Traffickers Chapter 6

Question Were you surprised by Keosha’s story? Why or why not?

Types of Traffickers Pimps-as-Traffickers Strong-Arm Pimp Boyfriend Pimp Non-intimate partner Pimp Familial Traffickers Buyers as Traffickers Types are fluid, and can overlap

Pimps As Traffickers Not all pimps are traffickers, but those who pimp minors, or induce others by force fraud or coercion are legally traffickers

The Strong -Arm PImp This is what we hear about most in the media, but it is actually the least common form of sex trafficking This involves kidnapping/abduction and brute force Sometimes this involves forced drug use The Polaris Project reported that kidnapping/abduction is involved in 7% of cases

The Boyfriend pimp Among women and girls who are trafficked, this is a very common form Young men and boys may also have a boyfriend pimp Extension of IPV

Non-Intimate Partner Pimps Can overlap with other types, simply a pimp who does not have an intimate partner relationship with the survivor/victim The strong arm pimp False front businesses/ bait and switch Debt bondage Sex-work-turned-sex-trafficking Familial traffickers

Familial Traffickers Parents or other relatives Often a mother, father, or mother’s boyfriend Intergenerational transmission of prostitution Settling a drug debt Obtaining money for drugs To pay the rent or other bills Can involve pornography, prostitution, stripping

Buyers as Traffickers U.S. V Jungers U.S. V Bonestroo Purchasing sex with a minor

Traffickers—Who Are They, and Why Do They Do It? Irony– same risk factors as those who are trafficked Background of victimization, marginalization, problematic home lives, poverty, lack of educational opportunities, community and intergenerational normalization of pimping, childhood neglect and abuse, domestic violence Social environments produce traffickers & pimps/ sociological perspective

Questions Why might this knowledge be important? Let’s discuss the prevention implications in this reading.

Pop Culture and the Normalization of Pimping Now, not all pimping is trafficking. Many of the examples of pimping in the second part of the chapter do not reflect trafficking. Yet, I’d like you to consider how our culture glorifies pimps, or at least normalizes them. What effect might that have? What does it mean when elements of our society contribute to a social environment when pimping and sometimes even related violence is viewed as normal, funny, or deserving of high status?

Question Do an Internet search for “pimp T-shirt.” Click on “Images.” Describe what you see. Do the same for “pimp Halloween costume.” What might such images represent to people who have been trafficked or exploited?

Normalization? Language Iconic Figures Celebrity Pimps Music Lyrics Pimp Manuals

Discussion Questions 1. Discuss the use of the term “pimp” in contemporary language and music lyrics. Is this problematic? In what ways? 2. Explain the role of white consumers in perpetuating music lyrics that disproportionately marginalize and victimize Black women. 3. Do an internet search and analyze the lyrics of any of the songs depicted in this chapter.