Depersonalized: Pornography and Human Trafficking 

Survivor VoiceRS2L Learning HubCulture
Written By Emily Robinson

Explicit images and videos are so easily accessed for free on sites such as Porn Hub or Only Fans. There is a constant demand for fresh content as individuals viewing pornography are not contentseeing the same material, but desiring new and more intense scenes the longer they engage in pornography (Exodus Cry, 2021). Pornography is seen as “sexually-orientated material” as one researcher writes, “specifically to aid in masturbation and circulated on the internet largely (though not exclusively) for commercial purposes. The triple-A engine of pornography is anonymity, affordability and ease of access” (Humphreys, 2019).  For those sexually exploited in the pornography industry the constant demand for this material requires them to do increasingly brutal and sadistic scenes. Most individuals sexually exploited for the purpose of prostitution are “forced to watch pornography in order to desensitize them and train them on the expectations of sex buyers” (Herrington, 2018). Within pornography, it can feel impossible to distinguish those who are creating content without the influence, coercion or control of a third party. Yet, research points to the reality that it is undeniable pornography plays a part in the trafficking of human bodies to fuel the demand of consumers.

For example, Polaris Project in a 2017 report noted they had 616 cases of sexual exploitation through pornography reported to their hotline as a part of 10-year data collection to specify the different ways individuals were trafficked. 80% identified as female, 42% as adults, and 61% as minors. The ways that they were sexually exploited was through remote sexual acts, pornography video production placed online, and text-based chat. In this study, Polaris also acknowledged that when it came to the 4651 escort cases noted that most of the advertisements were placed online yet didn’t acknowledge as other studies did about how pornography and escorting are linked together for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Another study pointed this out indicating that “traffickers often force prostituted victims to make pornography by posting pictures or videos of them online as advertisement or by profiting off of pornographic material of them while they were engaged in prostitution” (Luzwik, 2017). 49% of these individuals noted that their traffickers created pornography of them while they were being prostituted (Luzwick, 2017). 

There has also been studies around if pornography usage leads individuals, specifically of the male self-identified gender to purchase sex. A study in Sweden noted that “sex life dissatisfaction, not having as much sex as one would have preferred, as well as online sexual activity and frequent pornography use are strongly associated with having paid for sex among Swedish men” (Deogan, Jacobsson & Mannheimer, 2021). When this occurs, the linkage between pornography and human trafficking appears to be clearer defined because they are purchasing sex in person with someone who may be sexually exploited. Yet, this situation is no different from if they were utilizing pornography through an online streaming service and were paying for a monthly subscription from someone who was under the control of a third party. Research does not deny that individuals in pornography are being sexually exploited, yet the difficulty of being able to identify exploited individuals in the pornography industry needs further research to clarify what an exploited person looks like in a dynamic where it is so easy to depersonalize and distance the individual on the other side of the screen or page. 

References
  • Deogan, C., Jacobsson, E., Mannheimer, L.  2021. “Are Men Who Buy Sex Different from Men Who Do Not?: Exploring Sex Life Characteristics Based on a Randomized Population Survey in Sweden.” Arch Sex Behav 50:2049–2055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01843-3.
  • Herrington, Rachel L. & Patricia McEachern (2018) “Breaking Her Spirit” Through Objectification, Fragmentation, and Consumption: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Domestic Sex Trafficking, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 27:6, 598-611, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2017.1420723.
  • Humphrey’s, Krystal, Brain Le Clair & Janet Hicks. 2019. “Intersections between Pornography and Human Trafficking: Training Ideas and Implications.” Journal of Counselor Practice, 10 (1): 19-39.
  • Luzwick, Allison J. 2017. “Human Trafficking and Pornography: Using the trafficking victims protection act to prosecute trafficking for the production of internet pornography.” Northwestern University Law Review 112:2 (355-374).
  • Polaris Project. (2017). “Typology of Modern-Day Slavery: Defining sex and labor trafficking in the United States.” Retrieved November 23, 2021. (https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Polaris-Typology-of-Modern-Slavery-1.pdf).

Emily Robinson

Emily Robinson (They/Them) is a lived experience expert consultant in familial, cult, labor trafficking and the sex industry.  They have received three years of training in master’s level counseling psychology coursework and as a lived experience expert has provided consultations to organizations such as Polaris, Dressember, Roller Skate to Liberate, and Survivor Alliance. With over 10 years of experience in the Anti-Human Trafficking Movement, they have performed research, created a one-of-a-kind program evaluation for direct service providers, and participated in advisory boards, trainings, and panels. As a lived experience expert holding diverse experience expertise and education, they offer a unique perspective on the multilayered experiences of exploitation, complex PTSD, and evaluation. Their passion is focused on research and program evaluation to help reduce client harm and increase the trauma informed health and growth of organizations.

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