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ECONOMIC PRINCIPLE: People respond to incentives in predictable ways.
THESIS: People’s response to incentives are affected by costs and benefits, and according to my research, are also influenced by psychological and economical factors.
SYNTHESIS PARAGRAPH: In my past blog posts, I was able to understand the relationship between psychological and economic factors and how they play a major role in the sex trafficking market. I also understood the many different costs and benefits to the trade. The biggest incentive to become involved in the sex economy is the economic gains. According to an interview on PBS, a national non-profit news organization, “the underground sex market in each of seven U.S. cities generates between $40 million to almost $300 million a year.” These economic gains is a benefit that outweighs the cost. A lot of people do not have the opportunity to have a college degree or a high paying job, and sometimes involving in the sex economy is the best option for them in order to provide the most money to survive. According to Allan Schwartz a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Ph.D on the Mental Help website, “There are many reasons for women becoming sex workers and escorts. Some of these women have stated that they are attracted by the large sums of money they can earn while they are still young. Others see it as a way to pay for university education and further advancement.” Getting involved in sex trade is more profitable, possibly making thousands of dollars a night, than a low wage job. Sex trafficking is a clear example of the cost-benefit analysis because for some people, The income benefit outweighs the risks of HIV, pregnancy, and the risk of becoming trapped in this trade. Above, I summarized the economic side of the trade and how the incentive of profit gains influences the cost-benefit analysis. The last piece to the puzzle is figuring out where the psychology of this trade comes into place. According to Jonathan Van Dyke in a recent article called, “Psychological Warfare Propels Human Sex Trafficking World,” there are two different types of pimps controlling the sex trafficking economy; Gorilla pimps and Romeo pimps. Gorilla pimps demand a certain amount of money, and if the prostitute does not make the quota, she will most likely be beaten and held from basic amenities such as food and clothing. These threats that the pimps make make the girls feel trapped because they know if they try to escape, they will be severely beaten, or worse. Romeo pimps will treat the prostitute more like a girlfriend upfront and the relationship often will start like boyfriend and girlfriend, before turning intense and violent. There is even a honeymoon period where the pimp will buy the young victim dinner, clothes, cellphones and jewelry (Dyke). These Romeo pimps give a false love to these girls and because of that, their brain tells them that they will be able to work things out when the relationship gets messy. So many women are trapped into this trade because of the psychological brainwashing tactics the pimps use on their victims. In closing, in order to diminish the trade, programs need to be set up to stop the demand in the sex market. The only way the supply will decrease, is if the demand from sweatshop or brothel owners and clients of sex workers decreases. On the Global Centurion Foundation website, it provides an idea to help decrease the demand. For example, “by creating “front-end” programs that are designed to reach young men and boys before they become part of the sex industry, and by targeting the “back-end” of demand – predators and exploiters — for arrest, prosecution, and successful conviction, Global Centurion will help to eliminate the demand fueling this crime.” By decreasing demand we can decrease supply, and hopefully this awful trade will one day diminish. By doing this project, I have a much better understanding of what the sex trafficking market is, the costs and benefits of the trade and how it influences people to get involved, and how the psychology of this trade plays a major role in this trade as well as the economics of the trade.
Megan, this was a really great synthesis post! This is a really unique topic that you chose, and ultimately it seems that you have become really educated on the topic and your were able to relate it to economics. It is awesome how you were able to tie together all your sources and write a way that is easy for readers who know little about this topic (like me), to understand this subject.
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