Sex Trafficking Raquel Dunkman Indiana Wesleyan University Introduction Sex trafficking is a difficult crime to stop. Victims of sex trafficking can benefit more from group therapy than individual therapy, because they’re not the only ones who have been through this traumatic experience. There is a staggering number of statistics as to who is most likely to get involved in the sex trade. Adolescents get involved to help out their family financially, or are sold into slavery by their parents. Women account for the vast majority of sex trafficked victims. One of the biggest issues with fighting sex trafficking is the insufficient amount of laws against the crime, meaning the criminals don’t serve a very harsh punishment. Communities don’t fully understand the dangers of sex trafficking and need more education on alternative means of how to make money. The pimp acts as the girl’s caretaker for all her needs, making it hard for her to become independent. Music therapy is a great way for members to communicate their feelings while not having to say anything. One of the biggest challenges for counselors is dealing with girls who can’t find their true identity. The control has been taken away from the girls, and they are in a desperate need to learn how to get that back. Facts Approximately 20.9 million people are currently enslaved to sex trafficking (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). The average age that girls enter the sex trade is between 12 and 14, whereas boys enter at 11 to 13 (Barnard, 2014). Women and girls in families, who are in poverty are at a higher risk for being in the sex traffic industry (Shrestha, Karki, Suwal, & Copenhaver, 2015). Sex trafficking earns an estimated $31.6 billion in profits annually; making it the third highest crime in the world, behind selling drugs and guns respectively (Elrod, 2015). Women account for 98% of sex trafficked victims, and 100,000 in the United States are sex trafficked annually (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). One of the major concerns among this crime is that criminals don’t serve as harsh of a punishment than those involved in selling drugs or guns illegally (Chung, 2009). If the victim is under the age of 14, the traffickers serve a fifteen-year sentence, and a ten-year sentence if the victim is under the age of 18 (Elrod, 2015). The majority of girls get involved in sex trafficking in hopes to find love and acceptance, as many of them come from very dysfunctional or abusive homes (Barnard, 2014). According to Elrod (2015), more than half of people who enter prostitution aren’t there from their own choice. Girls with insecurities, little to no education, or are in gender inequality neighborhoods are at higher risk to be sold into sex trafficking (Shrestha, Karki, Suwal, & Copenhaver, 2015). In Africa, women are often trafficked by militia as a means of community control (de Chesnay, 2013). Sex trafficked victims not only suffer from physical injuries, but also are malnourished, and also experience signs of psychological distress (de Chesnay, 2013). Victims of sex trafficking sometimes need counseling, housing, and employment advice (de Chesnay, 2013). Counseling Those involved in sex trafficking have a lot of psychological healing that needs to be addressed. Since females are more likely to be in the sex trade, they are often stereotyped as being weak, susceptible, and unable to make decisions for themselves (Elrod, 2015). Children who are still developing physically and mentally aren’t as stable to cope with their traumatic events and may have difficultly developing into adulthood (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). Singing is a way for people to express themselves emotionally, and victims are able to communicate how they’re feeling without speaking verbally (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). Music therapy is also a simple way to communicate emotions that one is feeling without needing good cognitive or verbal skills (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). In this way, members can express themselves while being in a group setting (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). Music therapy should consist of instruments with slow tempo music, such as piano, harp, and strings (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). Schrader and Wendland (2012) studied how singing has a progressive biological effect for the body. The most common psychological symptoms among sex trafficked victims are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, sadness, and hopelessness (de Chesnay, 2013). De Chesnay (2013) believes that while medications can help with depression symptoms, they should not be used as an alternate for trauma therapy. The goal of the therapist should be to bring the girls from wounded to surviving on their own (de Chesnay, 2013). Victims need support in counseling, both to continue in therapy and not be dependent upon their pimps for any reason (de Chesnay, 2013). Every victim is different and has different needs. Counselors need to take into consideration