Sex Trafficking In Georgia: A Multi-Million Dollar Industry
Although I have been researching and writing about human trafficking for some time, it wasn’t until I attended volunteer training with Atlanta based Out Of Darkness that I came face to face with the problem of sex trafficking in Georgia. Georgia is a beautiful state, and I’ve lived here for over 37 years. There is, though, a dark side to the Peach State: a multi-million dollar sex trafficking industry.
Factors That Contribute to Sex Trafficking In Georgia
Why is sex trafficking such an issue in Georgia? On the surface, it would seem that my state isn’t any different from any other state in the U.S. In fact, in one of my recent blog posts about Shared Hope International’s Protected Innocence Challenge, I noted that Georgia received a grade of “B,” and that is only because victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking can still face arrest for prostitution (that’s a major issue, but overall Georgia rated pretty well). It turns out, though, that Atlanta, the Capital of Georgia has two unique characteristics that make it an attractive city for sex traffickers:
• Atlanta is one of only two U.S. cities where three major interstates intersect. Since traffickers like to move their victims around to keep them anonymous and to separate them from would-be rescuers, having I-75, I-20, and I-85 all come together in one place is a major draw.
• Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest airport with some 275,000 passengers passing through daily. According to www.atl.com, Hartsfield-Jackson is a two hour flight away from 80% of the U.S. population.
The Magnitude of the Problem
So, how serious is the problem of sex trafficking in Georgia? Covenant House of Georgia, a Georgia organization that provides shelter and support for homeless and trafficked youth, offers the following statistics:
• Atlanta was named by the FBI as one of 14 US cities with the highest rate of children used in prostitution
• In Georgia, 12,400 men purchase sex with young women in any given month.
• Approximately 100 adolescent females are sexually exploited each night in Georgia.
• In Georgia, adolescent females controlled by the child sex trafficking trade are sexually exploited by an adult male on an average of three times per night.
Polaris reports that Georgia ranks sixth overall in calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The underground sex economy in the state is a $290 Million dollar industry, and pimps in Atlanta have higher earnings than those in any other U.S. city.
What is Georgia Doing to Combat Sex Trafficking?
As shocking and discouraging as the statistics about sex trafficking in Georgia are, the news is not all bad. The Georgia legislature has passed two major bills designed to combat sex trafficking:
• House Bill 200 (2011) increased penalties for trafficking and provided training for law-enforcement personnel, enabling them to better understand and manage human trafficking cases.
• Senate Bill 104 (2017) requires “all government buildings and websites to post the human trafficking hotline notice with the phone number to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and Georgia Cares.”
What Can You Do To Help?
If you live in Georgia, I hope that you are now asking what you can do to help. Here are my suggestions:
• Learn how to recognize the signs of sex trafficking. My favorite resource is this printable pdf from Shared Hope International.
• Know who to call if you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking. Program the following numbers into your phone:
1. The National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1(888)373-7888
2. The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children 24-Hour Hotline: 1(800)843-5678
3. Out Of Darkness Hotline (Georgia): 1(844)8GA-DMST
• Donate to one of Georgia’s many anti-trafficking organizations or residential recovery programs. See the list on the important links page of this blog.
• Volunteer with one of the organizations on the list. I know from personal experience that both Out Of Darkness and Wellspring Living need volunteers from the community.
• Educate others via social media
Georgians need to decide that our state will no longer be a major hub for traffickers. The problem is huge, but it isn’t hopeless. Get involved.
M.
Sources:
www.covenanthousega.org
www.atl.com
georgia.gov
www.sharedhope.org
polarisproject.org