ABSTRACT
Sex trafficking has become a hot issue over the past decade. The media have increasingly covered the issue, often in a sensationalized manner; an influential moral crusade has been in the vanguard in influencing popular perceptions of the problem; and governments and international bodies have devoted substantial resources to fighting trafficking. This chapter examines (1) facts and popular fictions regarding sex trafficking and (2) the main social forces shaping U.S. government policy in this area.1 The chapter is based on an analysis of activists’ pronouncements, interest group documents, publications of government agencies, and relevant legislation. We show that many of the popular claims regarding both trafficking and prostitution are dubious if not entirely fictional, yet activists have met with remarkable success in getting their views incorporated in government policy and law enforcement practices. These activists are part of a larger moral crusade fighting the entire sex industry.
