For many years, people have feared the crowds attending the Super Bowl. The media portrays a crowd composed of “partying” men who are likely to purchase sex from the hundreds of women who are trafficked to the Super Bowl locations, year after year, to meet these needs. Governor Chris Christie spoke on the issue when the Super Bowl was in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area at the beginning of this year. He called it “the planet’s largest human trafficking event”. In 2012, Lieutenant Richard Kivett, the leader of the Indianapolis Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit, made a statement saying they were prepared for 400-500 human trafficking and prostitution related arrests. USAToday states that Traffickers capitalize on the “no consequences, guys will be guys” mentality of a weekend away. It makes sense that when there is a surge of people, there will be an increase in demand for all markets including hotels, restaurants, and according to many people, prostitution of trafficked and untrafficked sex workers.
This is where they’re wrong. The group, Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), reported on the issue of human- trafficking during large sporting events. It found that at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, 40,000 trafficked women and sex workers would be present for the event. Yet, not a single case of trafficking was found during the event.
In the case of this years Super Bowl, an 11 month operation ended in 298 arrests just prior to the Super Bowl to send the message that the New York police were aware of the issue of human trafficking surrounding Super Bowls and were insistent on stopping it. Yet, the fact of the matter is, police were taken from their normal responsibilities to tend to the matter of human trafficking prior to the Super Bowl. Most of the 298 “criminals” were prostitutes that had been trafficked into forced labor. People believe there is a enormous human-trafficking and prostitution ring surrounding each Super Bowl due to hyperbolic and misinformed media, and because of this, women, who would normally be considered victims of human-trafficking are unjustly being arrested as prostitutes.
Mogulescu, Kate . "The Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking ." The New York Times 31 Jan. 2014: Web. 8 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/the-super-bowl-of-sex-trafficking.html?_r=1>.
Ham , Julie . "What's the Cost of a Rumor." Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.gaatw.org/publications/WhatstheCostofaRumour.11.15.2011.pdf>.
Alcindor , Yamiche. "Super Bowl On Guard for Human Trafficking Criminals."USA Today . 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/18/super-bowl-human-trafficking-sex/4592381/>.
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ReplyDeleteI had no idea that sporting events like these had such a reputation as sources of human trafficking. I think your response to this raises a really important point. Everyone needs to be aware of what trafficking is and what it looks like in order to more accurately intervene with these types of situations.
ReplyDeleteI find this idea thought-provoking. Though we hear of trafficking issues in the workforce and sex industry in our country, no one really considers trafficking's present while the masses are out enjoying events marketed as generally positive and fun experiences. Spreading the word about this issue would really draw attention to problems in this little known side of the Super Bowl.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that the amount of trafficking surrounding large sporting events is overestimated and over-advertised, or that is a big deal and should be severely addressed?
ReplyDeleteAlso, why are the women being arrested and charged as prostitutes when it seems to be known that sex trafficking is a large underground part of events such as the Super Bowl?
Every year, millions of people watch the Super Bowl. Every year, millions of people root for the team they want to win. But, every year so many people are being trafficked during the event. I never even had the thought that the Super Bowl would draw a crowd for forced prostitution. Awareness of the fact that forced sex is happening during one of the biggest and most popular sporting events of the year could help prevent, or at least lessen the chances of it happening.
ReplyDeleteI never would have ever thought of the Super Bowl in this context of trafficking! When I think Super Bowl, I think literally of the commercials and then private parties we throw. That's so crazy. It makes sense because around here (NOLA), you're always mindful of Mardi Gras and the trafficking, but I never connected the Super Bowl and trafficking.
ReplyDeleteThis article is definitely eye-opening in the sense that most of us don't even consider enormous and celebrated events such as the Super Bowl as being hot spots for human trafficking. I would be interested in learning more about what police officers are doing to prevent the problem from growing each year since they are already aware of the issue. I would also like to find out how traffickers are getting women into events such as the Super Bowl in order to force them to work.
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