Trafficking Facts

and Awaken Media

29 Jan, 2023
A common argument in favor of legalizing prostitution in the United States is that it is a "choice". But is prostitution really a choice? Nevada’s had a legalized sex trade for 48 years and its illegal sex trade is the largest in the country — 63 percent larger than the next largest state. A 2013 study in the European Journal of Law and Economics compared data from countries that had legalized prostitution versus those that hadn’t. It found that sex trafficking is “most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized.” Sex buyers in Nevada are notoriously unconcerned with accessing sex legally or illegally — and many don’t know the difference. Women and children have paid the price for Nevada’s laws and 71% of those sold for sex in Nevada are at risk of having been trafficked.
26 Jul, 2022
The 2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act defines sex trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age.
20 Apr, 2022
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age (2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act).
15 Mar, 2022
“In truth, generating valid, reliable, and current data is challenging. The sex industry in the U.S. is, for the most part, illegal. Those who buy and those who sell their bodies for sexual exploitation are often reluctant to admit to their behavior, and thus difficult to reach with normal research methods such as random sampling surveys. This makes it quite difficult to ascertain answers to even the most basic questions, such as “What is the scope of the sex trade? How many people in this country are trafficked for sexual exploitation?” “How many people are buying sex?”…Utilizing only reputable data, being willing to say “we don’t know” when we don’t, and funding more and better research are the only ways we can overcome this fundamental problem.” — What We Know About Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, and Sexual Exploitation in the U.S.
29 Jan, 2023
A common argument in favor of legalizing prostitution in the United States is that it is a "choice". But is prostitution really a choice? Nevada’s had a legalized sex trade for 48 years and its illegal sex trade is the largest in the country — 63 percent larger than the next largest state. A 2013 study in the European Journal of Law and Economics compared data from countries that had legalized prostitution versus those that hadn’t. It found that sex trafficking is “most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized.” Sex buyers in Nevada are notoriously unconcerned with accessing sex legally or illegally — and many don’t know the difference. Women and children have paid the price for Nevada’s laws and 71% of those sold for sex in Nevada are at risk of having been trafficked.
26 Jul, 2022
The 2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act defines sex trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age.
20 Apr, 2022
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age (2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act).
15 Mar, 2022
“In truth, generating valid, reliable, and current data is challenging. The sex industry in the U.S. is, for the most part, illegal. Those who buy and those who sell their bodies for sexual exploitation are often reluctant to admit to their behavior, and thus difficult to reach with normal research methods such as random sampling surveys. This makes it quite difficult to ascertain answers to even the most basic questions, such as “What is the scope of the sex trade? How many people in this country are trafficked for sexual exploitation?” “How many people are buying sex?”…Utilizing only reputable data, being willing to say “we don’t know” when we don’t, and funding more and better research are the only ways we can overcome this fundamental problem.” — What We Know About Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, and Sexual Exploitation in the U.S.

Our Media

10 May, 2023
Awaken has May of 2021 marks ten years since Awaken began transforming lives in our community, working to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation and...
30 Jan, 2023
Governments and citizens around the world are debating: Should Prostitution be Legal. When the purchase of sex, brothel keeping, and pimping are made legal the demand for commercial sex increases, causing a rise in sex trafficking.
Awaken Inc. Founder Jen Robinson
30 Jan, 2023
In the game of trafficking, who are the key players, what are the recruitment tactics that traffickers often use, and how can we end the game?
27 Jan, 2023
Some say prostitution is just a job—but the statistics and stories of prostituted women paint a very different picture. Share this video and help tell the world prostitution is not a job.
24 Jan, 2023
Governments and citizens around the world are debating: Should Prostitution be Legal. When the purchase of sex, brothel keeping, and pimping are made legal the demand for commercial sex increases, causing a rise in sex trafficking.
23 Jan, 2023
Survivor of sex trafficking, Rebekah Charleston, together with other survivors of sexual exploitation and violence have released a blistering video denouncing Nevada for legal prostitution—a legal framework which fuels sexual exploitation and violence.
By Awaken 16 Jun, 2021
Awaken recognizes, honors and celebrates Juneteenth, celebrating the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We also realize the work is far from over. Sadly, we have an up-close look at how women and girls of color are still targeted as victims in the commercial sex trade both nationally and in our own community. The commercial sex trade, also known as Modern Day Slavery is highly gendered, causing a disproportionate amount of harm to women and girls. Modern day slavery also has strong racial biases disproportionally subjecting minority women and girls to sexual and physical violence and acts of racism. BLACK GIRLS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AT-RISK Studies report that Black girls become trafficked at younger ages compared to their racial counterparts. They are more likely to experience poverty, and consequently more likely to be disconnected from schools and other community supports. According to the FBI, Black children comprise 53% of all juvenile prostitution arrests—more than any other racial group. Even in communities where a small percentage of the population is Black, Black girls are disproportionately trafficked. At Awaken, 48% of our participants report as a woman or girl of color: 13% or our participants identify as Black. However, in Washoe County just 2.8% of the population reports as Black. This discrepancy shows just how disproportionate women and girls of color are being targeted for sexual exploitation in our community. One participant who wishes to remain anonymous, was brave enough to describe the racism and exploitation she experienced as a woman of color inside one of Nevada’s brothels. “I was humiliated when a staff member at the brothel told me to go to my room when certain racist men would enter the brothel so they wouldn’t have to see me. I can’t count the number of times I was called a big nigger. One client told me I was an old black horse that needed to be put down. Once a brothel staff member told me he wanted me to dress up like a slave and do a photo shoot with a man dressed in KKK attire standing above me. I faced racism like this on a regular basis during my 10 years on and off in the brothels.” Awaken stands in solidarity with women and girls of color, recognizing the harms that have been coming to them for generations, and unfortunately continue to come to them in the form of Modern Day Slavery right here in our own community. At Awaken, we stand against racism and we stand against hate. We believe everyone deserves to be free, especially from Modern Day Slavery.
By Awaken 30 Jun, 2020
We Need to Discuss the Intersection of Racism and Human Trafficking
By Awaken 13 Dec, 2019
The Awaken Banquet was a huge success thanks to you!
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