“Without proper interventions, sex trafficking cases can become ritualized spectacle, where sexualized violence as well as its accompanying investigation and adjudication convince the factfinder of the pathology of the victim and the sovereignty of the perpetrator.”
– Blanche Cook, Robert E. Harding Jr. Associate Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law.
By utilizing the knowledge and resources available to us, we can make the world a better place. We encourage you to read the articles and academic works hosted on our website for more information. Education is key in the fight against sex trafficking. Understanding what sex trafficking looks like, who it affects, and how it works can help each of us to identify trafficking victims. The reality is that both everyday citizens and law enforcement often fail to identify and understand sex trafficking victims because they simply do not know what to look for, and have little practical knowledge of the traumatic effect sex trafficking has on victims. Victims face stigmatization, shame, and blame. They are offered little sympathy for the violence they endure on a daily basis. By educating ourselves about sex trafficking, we can better understand the ways in which our own deeply-held biases affect how we perceive, treat, and prioritize victims, and move toward more effective solutions to the global problem of sex trafficking.
If you would like to get involved on a local level, many local organizations are dedicated to ending sex trafficking and promoting victims’ rights. Please visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway for more information on organizations dedicated to fighting sex trafficking.
