Human Sex Trafficking

Human sex trafficking is believed to the most common form of modern day slavery. The victims of domestic and international sex trafficking are estimated to be in the millions. Most of these victims are female and children. They are enslaved in the commercial sex industry for little or no money.

This book will explore human sex trafficking in several nations of origin and destination. This book will explore sex trafficking from the perspective that understanding its causes requires attention to global conditions while responding to it requires attention to local laws, policies and practices. Social service workers will need to understand how and why trafficking victims find it difficult to break free and why many victims will not cooperate with those persons who are attempting to assist them.

This book will be useful to anti-trafficking agencies and personnel who wish to further understand the nature and extent of human sex trafficking in the U.S. and in countries of destination for sex trafficking. In addition, this book will be of use to students of human rights and social justice who want to join the effort to abolish human sex trafficking in our lifetime.

This book was published as a special issue of Women & Criminal Justice.

Frances P. Bernat is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. She holds both a Juris Doctorate and a Ph.D. in Political Science. Her research focuses on current legal issues that impact on women as victims and offenders, and on the intersection of race and class on crime and punishment.