The American Red Cross

08 June 2010

A World of Macho Demands


It is believed that the process of international sex trafficking begins and ends with the demand for women and children. Pimps need women and girls so they go to a person that can provide them. This theory is popular with traffickers around the globe where they are know to take advantage of poverty stricken areas, unemployment and a desire for better opportunities - this  is also a domestic issue.

With traffickers acting as power brokers for any pimp with a thriving organization, the demand for these services is the real fuel or motivation for this supply chain. And the solution is simple: "If there were no customers, there would be no prostitution". After today you'll know who those customers are and who else is responsible for taking what used to be a business for outcasts to the second most profitable criminal act in the world.

I. A Joint Effort
"The crucial factor in determining where trafficking will occur is the presence and activity of traffickers, pimps and collaborating officials running criminal operations ... Corruption of government officials and police is necessary for trafficking and exploitation of large amounts of women and children ... Prostitution operations depend on attracting men. Pimps and brothel owners have to advertise to men that women and children are available for commercial sex acts. Officials have to ignore this blatant advertising."
II. The Who's Who of Demand

There are four parts of the demand cycle. the men that buy commercial sex, the exploiters who make up the sex industry, the states that are destination countries for victims, and the culture that promotes or tolerates sexual exploitation of men women and children.

Men, known for purchasing sex acts to meet their emotional needs (not physical needs) say that even though they purchase sex over and over they feel unsatisfied. Often times these men will have little respect for women. They want the kind of control in a sexual encounter that does not require them to be nice or polite. They can humiliate, degrade and hurt the woman or child, if they want.

The exploiters include traffickers, pimps, business owners of commercial sex establishments (strip clubs, brothels, massage parlors etc ...) and corrupt officials all make money selling sex as a commodity. Although domestic sex traffickers and organized crime groups have received the most publicity, if they were all locked up this would still be a big problem.

In every state, the wealthy have control over how prostitution and trafficking is handled. With that said, its easy for poorer and less powerful countries to be influenced by corrupt officials and or organized crime groups. In the United States  government officials are now in the process of admitting responsibility for the problem of sex trafficking, but without opposing the exploitation of women in prostitution to only opposing the worst violence and crime. Internationally, prostitution has been raised to sex work, allowing women and children to be smuggled across borders. This only leads to the recommendation to legalize prostitution to solve the problem; which then leads to a conversation about the tax revenue that the government would gain.

Also, when the prostitution business is booming, government officials become jealous of the criminal's cash flow, thinking they aren't getting their share.
Stormy Daniels, former porn actress running in Louisiana Senate election
Finally, the culture, or mass media, plays the biggest role of all in normalizing prostitution by painting a picture of glamor and a way to make a lot of fast cash. Girls and even women see themselves becoming independent, liberated and empowered.
"In the battle against a worldwide sex trade, the voice of moral authority that condemns all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse is being lost." - Donna Hughes, Professor
To learn how to fight the demand of sexual exploitation follow my new series of posts to know how to take the first step. In the meantime, check out for yourself how the demand cycle works in the video clip below. It includes an overseas venue for rich foreigners, a wealthy and violent pimp, and also an expensive house party for a young American male. It reveals how normal this truly is.

Be warned: this video clip also includes rape and some profanity. Please watch it at your own discretion.


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