Hot spot trafficking: a theoretical discussion of the potential problems associated with targeted policing and the eradication of sex trafficking in the United States |
| |
Authors: | Erin Heil Andrea Nichols |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Department of Sociology &2. Criminal Justice Studies, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Box 1455, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USAerconle@siue.edu;4. Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Throughout the United States, legal professionals and advocates have taken measures to address the access to victims of sex trafficking. A commonly accepted practice has been to advocate for the removal of ‘sex for sale’ advertising in free media such as Craigslist and Backpage. Although this action against the solicitation of prostitution has been celebrated by many advocates and legal professionals, the removal of such advertisements does not directly affect the prevalence of sex trafficking. In fact, displacement theory suggests that the removal of solicitation advertisements and targeted policing forces traffickers to simply advertise elsewhere or become more creative in selling the victims, thereby concealing the act of sex trafficking and making it less identifiable. Although we do not advocate for the maintenance of ‘sex for sale’ advertisements, the process of removing these ads is counterproductive, having little positive impact on the incidence of sex trafficking in the United States. Rather, it forces both traffickers and victims to bury deeper in the already hidden world of sex trafficking. Policy implications derived from criminal displacement theory and research are provided. |
| |
Keywords: | human trafficking sex trafficking United States displacement theory Internet |
|
|