This has been a traditional marketing angle in the sex industry, dating back to Roman times when the hetaerae, or foreign women, commanded the highest prices for sexual services. Today, there is an even broader selection of source countries for recruitment.
War or a military conflict has fueled the demand for women to be brought to places of conflict so they can provide sexual services for troops. Where a permanent military presence is established, there are always brothels and prostitutes in the vicinity and places for the troops to rest, relax, and be entertained.
Restrictive immigration policies do not offer working opportunities with legitimate travel documents for those who want to work in non-professional jobs (Cwikel & Hoban, 2005).
Furthermore, because of the enormous amounts of money involved, it is not surprising that organized crime has become a major player in many countries where sex trafficking is taking place today (Matthews, 2005). According to this Matthews, convoluted crime syndicates manage to conduct their business without any interference throughout the various stages of the sex trafficking process. The United Nations defines organized criminal groups as "associations of three or more people, existing for some time with the goal of committing a serious crime for financial or material gain"; because of the enormous sums of money involved in sex trafficking, it has become the third-largest source of income for organized crime groups today (Matthews, 2005). Organized crime syndicates are active in originating as well as destination countries for sex trafficking, and operators in these situations have been compared to drug cartels in their ability to smuggle their goods across borders and utilize advanced communications to their benefit (Matthews, 2005). In addition, the increase in sex trafficking among children has also increased partially because of porous borders and increasing technological capacities; further, billions of dollars are involved in the trafficking industry in countries where there is a relatively low risk of being arrested (Matthews, 2005). Even in countries that have laws against trafficking, the prosecution of traffickers is often non-existent due to corruption in law enforcement or the victims' fear of testifying. Moreover, in some countries the victims are charged and prosecuted for illegal sex acts rather than being treated as victims of a crime (Matthews, 2005).
Finally, although there is a high incidence of HIV / AIDS infection within the community of trafficked children, misconception about the disease actually leads some people to feel safer sexually abusing young children. Some tourists believe children are less likely to be infected with AIDS and are therefore safe sex partners. A number of cultures believe a myth that sex with a virgin will cure the disease and therefore seek young virgins through the trafficking industry (Matthews, 2005). Nevertheless, simply because a given culture embraces a casual attitude that trafficking in children is fine and dandy does not necessarily make it morally acceptable to the rest of the international community. Indeed, Article 34 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly stipulates that children around the world have the right to be protected from sexual exploitation (O'Grady, 2005). Unfortunately, there are some powerful forces at play in the sex trafficking marketplace that make is comparable to the Latin American drug cartels that have terrorized their countries into submitting to their organizational goals at any cost in terms of human lives and misery.
According to Edwards and Harder (2000), "The profits from a growing global sex trade in women and children soon will be the world's most lucrative illegal activity if a new U.S. law doesn't change the situation. Human trafficking is the third-highest illegal-income source in America today behind drug -- and gunrunning. The dark side of human trafficking is that, unlike drugs, [sexually enslaved] human beings can be resold and reused, thus making them a more profitable commodity" (p. 14). Clearly, then, the only difference between these purveyors of human misery and those involved in the sex trafficking industry are the products and services provided, and many who seek out such products and services today naturally turn to the historic leader in child prostitution - Thailand - and these issues are discussed further below as they relate to the incidence and contributing factors relating to the practice today.
Incidence and Factors Contributing to Sex Trafficking in Thailand Today.
According to O'Grady, a modest consultative effort was launched in 1990 in an effort to raise awareness of the issue of child prostitution: "A little-known non-governmental organization in Thailand...
Sex Workers in Thailand Thailand ("Land of the Free") is the only Southeast Asian country that has avoided being colonized by a Western power. It is known for its rich culture and hospitable inhabitants. Unfortunately it also has the dubious distinction of being the leading country in sex trade and has even been given the demeaning title of "the whorehouse of the world." Tourism has played a significant role in Thailand's
Sex Tourism in the Vietnam War is stationed in Thailand. Combat-weary, his commanding officer takes the G.I. And ten other troops to Bangkok, under the new "R& R" programs. In Bangkok, the young G.I. And his buddies traipse down the streets and back-alleys of the Patpong area in Thailand's capital and before long find themselves each in the arms of a young Thai woman. Recreation and Relaxation -- R& R --
MYTH: Decriminalizing prostitution would save a lot of money because police wouldn't have to arrest prostitutes or johns or pimps. FACT: Decriminalization of prostitution has resulted in expensive legal challenges because no one wants prostitution zoned into their neighborhood or near their kids' schools. Mustang Brothel was shut down because of tax evasion. Pimps are simply not going to hand over the massive profits that they make from the business of
There are some situations and outcomes within the healthcare industry where it is important to pay attention to what happens, what could be done, what should be done and why all of the above is true. Indeed, one of those things would be the treatment of gang members in emergency room and similar situations. When gang members engage in violence with knives and guns, they commonly end up in emergency
popularity of foreign restaurant: consumer attitude and behavior toward foreign cuisines in Bangkok Thailand as a tourist destination Thailand has become a tourist destination hotspot for its scenic beauty, the humble nature of their people, and the relative value of foreign currencies relative to the baht. According to EIU ViewsWire (2003), "Growth in the tourism industry in recent years was the result of the depreciation of the baht against non-Asian currencies
They worked in agriculture, fishing and fish processing and small-scale manufacturing firms in Thailand. Thailand is also a major destination for cross-border trafficked women and children in the Mekong region. Records showed that more than 1 million migrant workers registered in the government (Human Trafficking). The study also said that these said sectors rely on and need cheap labor in order to achieve or maintain a competitive edge in their
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