Sexual assault is the only crime where victims are often blamed for the crime. There are an assortment of reasons for this. Largely it is a cultural fear and a way of saying “This couldn’t happen to me” . Therefore it must be the victim’s fault. Human trafficking gets the same reaction, but it goes a bit further in this case.
Bias
Even for people who view sexual assault victims as victims, the term “prostitution” carries it’s own cultural biases. In most cases the reality is that they started out as one in the same. We generally wouldn’t think of jailing a sexual assault victim, but this is usually the fate that ultimately awaits those involved in prostitution. In this case not only is the abuse orchestrated, it is a source of profit for those who facilitate the process. The number of teenage girls who find themselves in this situation is in the tens of thousands.
Watch CNN’s “Selling the Girl Next Door,” at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET Sunday, the culmination of a yearlong investigation into the devastating realities of the business of underage sex.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
