When sex and drug markets blend, how do sex traffickers operate differently?

• In Event: Sex work and trafficking

Abstract

Sex and drug trafficking have primarily been studied as distinct criminal activities. There is a large body of literature on drug markets (e.g., Bright et al., 2019; Cambell & Hanson, 2012; Curtis & Wendel, 2007) and sex markets (e.g., Augustin, 2007; Dank et al., 2015; Horning & Stalans, 2024), but few address blended markets with a few exceptions (e.g., Maher, 1998; Miller, 1999). When sex traffickers are networked with drug dealers or also work in drug markets, does this change how they work and how they interact with sex workers? We interviewed 183 sex market facilitators (managers, pimps, madams, traffickers, etc.). We found that 33.9% reported selling drugs, and 56.8% reported using hard illicit drugs. Those who were socially networked with people working in drug markets were statistically significantly more coercive with sex workers. We qualitatively explore their narratives by comparing them to a randomly selected matched group to understand why and how sex workers are more at risk in blended markets.

Authors

• Amber Horning Ruf, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Loretta J. Stalans, Loyola University Chicago

• Oscar Alvaro, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Zedny Immatong, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Laura Hommann Charette, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Yaning Yue, University of Massachusetts Lowell