The Porn Industry and Sex Trafficking — Are They Related?
The world at large generally agrees that slavery is an inhumane practice that is extremely degrading to the people afflicted by it. Still, human sex trafficking is more prevalent than ever.
Even though most people are vehemently opposed to human sex trafficking, they might not realize that the high demand for it has been directly fueled by the pornography industry.
As an awareness-raising and educational organzation, Fight the New Drug has given visibility to the facts on this shared connection so that everyone can have the correct information, draw their own conclusions, and join in the conversation about how the sex trafficking industry and porn are interlinked.
What Does “Sex Trafficking” Mean?
The term “sex trafficking” refers to the moving, buying, and selling of human beings for the purpose of commercial sex, through the means of fraud, coercion, or force, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years. [1a]
Victims can come from all different backgrounds and include those who are male, female, LGBTQ+, children, teens, and adults. They also come from every country, economic situation, and family background.
It’s difficult to estimate the exact number of trafficking victims around the world, and numbers are likely underestimated, the International Labour Organization reports that there are approximately 24.9 million victims of forced labor, 4.8 million of whom are sex trafficking victims. And sadly, they also estimate that 1 in 5 sex trafficking victims are children. [1b].
Many people assume that sex trafficking usually involves kidnapping unsuspecting victims in a foreign country, but it’s important to remember that any level of force, fraud, coercion, or the involvement of a minor in a commercial sex act qualifies as sex trafficking. While kidnapping and other forms of force certainly happen, more common forms of sex trafficking usually involve psychological manipulation. For example, one report of prosecuted trafficking cases in the U.S. found that the majority — 59% — of coercive tactics used by traffickers didn’t involve physical coercion at all. [1c]
What Are the Connections Between Pornography and Sex Trafficking?
In addition to the countless incidences of sex trafficking in the production of pornography, research also indicates that porn consumers are more likely to commit actual acts of sexual violence. [1h] Experts suggest that this could be due to porn’s normalization of sexual violence, objectification, and dehumanization. Dr. John Foubert, a researcher and expert on sexual violence, has stated, “The more we dehumanize someone, the more possible it is to commit violence against them. And that’s what porn does.” [1i]
In fact, some reports suggest that pornography may play a role in normalizing objectification enough that porn consumers are more willing to purchase sex in real life, which can increase the demand for sex trafficking and exploitation, generally. [1j][1k][1l] Additionally, many traffickers and other predators often use porn to groom their victims. [1m] In this way, porn can acts as a “training manual” that “educates” on what is expected when having sex.
Perhaps the most startling connection is that porn and sex trafficking are often one and the same. The truth is that whenever pornography is consumed, there is no way to guarantee whether consumers are actually watching sex trafficking on film or not. When performers are forced, tricked, or coerced into performing specific sex acts, even if they receive a paycheck at the end of the shoot and sleep in their own bed at the end of the day, that still qualifies as sex trafficking. And it’s still unacceptable, even if it does happen more often than many consumers realize.
To Sum It Up
Remember, not only do porn and today’s sex trafficking share connections but they can be the same thing.
Someone can say they hate the idea of sex trafficking, but if they continue to engage with and sustain the porn industry, what is their outrage worth? Instead, each of us can become a voice against sexual exploitation and stop the demand.
Citations
[1a] Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, Pub. L. №106–386, Section 102(a), 114 Stat. 1464. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-106hr3244enr/pdf/BILLS-106hr3244enr.pdf
[1b] International Labour Organization. (2017). Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labour and forced marriage. Geneva: Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf
[1c] Feehs, K., & Wheeler, A. C. (2021). 2020 federal human trafficking report. Human Trafficking Institute. Retrieved from https://www.traffickinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2020-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf
[1d] United States of America, appellee, v. Glenn Marcus, defendant-appellant, 2010). Retrieved from https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1547193.html
[1e] Pornhub sued by 40 girls do porn sex trafficking victim. (2020). BBC News Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55333403
[1f] Fight the New Drug. (2021). Sean’s story: What it’s like to be a male survivor of child sexual exploitation. Retrieved from https://fightthenewdrug.org/what-its-like-to-be-a-male-survivor-of-child-exploitation/
[1g] Fight the New Drug. (2020). “They raped me at gunpoint”: True stories from A former escort and porn performer. Retrieved from https://fightthenewdrug.org/they-raped-me-at-gunpoint-true-stories-from-a-former-escort-and-porn-performer/
[1h] Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183–205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201
[1i] John D. Foubert, Ph.D. Truth About Porn. (2016). [Video/DVD] Retrieved from https://truthaboutporn.org/media/dr-john-d-foubert-ph-d/
[1j] Gervais, S. J., & Eagan, S. (2017). Sexual objectification: The common thread connecting myriad forms of sexual violence against women. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(3), 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000257
[1k] Demand Abolition. (2018). Who buys sex? understanding and disrupting illicit market demand. Retrieved from https://www.demandabolition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Demand-Buyer-Report-July-2019.pdf
[1l] Herrington, R., & McEachern, P. (2018). “Breaking her spirit” through objectification, fragmentation, and consumption: A conceptual framework for understanding domestic sex trafficking. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 27, 1–14. doi:10.1080/10926771.2017.1420723
[1m] Lanning, K. V. (2010). Child molesters: A behavioral analysis for professionals investigating the sexual exploitation of children. (№5). National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Retrieved from https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/publications/nc70.pdf
