Pornography and Sex Trafficking: Unpacking the Links
Gail Dines, PhD | September 22 | 11:15 am-12:15 pm
Topic: Conceptual | Knowledge Level: Beginner
While sex trafficking and porn have both been defined as forms of sexual violence rooted in a system of gender inequality (Farley & Donevan, 2021), what is often overlooked is the way these two industries are culturally and economically linked. In this presentation, Dr. Gail Dines will explore how porn acts as both a method of recruitment into trafficking and a major driver of demand. Drawing from empirical research and testimonies from porn performers, trafficked women, and sex buyers (Donevan, 2021), Dr. Dines argues that as long as we have a multi-billion-dollar porn industry, we will always have sex trafficking. To better understand the linkages between porn and trafficking and how they are similar in some respects (and different in others), the business concept of “value chains” is useful (Preiss, 2019). Value chains refer to the whole range of activities involved in making and selling a product or service, from sourcing components to production, distribution, and consumption. The idea of the value chain is that “value” is added at each stage, though the term “harm chain” is more appropriate for porn and trafficking, because each stage causes harm to women and children—the sex industry’s “product” (Boyle, 2011). Only the companies and pimps involved typically make a profit. Dr. Dines will discuss the different types of legislation that can be adopted or adapted to stop the profit motive for sex trafficking and pornography.
Presentation Objectives:
· Explore how the sex industry works as an interconnected eco-system
· Discuss the ways youth at risk are groomed into the sex industry via pornography
· Examine best practices for building resilience and resistance in youth to the harms of the sex industry