Sex Trafficking in the United States: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice

by Andrea Nichols

Overview

Sex Trafficking in the United States is a unique exploration of the underlying dynamics of sex trafficking. This comprehensive volume examines the common risk factors for those who become victims, and the barriers they face when they try to leave. It also looks at how and why sex traffickers enter the industry. A chapter on buyers presents what we know about their motivations, the prevalence of bought sex, and criminal justice policies that target them. Sex Trafficking in the United States describes how the justice system, activists, and individuals can engage in advocating for victims of sex trafficking. It also offers recommendations for practice and policy and suggestions for cultural change.

Andrea J. Nichols approaches sex-trafficking-related theories, research, policies, and practice from neoliberal, abolitionist, feminist, criminological, and sociological perspectives. She confronts competing views of the relationship between pornography, prostitution, and sex trafficking, as well as the contribution of weak social institutions and safety nets to the spread of sex trafficking. She also explores the link between identity-based oppression, societal marginalization, and the risk of victimization. She clearly accounts for the role of race, ethnicity, immigrant status, LGBTQ identities, age, sex, and intellectual disability in heightening the risk of trafficking and how social services and the criminal justice and healthcare systems can best respond. This textbook is essential for understanding the mechanics of a pervasive industry and curbing its spread among at-risk populations.

Please visit our supplemental materials page (https://cup.columbia.edu/extras/supplement/sex-trafficking-united-states) to find teaching aids, including PowerPoints, access to a test bank, and a sample syllabus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231202824
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	11/26/2024
Edition description:	second edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Andrea J. Nichols is a Carnegie Award–winning professor of sociology at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park and lecturer and anti-trafficking initiative coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis. She is the author of Feminist Advocacy: Gendered Organizations in Community-Based Responses to Domestic Violence (2013) and, with Erin C. Heil, of Human Trafficking in the Midwest: A Case Study of St. Louis and the Bi-State Area (2015).

Table of Contents

Part I. Contemporary Debates of Theory, Research, and Policy
1. Sex Trafficking: An Introduction
Defining Sex Trafficking: Key Legislation
Defining Sex Trafficking: Common Misconceptions
Sex Trafficking Prevalence
Supply, Demand, and Profitability
Chapter Summary
Chapter Overviews
Use of Terms
Discussion Questions
2. Theoretical Perspectives and the Politics of Sex Trafficking
Feminist Perspectives
Political Perspectives
Overlapping Feminist and Political Perspectives
Sociological Perspectives
Criminological Perspectives
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
3. Pornography
The Politics of Pornography
Key Areas of Pornography Debates and Sex Trafficking
Child Pornography as Sex Trafficking
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
4. Prostitution
Feminist Perspectives of Prostitution
Models of Prostitution Policy
How Do These Debates Relate to Sex Trafficking in the United States?
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
Part II. The Dynamics of Sex Trafficking in the United States
5. Survivors
Risk Factors: Identity-Based Oppression
Risk Factors: Weak Social Institutions
Recruitment
Barriers to Leaving
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
6. Traffickers
Types of Traffickers
Who Are They, and Why Do They Do It?
The Glorification of Pimping in Pop Culture
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
7. Sex Trafficking Operations
Venues for Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Technology as a Trafficking Tool
Interstate Circuits
International Trafficking Movement
Meeting the Demand
Structure of Trafficking Operations
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
8. Buyers
Research on Buyers
Buyers of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking Are Indistinct
Demographics of Buyers
Continuum of Buyer Motivations
Addressing Demand: Structural Responses Targeting Buyers
Buyers Avoiding Detection
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
Part III. Responses to Sex Trafficking
9. Criminal Justice System Responses
U.S. Federal Law: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act
State Law
Identification
Criminalizing Trafficking Survivors
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
10. Social Services and Health Care Responses
Identification
Health Care Settings
Social Service Settings
Barriers to Accessing Services
Aftercare
Promising Practices
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
11. The Anti–Sex Trafficking Movement in the United States
"The Roots" of Grassroots Antitrafficking Organizations
The Hotel Industry
The Transportation Industry
Political Activism
Media Support
International Organizations Operating in the United States
Chapter Summary
Discussion Questions
12. New Directions
Criminal Justice System Recommendations
Education and Awareness
Recommendations for Social Service Provision
Outreach and Prevention
Societal Issues
What Can We Do?
What's Your Green Dot?
Discussion Questions
Notes
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

[Sex Trafficking in the United States] is well organized, thoughtfully researched, and comprehensible for those who are unfamiliar with the trafficking world.

Small Wars

Nichols has written a solid, well-constructed analysis that taps into current academic and activist conversations about sex trafficking. Sex Trafficking in the United States: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice is an accessible, engaging text that establishes the parameters for these conversations and efforts, while also concluding with a call for more expansive, creative, thoughtful anti-trafficking practices. Nichols offers an impressive scope of subjects, ranging from the micro-level of individual survivors’ unique experiences to the macro-level policy that shapes anti-trafficking efforts and perpetuates precarity for vulnerable persons. This text is perfect for classroom use, especially for introducing students to the complexities of domestic sex trafficking, as well as for anti-trafficking stakeholders invested in on the ground advocacy and service provision.

Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books - Corinne Schwarz

Nichols exposes the reality of sex trafficking and offers a comprehensive view of challenging perspectives, engaging the audience to take action toward prevention.

Juliana Huard

Finally, there is an ideal option for educators seeking a comprehensive text on this complex topic. Andrea J. Nichols delivers a well-organized book that analyzes the theories explaining sex trafficking today, carefully considers the impassioned discourse surrounding sex trafficking policy, and draws on solid empirical research from beginning to end.

Joan A. Reid

Nichols provides a comprehensive and clear overview of sex trafficking in the United States, skillfully exploring the intersecting and complex challenges of theory and practice. This book is an outstanding resource for teaching.

Lauren Martin

A well-organized introduction to the landscape of sex trafficking in the United States that addresses the complexity of the issue, the competing narratives, and some of the challenges faced by survivors.

Natalie Jesionka