When considering what perpetuates sex trafficking, the more obvious factors include poverty, political instability, and gender inequalities. What most people often don’t recognize as a major contributor to sex trafficking, however, is pornography. It’s a hidden factor that people don’t want to talk about. Human trafficking remains a “wicked” problem because it is inextricably bound to a plethora of other issues, including market demand in the commercial sex industry. The normalization of pornography in the 21st century increases demand, and increased demand ensures that supply will continue. If supply is to decrease, demand must decrease.
As a major form of organized crime, human trafficking generates about $150 billion annually. Out of the estimated 40.3 million people enslaved globally through human trafficking, 79% are sexually exploited. Sites like Pornhub, the world’s leading free porn website, have been known to profit from filming rape, sexual abuse, and child sex trafficking. In 2019 alone, this one website received 42 billion visits. While estimating the revenue generated by the porn industry is difficult, since most porn companies are private businesses, it likely generates between $6 billion and $15 billion annually.
A 2010 research study analyzing 50 popular porn films found that, out of 304 scenes, 88% depicted physical violence and 49% depicted verbal aggression. Pornography is in such high demand because viewers wish to act out what they observe in scenes, particularly sex traffickers. Traffickers gather ideas from porn and force victims to watch so they know what is expected of them. When scenes depicted contain physical and verbal aggression, which is responded to positively by the actors, this becomes a much larger issue.
The line drawn between consensual and non-consensual acts in pornography is extremely blurred, and viewers often cannot distinguish between the two. Sex trafficking occurs anytime a victim is sexually exploited by way of force, fraud, or coercion. While it may appear that actors have given consent to be filmed, it’s possible that they were coerced into agreeing with the terms, or not even told what they were expected to do until after consenting. Consent gained by manipulation is never true consent. Another problem that arises is the continued exploitation of victims online even after they leave the industry. If they were trafficked, their exploitation continues to make a profit through repeated views.
More awareness needs to be spread about the ways in which pornography perpetuates sex trafficking since the connection often remains invisible. The best way to help stop the demand for sex trafficking is to stop the demand for pornography, which ultimately decreases its supply. Let’s love our neighbors well by taking this one simple step together! Follow the link below to learn about what common signs identify someone as a sex trafficking victim: https://unboundnow.org/human-trafficking.
Written by Sarah Berning
Professional Writing Intern
Unbound Global