Modern Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in North America: A Comprehensive Review of the Patterns, Themes, and Research Gaps within the Existing Literature
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Authors
Dick, Chloe
Date
2021-04
Type
Language
en
Keyword
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking , Sex Trafficking , Human Trafficking , Victimization , Polymorphous Paradigm , Victims as Delinquents , Trafficking on the Internet , Grooming on the Internet
Alternative Title
Modern Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking
Abstract
The sexual exploitation of minors in North America has become an increasingly prevalent and complicated issue in recent years. Evidence indicates that upwards of 200,000 minors are at risk each year in the United States alone (Durisin and van der Meulen 2020; United States Department of Justice 2013). The pervasiveness of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) has motivated researchers, activists, and law enforcement to delve into the causes and patterns of DMST (Countryman-Roswurm and Bolin 2014). Research surrounding DMST has traditionally focused on specific assumptions stereotyping both victims and traffickers. This has been found to often emphasize false patterns in DMST research and overlook nontraditional affected populations. This paper focuses on DMST in North America, seeking out patterns and observations largely overshadowed by the assumptions made within existing DMST research. In doing so, this paper includes five focal sections to underscore and build upon the existing literature: defining DMST; illustrating and analyzing theories of DMST; defining the known players and locale of DMST; outlining notable challenges with defining modern DMST; and highlighting the areas of DMST research that require more significant distinction and attention. This paper establishes distinctive gaps in the existing literature and utilizes the available research to emphasize the areas in which significant misinformation, ignorance, or misunderstanding is prevalent, as well as outlining conclusive and significant aspects of DMST knowledge.