Contemporary Issues in Criminology: Trafficking and Sex Trade

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Contemporary Issues in Criminology: Trafficking and Sex Trade

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Introduction: Trafficking and Sex Trades
Crimes are increasing in the contemporary era in an alarming rate. The crimes against property,
animals and human beings have become scattered in every country across the globe. In order to
curb this, various statutes, acts, rules and regulations have been passed by the legislative organs
of different countries in the world (Wahab and Panichelli, 2013). Some crimes are detected well
and the offenders are penalized according to the provisions of law for the time being in force.
But some crimes, in fact, most of them go undetected and the criminals move smoothly
everywhere, without being punished. This is due to prevalence of the loop holes present in the
current systems of law around the world (Snajdr, 2013).
Among the crimes, which are prevalent in the contemporary era, trafficking and trades relating to
sex have become very common. Trafficking of human beings have become more, especially for
women and children. Trafficking of human beings incorporates in itself the capturing of the
liberty of the men, women and children under severe compulsion, to get them involved into illicit
sexual activities, and for the benefit of an illegal industrious act (Weitzer, 2014). According to
the reports of the World Criminal Investigation Bureau, there are about 5.5 million victims
affected by this heinous crime of trafficking with the years 2017 to 2018. Trafficking involves
the kidnapping and the abduction of both adults and minors, so that they can further be engaged
into other unlawful and hated activities. Some of these unlawful and hated activities include,
slavery, begging and destitution, sex workers and the like. The victims usually suffer from both
mental and physical compulsion, which creates utmost discomfort for them. They are tortured
and forced into other brutal activities in case of their non cooperation (Zimmerman, 2013). This
results in various health hazards to the poor victims. Often, this mechanism is commenced
through the most camouflaged ways of fraud, undue influencing and misrepresentation. Coercion
is also another common method to aggravate the institution of trafficking among adults and
children. Sex trafficking is one of the most common part of trafficking. Sex trafficking involves
the forcing of women and children to engage in the commercial sexual activities. The victims are
sold for their bodies and are physically used for commercial purposes (Segrave and Pickering,
2012). The victims are abused physically and mentally, threatened for severe attacks in the body

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parts and even penalized without any reason. It amounts to the exploitation of their dignities and
their self respect. They become sex slaves as they are bought by the influential people. Their
rights and freedoms are lost completely (Roe-Sepowitz et al., 2014).
The purpose of this report is to throw light upon the effects of trafficking and sex trade as a
contemporary issue under the arena of criminology and the criminal justice system. It states the
relation of trafficking and sex trades with freedom, self governance, othering, responsibilities,
risk management, freedom and security. Certain examples are given of this sort and the
references of these issues are also stated. Various suggestions are also given for the alterations in
the government arena, for its betterment.
Contemporary Issues in Criminology, Social Control and Criminal Justice System
The increasing of trafficking and sex trades and implemented the awareness among the policy
makers and the people who research. But these practices are often disturbed due to the lack of
proper mechanism or the accumulation of data. There are various attempts taken under the
criminal justice system for the proper understanding of the issues in the most appropriate way.
The social control at the macro level would also be enhanced while dealing with trafficking and
sex trades under criminology, social control and under the criminal justice system.
Etymologically speaking, the terms social control signifies the implementation of control in the
society, by the society (Ottisova et al., 2016). This can be accompanied with the current social
norms and laws of the state. The issue identified under social control through the establishment
of the relationship between the sexual trade openness and the increase in the trafficking. The
most crucial objective of the social control implies at the regulation of those activities which help
in the promotion of the trafficking and the sex related trades. The primary method under social
control deals with stringent vigilance and scrutiny. Especially in the immigration sites, for the
prevention of the trafficking of human beings for commercial purpose, the social control theory
plays a crucial role (Molland, 2012). The functionaries of the courts of the respective states are to
employed with efficient training for this purpose. They should play a more active role for the
prevention of the commission of trafficking and sex trades among the human beings.