Dallas Morning News: Made-Up Sex-Trafficking Statistics Are So Much More Dramatic!
Check out this obvious crap -- unbelievable to any thinking person -- in the November 22 Dallas Morning News.
The Texas Senator and Representative that the paper apparently very credulously and obediently took notes from contend that there are 300,000 sex trafficking cases prosecuted every year -- "in Houston alone."
Here's the quote from the Dallas Morning News editorial:
Editorial: Cracking down on sex traffickersTwo Texas Republicans, Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Ted Poe of the Houston area, are co-sponsoring a bill that would impose stiff penalties on these adult victimizers of up to life in prison. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which has bipartisan support in both houses, would supplement an existing law that focuses primarily on punishing sex-trafficking organizations abroad.
Poe and Cornyn estimate that one-quarter of U.S. sex-trafficking victims have Texas roots. Poe says our state's proximity to Mexico and high immigrant population give the state a particularly high profile. In Houston alone, about 300,000 sex trafficking cases are prosecuted each year.
Do they work butt-drunk at this paper?
300,000? Do you realize how many people that is?
The NFL football stadium in Houston only seats 71,000 people. Look at the picture. That's a fuckload of people.
And beyond the supposed 300,000 sex trafficking cases that must be busting the walls right off the courts, jails, and paddy wagons, if you know anything about crime stats, this suggests that there are hundreds of thousands more perps -- surely in the Houston area! -- as of yet uncaught and unpunished.
Of course, Houston's population is only 2.161 million. So, throw in my fantasy guestimate of at least 200,000 uncaught and unpunished people guilty of sex trafficking on top of the 300,000 supposedly documented. This suggests that a vast segment of Houston's population -- at least 15 percent and maybe 25 percent -- is engaged in the business of sex trafficking.
Here's a Bureau of Justice Statistics report, by Duren Banks and Tracey Kyckelhahn, BJS Statisticians -- for the USA, not just Houston:
Federally funded human trafficking task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010Most suspected incidents of human trafficking were classified as sex trafficking (82%), including more than 1,200 incidents with allegations of adult sex trafficking and more than 1,000 incidents with allegations of prostitution or sexual exploitation of a child. Eleven percent of the suspected incidents opened for investigation were classified as labor trafficking, and 7% had an unknown trafficking type.
Here's Pete Kotz in the LA Weekly on what a crapload the Superbowl sex trafficking myth is. I posted this because that's likely where a number into the hundreds of thousands got its start -- my guess anyway.
And yes, in the absence of people working at papers with any sort of ability to do basic math and basic reasoning, we have elected representatives who are free to make laws based on vast distortions.
Hey, Dallas Morning News editorial page...should we send over a math teacher and the Jaws of Life to help pull your staffers' heads out of their asses?
UPDATE: Maggie McNeill traces the source of the 300,000 number -- a distortion of an absurd estimate from the Estes & Weiner study of 2001, which included in its estimates of children (up to age 21) "at risk of sexual exploitation" consensual homosexual relations, merely viewing porn, living in proximity to the Mexican border, and access to a car:
When interviewed by reporters in 2011, Estes himself estimated the number of legal minors actually abducted into "sex slavery" as "very small...We're talking about a few hundred people."
Activists are now using the term 'sex trafficking' for all forms of prostitution. Though very few prostitutes have been involved in trafficking, and most who have are engaged in prostitution consensually.
There was an interesting article that I'd read in the Telegraph ( IIRC ) by a human rights campaigner decrying this trend. What she'd pointed out was that by mischaracterizing sex trafficking and expanding the definition of trafficking so dramatically, that anti-prostitution activists were impeding efforts to combat involuntary, and child, sex trafficking. Resources that should go to attacking child prostitution are being diverted to programs that will have little lasting impact or reducing these crimes.
Umberto at November 23, 2013 7:58 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/11/23/dallas_morning.html#comment-4072173">comment from UmbertoMaggie's bit at the bottom (in the update) says it all. If you click on the link, having a car and living near the border count as risk factors for kids to get into sex trafficking. So, if you grow up in Arizona and your parents buy you a beater to get to your job, you are counted in the stats!
Amy Alkon at November 23, 2013 8:11 AM
This is the 1 in 4 rape stat being used and abused for CSA.
As Umberto points out it allows the bureaucrats to divert funds.
Jim P. at November 23, 2013 8:13 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/11/23/dallas_morning.html#comment-4072210">comment from Jim P.I wrote about the trumped-up 1 in 4 stat here:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/ag-column-archives/2007/05/diddle-he-or-di.html
Amy Alkon at November 23, 2013 8:31 AM
I remember an article in my local paper last year about a census type count of homeless people in the Vancouver, Wa area. Including people living in cars. A few sentences threw me when they also "counted" the people and cars they could not find. Umm...
LauraGr at November 23, 2013 10:49 AM
Sex trafficking worker "Hundreds of thousands of women are trafficked every year."
Rational person "No there arent, hear are verifiable facts."
Sex trafficking worker "Even one victim is too many."
Rational person "Valid point, so why do you lie about the problem."
Sex trafficking worker "Misogynist!!! You obviously hate women."
Rational person "Where are you going, I thought you wanted to have a conversation?"
lujlp at November 23, 2013 11:06 AM
Why is it when it comes to sex the IQ of moral prudes drops below freezing temperature?
lujlp at November 23, 2013 11:31 AM
When Americans or Euros are into child sex trafficking they don't tend to bring the kids into the country. It happens but the preferred method is to go to child sex tourist countries. Yes there are countries known for their child sex tourism. The reason it's preferred is because they won't be caught and they have their pickings.
Anyways the only ones that ship them in are the rich Arabs. But they still practice slavery so it's not suprising.
Ppen at November 23, 2013 12:49 PM
Geez, thanks Amy. Just broke my bubble. Here I thought my odds for finding a sex worker were improving.
Dave B at November 23, 2013 1:08 PM
"...included in its estimates of children (up to age 21) "at risk of sexual exploitation" consensual homosexual relations, merely viewing porn, living in proximity to the Mexican border, and access to a car".
When you define it that way I guess 300,000 is a fairly conservative number.
Ken R at November 23, 2013 1:40 PM
"Why is it when it comes to sex the IQ of moral prudes drops below freezing temperature?"
IQ often strives for equilibrium with vaginal temps.
jerry at November 23, 2013 3:50 PM
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" someone once said.
Charles at November 23, 2013 7:53 PM
"As Umberto points out it allows the bureaucrats to divert funds."
It also comes in handy for abridging the civil rights of politically disfavored groups. Just accuse them of being sex criminals, and the new laws practically write themselves.
Cousin Dave at November 25, 2013 7:27 AM
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