Human Trafficking: Should We Decriminalize Sex Work

Issue Background

Human Trafficking is a huge issue. It affects people all around the world of any race, gender or sexuality. Human trafficking is the act of forcing someone to do something that they do not want to be a part of. It needs to be solved so that the people affected by human trafficking can go back to living a regular life outside or coercion. There are 1,200 alleged incidents of Human Trafficking and that doesn’t include the incidents that go unnoticed. The aspect of human trafficking that I will focus on is sex trafficking. It is the kind of human trafficking the affects the victim the most, it is also one of the biggest criminal industries in the world.

Status Quo Policies

Governments have put many laws in place to try and reduce the amount of human trafficking that goes on in this world. Some of these laws include the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPA), the Tariff Act of 1930, the Customs and Facilitations and Trade Enforcement Act, the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, the Mann Act, the PROTECT Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act.

Stance/Policy Development

Human Trafficking is a huge issue worldwide with many components. I would suggest that we first dig to the bottom of the issue. After we find out what they issue is, we find a way to solve that issue and then we go on to solving the rest. For example, if the issue is that people need money so they start these organizations to make money, or become a victim, because they need money, then we would work on fixing that. Because most of the human trafficking happens in India and Africa, I would ask the governments from those countries to meet up and discuss the issue. Obviously, people in their country feel like they need more money. We would work out a way that fixes the root of the problem so that once we are done with that and go on to shutting down organizations like these, less people will feel the need to begin these organizations, or become a victim because they need money.

Candidate Stance- Identification

I couldn’t find a candidate stance on human trafficking only on sex workers, so instead, for this part, I’ll talk about the candidate position on sex workers.

• I agree with: Bill de Blasio
• I could live with: Elizabeth Warren
• I disagree with: Kamala Harris

Candidate Stance- Explanation

I agree with Elizabeth Warren because she wants to explore both sides of the issue[footnoteRef:4]. I believe that she understands that some sex work is consensual but that it can also have more serious consequences. Sex work is a big part of the human trafficking industry. When human traffickers move victims from one place to another, they put their victims in places that have sex work to earn money. I learned that at a human trafficking convention for Elijah Rising. Now, some sex work is consensual, but, more often than not it starts or ends in sex/human trafficking. Therefore, I do not think that it should be decriminalized, which is why I agree with.

I could live with Bill de Blasio because he isn’t comfortable with sex work[footnoteRef:5]. Sex work is a big part of the human trafficking industry. I think that there are more factors that he needs to consider before he makes a final decision. If we criminalize sex work, then people will find a way to do it illegally but if we decriminalize it then there can be more consequences that we need to explore before we make a final decision.

I disagree with Kamala Harris. I think that she is a hypocrite. She has worked as an attorney with cases that involve criminalizing sex workers and now, she has said that she wants to decriminalize it[footnoteRef:6]. I don’t like the fact that she is being hypocritical, I would accept if she sais that she regrets doing that, but I haven’t read or heard her say anything of the sort. I also think that she is putting an opinion out way to quickly. I think that she should research this issue into more detail that way she can make an informed decision rather than a fast decision that can lead to a lot of damage. Kamala Harris calls to decriminalize sex work after decades of destroying sex workers.