How does a massive global event affect human trafficking?
For many years, there has been a claim in the US that the Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year for sex trafficking and exploitation. This claim has been largely debunked because no data proves that’s the case. We do know that traffickers are determined to make money and will absolutely target environments where there is expected to be significant demand.
When large groups gather for major events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, or Olympics, traffickers know that demand will likely increase. Take, for example, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota—the largest motorcycle rally in the world, bringing half a million people to a town with an average population of just over 7,000. Last year at the rally, five people were arrested in a sex trafficking sting, and one was sentenced to life in prison. Not a typical day in the life of small town South Dakota.
International events that draw international audiences may also be attracting visitors from places where purchasing sex is more common. As an example, a study by the Spanish government found that 27% of men had paid for sex, which was the highest among any European country.1 Another study found that somewhere between 59-80% of men in Cambodia had paid for sex.2
There are several ways that researchers attempt to measure and assess spikes in human trafficking. Sometimes, it is based on an increase in online ads marketing sex for sale at the time of major events. Sometimes, it is based on police activity. Sometimes, it is based on survivor testimonies. In recent years, there have been many claims about exploitation and the Olympics. A Reuters article claimed that “sexual exploitation rose 30 percent in connection with the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and 40 percent at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.”3 Those statistics are often uncited and difficult to prove.
While exact numbers and estimates are scarce, it’s important to keep in mind where demand for human trafficking rises and the risks to traffickers remain low, you can be sure they are lurking in the shadows looking to profit.
By Jeremy Vallerand
Chief Executive Officer & President of Atlas Free
Sources:
1. Tremlett, Giles. “Spanish Men Most Likely to Pay for Sex.” The Guardian, July 28, 2004. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jul/29/spain.gilestremlett.
2. “Percentage of Men (by Country) Who Paid for Sex at Least Once: The Johns Chart - Prostitution - Procon.Org.” Britannica ProCon.org, April 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20220305122229/https://prostitution.procon.org/percentage-of-men-by-country-who-paid-for-sex-at-least-once-the-johns-chart/.
3. Pullella, Philip. “Nuns, Backed by Pope, Warn of Human Trafficking at World Cup | Reuters.” Reuters. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-world-trafficking/nuns-backed-by-pope-warn-of-human-trafficking-at-world-cup-idUSBREA4J0IS20140520/.
