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

Content: 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. Because of limited data on labor trafficking and technology, and the more widespread attention and therefore higher visibility of sex trafficking across digital networks, this report will focus primarily on technology-facilitated DMST. A clear knowledge gap exists in evidence-based research that examines the nexus of technology, labor trafficking, and forced labor practices, and we encourage further research in this area. [1] CCLP 2011 report, p. 10. [2] The first Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was passed in 2000. The act was updated and reauthorized in 2003, 2005, and 2008.