There’s been a lot of talk in the media lately about “Sex Trafficking”, but more often than not it’s a phrase that’s just thrown around without any real context or accuracy.
So what is sex trafficking?
Legally speaking that is.
The United States government decided to define it for us. This is known as the Congressional definition of “human trafficking”.
With so much bullshit going on about “sex trafficking” I thought it was important we take a moment to define what it truly is.
For the purpose of this discussion, the legal definition of human trafficking set forth in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) will be used.
There are two types of human trafficking – sex trafficking and labor trafficking.
In the TVPA, Congress defines severe forms of trafficking in persons as:
a) Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or
b) The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
Simply put, if someone tries to force you or coerce you into doing something against your will that is a crime.
The difference between sex trafficking and sexual assault is very small. Sex trafficking is when a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion. Sexual assault is when a sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion.
If Someone Has To Trick You, Force You Or Coerce You To Do So Something, Then It’s Wrong.
Now let’s talk about “coerce”. This is where it can get tricky and a lot of talent agents and producers are doing it without even realizing they are violating the law.
Coerce means to persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats. Most people know the obvious form of coercion – FORCE.
Pointing a gun at someone’s head or holding a knife to someone’s throat is an actual physical threat.
But it also includes extortion, blackmail, threats to include favors, or intimidation.
It can be as simple as, if you don’t have sex with me I won’t book you for a scene or if you don’t give me a blowjob, as your agent, I might not be inclined to book you for shoots.
Coercion means using pressure or force to get them to do something they don’t want to do.
So now relate it back to sex trafficking (as defined by law) — Sex trafficking is when a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion. Sexual assault is when a sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion.
