"We Are Giving Voice to the Victims:" The Cultural Production of "Sex Trafficking Victim Stigma" in the Anti-Trafficking Movement

• In Event: Portrayals of Victims in the Media

Abstract

Even though trafficking in the sex industry has consistently been considered a priority in policy concerns on law makers’ agenda, on both sides of the Atlantic, in the light of recent political changes the issue may take on new meanings. This paper examines the mainstream anti-trafficking movement’s discourse, particularly reflecting on the changes triggered by the post Trump and Brexit rhetoric. Through a comparative analysis of media content, and of images, as disseminated by news outlets and prominent anti-trafficking organizations and activists in the UK and the US, we seek to provide an alternative narrative to the dominant discourse regarding trafficking and prostitution. By employing the concept of “secondary exploitation", we aim to engage in critical reflection over the anti-trafficking movement’s awareness raising campaigns’ cultural production of objectifying and stigmatizing narratives and imagery.

Authors

• Claudia Horning Cojocaru, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• Ric Curtis, The Graduate Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY