Comparing Health & Needs, Perceptions of Work, and Expectations for the Future among Sex Workers & Sexually Trafficked Youth

• In Event: Roundtable: Trafficking

Abstract

The dominant narrative regarding prostitution in the United States equates sex work with human trafficking. Criminal legislation against alleged traffickers (i.e., pimps) and clients, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) which defines anyone under 18 engaged in prostitution as a victim of sex trafficking, has caused ambiguity within these labels and has created barriers to services for those involved in the sex trade. Few empirical studies have compared the needs among victims of sex trafficking and those that identify as sex workers. Using a mixed methodological design, this study investigates the health needs, perceptions of work, and expectations for the future among 949 individuals engaged in the sex trade. Using data collected from six sites, we explore the overall needs of this community compared by the agency of the individual (as defined by TVPA). Additionally, we use interview data from the Las Vegas site to help better understand and situate the findings. We position these results in conjunction with the prevailing narrative surrounding sex trafficking in the United States.

Authors

• Brooke Wagner, Wittenberg University

• Jennifer Whitmer, California State University

• Andrea Dassopoulos, University of Nevada, Las Vegas