Did you know that only 6% of men who have purchased commercial sex reported ever having been arrested for it?
When we talk about ways to eliminate sex trafficking, we cannot neglect the role of sex buyers. Sex buyers create the demand for commercial sex and yet, arrests mostly focus on traffickers, or even the prostituted and trafficked women themselves. While it’s important to hold traffickers accountable for their crimes, putting one trafficker behind bars doesn’t stop another one from popping up and taking their place.
Sex buyers, on the other hand, are the driving force that creates the need for sex trafficking to begin with. Stop the sex buyers and the market dries up.
Read below for some important legislative progress that targets demand for commercial sex in the United States.
Ask Your State to Make Sex Buying a Felony!
Bipartisan Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act Introduced in Congress
In an exciting step forward, the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act has been introduced in Congress with bipartisan support! Primarily, this bill would amend how human trafficking is evaluated in the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which is highly regarded and cited worldwide.
The current TIP report criteria requires that nations make serious and sustained efforts to “reduce” demand for commercial sex. Under the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act, this criteria would be strengthened to include serious and sustained efforts to:
- Prohibit the purchase of commercial sex acts or implement a policy against the purchase of commercial sex acts
- Educate buyers of commercial sex on how traffickers exploit prostituted persons for human trafficking
- Reduce international sex tourism
In past years, countries that have legalized or decriminalized sex buying have ranked highly on the Trafficking in Persons report, despite the fact that research shows these legislative frameworks increase sex trafficking (see here, here, and here).
The Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act would make it clear that countries that do not seriously combat demand must not be given high ratings on the TIP report. It is not possible to combat sex trafficking without thoroughly addressing the role of demand. Demand reduction and anti-sex trafficking efforts are one and the same.
Progress Fighting Demand at the State Level
Several states across the country are also combatting demand through laws targeting sex buyers. This year, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia and Arizona passed laws making sex buying a felony on the first offense! Texas, Montana, Oklahoma, and North Carolina passed similar laws between 2021-2024.
Meanwhile, California and New Hampshire elevated fines for buyers, and directed funds to help provide survivor support. New Jersey, Louisiana and Maine have elevated fines alongside mandated buyer education programs. Other states like Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee have increased fines for sex buyers.
The Role of Sex Buyers
When it comes to ending sex trafficking, targeting demand for commercial sex is the most effective way. Why? Because just like with any other industry, if there is no demand for something, it will not be profitable, and therefore, the market will collapse.
This is why legislation to combat sex trafficking must target sex buyers, alongside the pimps, traffickers, and brothel keepers.
While some people think of sex buying as a victimless crime – and that the traffickers are the ones causing the real harm – the reality is that sex trafficking would not exist if it wasn’t for the demand created by sex buyers. It’s the dollars of sex buyers that keep the traffickers rich, which keeps the women and children in exploitation.
If we can deter potential buyers from purchasing sex through increased penalties around consumer-level demand, the business model for sex traffickers falls apart. Their consumer base disappears.
We must continue to use demand reduction tactics to fight against sex trafficking. Join us by taking action below!
