A Rutgers expert is available to discuss the psychological, emotional and physical toll on underage sex trafficking victims such as those involved in today’s indictment of financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Sex trafficking is the fastest-growing form of human trafficking worldwide, affecting about 3.8 million adults. “The objectification of others has taken a hold on us as a society, meaning that women, men and children are seen as commodities for sexual pleasure, horrifically exploited and dehumanized at the hands of those looking for their own gratification,” said Rosario V. Sanchez, a forensic nurse at Rutgers School of Nursing who studies the pathways into and out of sex trafficking rings.
“Any adolescent under 18 who is forced to perform a commercial sexual act is a victim of sex trafficking based on the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act,” said Sanchez. “The repeated and cumulative trauma faced by these young trafficking victims causes them to disconnect from their emotions to cope with their situations and acquire a poor self-concept, which interferes with daily functions, decision-making and social and emotional development.”
Contact Sanchez through Vanessa Vera at 973-508-7027, [email protected].
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