Human trafficking leaves no land untouched. In the U. State Department estimated that there are 27 million victims worldwide trafficked for forced labor or commercial sex exploitation. Scholars note that the phenomenon represents a serious health issue for women and girls worldwide. Beyond the human cost, trafficking may also compromise international security, weaken the rule of law and undermine health systems. Since the United Nations adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children in , global efforts have been made by the international community to address the growing problem.
The researchers — Seo-Yeong Cho of the German Institute for Economic Research, Axel Dreher of the University of Heidelberg and Eric Neumayer of the London School of Economics and Political Science — analyzed cross-sectional data of countries to determine the effect of legalized prostitution on human trafficking inflows. In addition, they reviewed case studies of Denmark, Germany and Switzerland to examine the longitudinal effects of legalizing or criminalizing prostitution.
While trafficking inflows may be lower where prostitution is criminalized, there may be severe repercussions for those working in the industry. For example, criminalizing prostitution penalizes sex workers rather than the people who earn most of the profits pimps and traffickers. Working conditions could be substantially improved for prostitutes — at least those legally employed — if prostitution is legalised. Source: Journalist Resource. Studies of this nature are critical to the ongoing discussion on sex trafficking and legal prostitution.
Key to an accurate study is the proper definition of sex trafficking and a fair analysis of those willingly practicing sex work. Some research claims that between , and four million women and children are trafficked for the purposes of sex each year. However, these figures came under scrutiny in by the U. Government Accountability Office, which cited weak methods, gaps and discrepancies, concluding that data were generally not reliable. There is also inconsistency in definitions of trafficked victims.
For example, Melissa Farley claims that all prostitution is sex trafficking, including legal prostitution in Nevada—a claim many legal prostitutes would dispute. Moreover, researchers Estes and Weiner, in a report entitled The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, claim high concentrations of rap music in neighborhoods contribute to potential sex trafficking—a clearly racist and classist not to mention stupid assumption.
