Brown 1

Amir E. Brown
Professor Joy McDonald
English 101-07
October 23, 2016
Human Sex Trafficking
Greenbaum, Jordan, and James E. Crawford-Jakubiak. "Child Sex Trafficking and Commercial
Sexual Exploitation: Health Care Needs of Victims." Pediatrics 135.3 (2015): 566-574.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
This journal article focuses on the medical and mental health of the women and children
who are exposed to the world of human sex trafficking. They are exposed to different
types of trauma such as malnutrition, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major
depression and other mental health disorders. One of the main focuses is the commercial
sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Many victims are seen as criminals due to the
illegalization of prostitution and are not given the proper service to help them with their
trauma. The second part of the article states that the common age of entry into sex
trafficking is 12-16 years old. At this age children are more vulnerable to manipulation
and exploitation because they have limited life experiences. The third part of the article
discusses the medical providers examination of the victims and the various places they
can go to receive help for a variety of problems. This article applies to my research
because it explains who is effected and how.
Hepburn, Stephanie, and Rita J. Simon. "Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in the
United States." Gender Issues 27.1-2 (2010): 1-26. ProQuest. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

Brown 2
These authors discuss the different ways human trafficking is hidden in the US and in
other parts of the world. They give detailed statistics of men and women being trafficked
and give the specific nationalities. They give brief stories of women who are sent here in
our country under false pretenses such as waitressing, housekeeping or to obtain a visa.
One issue stated in the article is the lack of regulation within the US sex industry.
Pornography, which is constitutionally protected under the first amendment, carries a
negative social stigma, it is linked with some of the biggest US corporations. In fact,
companies like Time Warner, Hilton, Westin, AT&T and Marriott earn tens of millions of
dollars a year in distribution. Victims are often stuck because they cant pay the
outrageous fees put upon them, they dont speak English, and their passports have been
taken. This connects to my research on how human sex trafficking is hidden in plain
sight.
Hill, Rodney, and Amanda Walker-Rodriguez. Human Sex Trafficking. FBI, FBI, 22 Feb.
2011, <https://leb.fbi.gov/2011/march/human-sex-trafficking>.
This site explains the exploitation of individuals, men, women, and children due to
human trafficking. Demonstrating the efforts taken by the US government alongside with
other services in order to apprehend those who participate in the heinous act. Within each
state, certain police divisions are specifically created to combat human trafficking and
services to help the victims. Connecting back to my research on what role law
enforcement play in human sex trafficking.
Meekins, By John. Human Trafficking Thrives Because Officers Don't Know What It Is. In
Public Safety, American Military University, 1 Dec. 2015,

Brown 3
<http://inpublicsafety.com/2014/08/human-trafficking-thrives-because-officers-dontknow-what-it-is/>.
This website spoke on how the authors experience and research on human sex trafficking
helped local police officers recognize, identify, and assist victims. He spoke on the
misconceptions that some officers have feeling that human sex trafficking is a big city
problem and not one of a small town; largely because they do not know how to detect or
pick up signs. The author stated that officers needed to be informed about what human
sex trafficking is, what signs to look for, and how to report it. Victims are distrustful of
officers due to being brainwashed by their captors so officers must know the signs
starting with the victims record which may include a history of domestic violence, fraud,
theft, and drug arrest etc. The training of officers is of the utmost importance because
compliance from the victims are very unreliable. Connecting this website back to my
research of how the police are combating human sex trafficking.
Pinghua Sun1, Yan Xie2. "Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery in the Modern World." Albany
Government Law Review 7.1 (2014): 91-110. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson).
Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
This article gives a clear concise definition of human trafficking and the victims
involved, and details the different forms of it. The article speaks on the attractiveness of
the business to criminals because of its high payoff and low risk factors. It details the
purpose, the age group of victims and the abuses the victim suffers at the hands of the
traffickers. The number of people trafficked range from six hundred thousand to twentyseven million people, the increasing number is due to the poverty-stricken conditions
placed upon women and children internationally and in the United States. The article

Brown 4
outlined four factors related to the growth of human trafficking including, the growing of
the economy, the demand for personal services in the developed world, the rise in
unemployment among women, and the Internet. It suggests a way to combat human
trafficking by working with governments via international treaties. I can use this article
to give a detailed and thorough explanation on what exactly human trafficking is.