The Crisis of Child Prostituion in Atlanta, Georgia

Child prostitution is a global epidemic that reaches far beyond the limits of third world countries. Many Americans would be surprised to know that the U.S. has not been immune from this crisis. Large urban cities have become hubs for sex trafficking with poor economic conditions and lax policies against criminals who sell children. In particular, Atlanta, GA, over the past twenty years has become a hotbed for child prostitution and has been ranked as one of the worst cities in America for sex trafficking. Atlanta is a lucrative location for sex traffickers because of the high amount of at-risk youths, its location near an international airport, and its flux of tourist areas. The problem is a complex issue that can only be solved when the victims are rehabilitated instead of prosecuted and when tougher laws are passed in Georgia against those who buy and sell adolescent prostitutes.

Solving this epidemic in Atlanta will first require an understanding of the victims. The demographics of child prostitutes are generally females and minorities. They usually live in low economic or urban areas that can become breeding grounds for sex trafficking. The victims have usually experienced a form of child abuse, molestation, or neglect that lead many girls to runaway or turn to outside sources. On the streets, girls fall prey to pimps who take advantage of their hostile home environment and use tactics to manipulate them into submission.

As in most forms of abuse, the victim will have an unusual combination of loyalty and fear for their abuser. Pimps build this attachment through physical and emotional attacks. Nikki Marr, a DeKalb County juvenile judge noted that, “Pimps often use rape as a weapon, telling girls they’re now damaged and nobody wants them.” (Visser) The girls begin to develop low feelings of self-worth and believe that their abuser is the only one who will care for them. When faced with opportunity to testify or press charges, most victims will either be...