser and win the case, and gives her a criminal charge of prostitution rather than the help that she needs. Society as a whole needs to be more knowledgeable on what constitutes a victim so that we are not leaving young girls and women in the hands of a very abusive underground system.
Works Cited:
“Sex Trafficking Fact Sheet.” N.D. National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Department of Health and Human Resources. Web. Accessed 10 April 2012.
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