Sex Trafficking in the United States: Issues of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnerships

Sex trafficking is affecting every nation across the world, and the United States is no exception. Through the United States’ efforts, along with other nations and the United Nations, the awareness level of this crime is growing, but much work lies ahead. With such laws as the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection (TVPA) passed in 2000, and the UN-mandated “4P” paradigm, the United States is making an effort to combat sex trafficking. In this paper I have outlined three states, Georgia, New York, and Washington, and looked into the nature and extent of sex trafficking in each state, as well as their legislation, prevention and protection efforts, and partnerships between the government and non-governmental organizations. By studying the efforts of these three states, my goal is to raise awareness of the topic of sex trafficking, how it is affecting the United States, and ways in which sex trafficking is being combated, federally and at the state level