First Advisor

Norma Cárdenas

Date of Award

Spring 5-30-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Child and Family Studies and University Honors

Department

Social Work

Language

English

Subjects

Human trafficking victims, Child sexual abuse in mass media, Minority women in mass media, Minority women -- Crimes against, Human trafficking, Critical race theory

DOI

10.15760/honors.1284

Abstract

Child sex trafficking is an increasing problem among Black, Indigenous, and girls of color and the media is ignoring them. Most child sex trafficking victims are girls and women of color. Minority women and children are being sold like they are property and used for sexual activities. Using content analysis, I analyzed three different forms of media, including Willamette Weekly article Portland Police's "Human Trafficking" Arrests Aren't What They Seem, the film Cuties (2020) and a young adult fiction book, The Life I'm in (2021). Through a critical race feminist lens, I analyzed the connections between race, gender, and child sex trafficking. My research reveals criminalization in the sex industry, victimization, and law enforcement. In conclusion, the media as well as the confluence of social structures are responsible for the sexualization of and conflicting expectations on young women, especially women of color.

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/37864

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