Poverty, human disposability.

Child sex trafficking is a type of manufacturing. People are manufacturing a product or object, to be used, passed on, and eventually disposed of because it’s now “unusable.” But these products/objects are young, innocent human bodies’ not plastic, cheap toys. The issue of global child sex trafficking relates to course concepts because it’s a perfect example of dehumanization and disposability. All around the world, children are given up or sold to sex tourism because their parents do not want them or they cannot support them. A majority of this business occurs in developing or third world countries where incomes are below poverty level. These countries are weakly constructed with the lack of a strong government and few resources. There’s no education system, health care, and people are starving. Thousands are also slaving in sweatshops to make $3 a day or less. All these aspects contribute to the future of children and their role in their communities.

In class, we asked the question why women are treated the way they are in factories of developing countries. People said because they’re “obedient,” and “submissive.” Women workers become seen and used as waste in third world factories; they’re used up and thrown away. This relates to child sex trafficking because children are seen the exact same way. They’re easily bossed around. They’re passive beings with no voice. That’s why it’s so easy for the sex trafficking industry to flourish. Workers take advantage of the weak and vulnerable to create large profits for themselves. Hence, children who are victims of sex trafficking are seen as unimportant and unworthy. But, according to class discussion all of these statements or beliefs can be viewed as myths and are social constructions. Yet many of these “stereotypes,” are all due to a country’s economic conditions.

Overall, the poverty circumstances make it feasible for sex trafficking to occur. Globalization, opening of markets, ease of transportation/movement around the world has changed drastically in the last 50 years. This makes the ability to traffic humans much easier. The poverty conditions and lack of education allow and encourage trafficking because of the need for families to provide for themselves. Parents give up their children because they know they can’t support them. There’s a great lack of worldly knowledge. Children believe they’re really going to work somewhere or parents really believe they’re giving up/selling their child to a better life. Yet, they end up being fooled. Children probably wouldn’t be forced into trafficking if their country’s conditions weren’t so poor. There’s mismanagement and abuse of power by government diverting funds and resources from people instead of the betterment of their own country. Obviously I have mentioned this already but, living and working conditions; lack of development, education, government control, security; and corruption are all factors tied into poverty and globalization. And each factor contributes to the child sex trafficking industry, making it easier for children to be taken and transported until “unusable.”





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