what kind of goals each girl has, help her focus on the positive rather than the negative, create goals for the future and making a plan to stick with, and how she can become in control of her life once again (de Chesnay, 2013). Traffickers are often referred to as “Daddy” by the victim, and show physical and emotional abuse to the girl. Because the girls are so dependent for food and money, she becomes scared to leave him (Barnard, 2014). Current Problems with Sex Trafficking Educating communities on the dangers of sex trafficking is vital for citizens to come up with alternative ways of making money (Chung, 2009).Those involved in sex trafficking have a lot of psychological healing that needs to be addressed. In order for victims to completely heal from what happened, they will need community support (Chung, 2009). Community members need to be aware of any financial burdens they might be in and how to prevent sex trafficking from happening (Chung, 2009). Neighborhoods that are at most risk for sex trafficking are those of low socioeconomic status (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). People who live in such environments are exposed to pimps and johns daily, and are often drafted into prostitution (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). Despite the laws already in place against sex trafficking, not enough has been achieved to decrease the quantity of victims (Shrestha, Karki, Suwal, & Copenhaver, 2015). The girls are desperate for money and the pimp guarantees them a job or possibly marriage if they agree to become a prostitute (Shrestha, Karki, Suwal, & Copenhaver, 2015). The best way to get information out to the public about sex trafficking is through different types of media (Shrestha, Karki, Suwal, & Copenhaver, 2015). One of the main problems with arresting sex traffickers is that the TVPA will only charge criminals who were severely involved, meaning they forced the girls, tricked them, or if the victim is a minor (Elrod, 2015). In such case, pimps can talk a victim into doing sex trafficking, which may not arise to level of severe, and escape any kind of federal charges (Elrod, 2015). The country of Cambodia offers an aftercare program for sex trafficked victims until they reach adulthood, if their homes lives are considered to be too dangerous (Schrader & Wendland, 2012). The best way to fight against sex trafficking is for communities to work with counselors, police, and lawyers to offer a new lifestyle for victims, in hopes of establishing a hopeful lifestyle for victims and freedom from sex slavery (de Chesnay, 2013). Conclusion Sex trafficking is a major issue in the world today, and little is being done to stop it. Drug and gun dealers are serving more prison time then men who market girls for profit. Victims need to know that they are not at fault for what has happened to them, and it would be best if they were in a group setting to create universality. Each member is different and will graduate from the program at his or her own pace. It’s important to note that girls each have their own goals they want to achieve in and out of group, and may need the facilitator’s help in doing so. Young girls sold into sex slavery will have the most trouble coping with their experiences, and the most commonly have PTSD as a result of the sex trade. Art is not commonly thought of when in counseling, but is a great resource for expressing feelings nonverbally. Sex traffickers need to have harsher punishments, or this problem will never cease. Women are more likely to be victims of trafficking than men, and are at most risk if they live in a low-socioeconomic neighborhood. Women also join if they come from an abusive home and are seeking for a man’s approval. References Barnard, A. M. (2014). The second change they deserve: Vacating convictions of sex trafficking victims. Columbia Law Review, 114(6), 1463-1501. Cecchet, S. J., & Thoburn, J. (2014). The psychological experience of child and adolescent sex trafficking in the United States: Trauma and resilience in survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, And Policy, 6(5), 482-493. Chung, R. C. (2009). Cultural perspectives on child trafficking, human rights & social justice: A model for psychologists. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 22(1), 85-96. de Chesnay, M. (2013). Psychiatric-mental health nurses and the sex trafficking pandemic. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 34(12), 901-907. Elrod, J. (2015). Filling the gap: Refining sex trafficking legislation to address the problem of pimping. Vanderbilt Law Review, 68(3), 961-996. Schrader, E. M., & Wendland, J. M. (2012). Music therapy programming at an aftercare center in cambodia for survivors of child sexual exploitation and rape and their caregivers. Social Work & Christianity, 39(4), 390-406. Shrestha, R., Karki, P., Suwal, A., & Copenhaver, M. (2015). Sex trafficking related knowledge, awareness, and attitudes among adolescent female students in nepal: A cross-sectional study. Plos ONE, 10(7), 1-13. 1 Running head: SEX TRAFFICKING 6 SEX TRAFFICKING