The New Slaves: Sex Trafficking in AmericaWhen most Americans hear the term "sex trafficking," they think of helpless women and children in poor countries and way of development. However, most Americans would be truly shocked and dismayed to learn that many victims of sex trafficking reside right here in the United States. Furthermore, many of the victims of sex trafficking in America have been victimized by other Americans. This is an urgent national issue from which neither small rural towns nor large urban cities are immune. What is sex trafficking? According to the U.S. Department of State's 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, sex trafficking is defined as: the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for commercial sexual acts through the use of force, of fraud or coercion... defining what constitutes sex trafficking is important because it allows non-victims to identify possible victims of sex trafficking and creates a clear and distinct framework in which to identify, capture, charge and convict sex trafficking perpetrators in United States. Who are the victims of sex trafficking? Victims of sex trafficking span all races, ages, genders, etc. Many of America's sex trafficking victims are generally poor, poorly educated, and live in areas that offer very little upward mobility or opportunity to earn a living. Many adult victims of trafficking in the United States have been scammed out of seemingly innocuous job opportunities only to discover that these “opportunities” are anything but. Some victims may enter the sex trade as willing prostitutes, but quickly become prey to traffickers who often employ manipulative and, in many cases, violent tactics to ensure that the victim remains… middle of paper… children. both globally and nationally. The Acts authorized the establishment of the G/TIP and the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to assist in the coordination of anti-trafficking efforts. The TVPA was passed as a means to prohibit trafficking, punish traffickers, and protect victims. The act was the first of its kind, as it comprehensively addresses issues surrounding sex trafficking, creates criminal statutes prohibiting trafficking, and requires the creation of public awareness programs that aim to prevent human trafficking. The revised version of the law also offers protection and help to victims of sex trafficking. While some critics of the law argue that the law does not do enough to prevent trafficking, many praise the law as a huge step forward in eradicating sex trafficking in the United States..