Citation

Zimmerman YC. J. Relig. Abuse 2005; 7(3): 37-56.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, yet of the estimated 50,000 individuals trafficked into the United States each year, far fewer than 1,000 victims have been identified under this legislative statute. The author argues that the TVPA contains narrow definitions of 'victim' and 'victimization' that select for sexually exploited, passive females. Furthermore, the TVPA conceives coercion only with reference to interpersonal dynamics between traffickers and victims. A more complete and effective redress must include more complex conceptions of victimization, coercion, and harm in order to adequately grasp the sociopolitical and economic dynamics that structure global human trafficking.