Title: Definitions · Technology & Human Trafficking
Headings: Definitions
Definitions
Human Trafficking
Technology-Facilitated Trafficking
A Note on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Related Terms

Content: This report expressly focuses on sex trafficking of minors, or youth under 18 years old. We recognize, however, that discussions about sex trafficking generally, opens up various debates about the legal, social, and moral aspects of prostitution in society. We do not intend to conflate the sex trafficking of minors and adults with consensual adult prostitution, nor do we aim to collapse these distinct socio-legal phenomena. The terms “prostitution” and “sex work” conjure varied opinions, including the view that adult women, men, and transgender individuals may choose to engage in sex work. This view contrasts to the perspective that prostitution is exploitative and demonstrative of underlying gender inequalities. For some, terms “pimp” and “exploiter” and “john” and “client are similarly contested in light the roles and relationships of supply and demand involved in commercial sex or sexual exploitation. The contested and highly nuanced debates surrounding prostitution and sex trafficking and the language deployed to describe individuals’ experiences of choice, circumstance, and coercion are critically important, yet far too complex to be given adequate treatment in this report. We therefore limit our focus and use the terms domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), and sex trafficking of youth under 18 interchangeably. We also recognize the importance of research on labor trafficking; however, few studies to date have comprehensively explored how technology contributes to forced labor practices.