DEMAND
The marketplace of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation is a demand-driven market. Pornography, prostitution and sex tourism have become major worldwide industries, fueled by the glamorization of stripping, lap dancing, “pimp culture” and the increasing sexualization of women and girls.
Young and vulnerable victims are the “supply” recruited by traffickers and pimps. The “supply” increases to meet the growing demand for sexual services commanded across the globe. The key to abolishing trafficking for sex lies in abolishing the demand for pornography and commercial sex.
Focus on the United States...
Citizens, residents and immigrants are increasingly being recruited into the commercial sex markets to service the demand resulting from the normalization and promotion of commercial sex across America. The commercial sex trade in the United States flourishes partly because the media bombards all age groups with explicit sexual imagery. Policymakers, citizens, and religious institutions may condemn the immoral and unethical nature of the commercial sex trade, but American culture simultaneously promotes commercial sex. In a culture that takes pride in women’s rights and professional achievements, females are commonly portrayed as sexual commodities.
