Does Trafficking Happen In Strip Clubs?

The answer is yes.  I was recently speaking to a group of Moms about Sex Trafficking and one Mom said that seeing strip clubs on the list of places where trafficking occurs surprised her.  Like many others, she thought the women at strip clubs were generally there because they wanted to be. 

Did you know that we have more strip clubs in the United States than any other nation in the world?

Strip Clubs have become so mainstream and accepted in today’s society that many don’t think twice about soliciting the clubs.  Many view strip clubs as harmless and victim-less fun.  However, many victims of sex trafficking are forced to participate in stripping, nude dancing, and to provide additional commercial sex acts to club patrons.

Statistics Snapshot

In the 2008 study “Deconstructing the Demand for Prostitution ” conducted by the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation:

·        46% of the 113 interviewees had purchased sex at strip clubs. 

·        49% of interviewees believed that there were girls under 18 years of age working at strip clubs.

Victims of both sex and labor trafficking may be found in hostess clubs and strip clubs in the United States.  In situations of sex trafficking, a victim may be forced to provide commercial sex to the club patrons by a pimp, employer, or other controller, in addition to his or her work as a dancer or hostess.  Victims may be U.S. citizens, undocumented immigrants, or foreign nationals with tourist, summer work, or entertainment group visas. Though the victims tend to be adult women, some of these networks may also exploit minors.

Types of Hostess/Strip Club Networks

Stripping Networks – Women from Eastern Europe and/or Russia are frequently recruited to work in strip clubs in the United States. Once in the United States, a network of drivers transports the women to and from the clubs where they work.  Club owners generally consider these women independent contractors and employees of the driving network, not the club.  The women may be required to pay certain fees to the club, DJ, bouncer, taxi drivers, stage manager, and other parties.  The women often must adhere to extensive, pre-determined schedules and are frequently moved between multiple clubs.  Commercial sex sometimes takes place in the bathroom, VIP, or lap dance rooms.

Hostess Clubs – Also known as “room salons,” these legitimate businesses are well-connected with fake massage businesses.  Clubs may be located in store-fronts, office spaces, and commercial areas.  Clandestine advertisements in ethnic local newspapers allow these "closed networks" clubs to cater to Asian male clientele.  Food and drink are sold at inflated prices, as women accompany and entertain customers.  Commercial sex may take place on- or off-site after hours.

 "Cantinas" – Cantinas register and operate as legitimate businesses that have food, drink, dancing and music, largely catering to a male customer base.  Labor trafficking occurs when female hostesses are forced through threats and violence to meet certain daily quotas of alcohol sales by encouraging male customers to buy beer at inflated prices.  In some situations, sex trafficking may also occur on or off-site.  Unlike residential brothels, the hostesses involved with a cantina do not always sleep on site.

Distinct Traits of Strip Clubs & Sex Trafficking:  

• Strip Clubs & The Pimp:  Stripping often serves as a training tool for pimps and traffickers. Traffickers frequently force victims to participate in stripping and nude dancing as a gateway into prostitution and other commercial sex acts.  Traffickers sometimes use stripping as a tool to desensitize women to what is expected of them. 

• Strip Clubs & The John: It is virtually impossible to distinguish if the woman dancing in front of you is a trafficked person or a non-trafficked person.  Because children are being forced and coerced into the clubs more frequently, consumers are more frequently being exposed to children in strip clubs and creating the demand for young trafficked women within strip clubs.

 

• Organized Crime: Many strip clubs are tied to organized crime.  The corruption within these clubs runs deep and victims may be told that they owe money to the organization and failure to pay this debt will result in harm to herself or her family.

 

• Daily Quota: Victims are often expected to earn a daily quota generally ranging from $500-$1000.  Traffickers may coerce them into providing additional commercial sex acts within the club in order to meet that quota.  In many cases, most or all of the money is pocketed by the pimp.

 

• Social Stigma: The negative social stigma attached to stripping and nude dancing can be utilized by traffickers to instill fear or inhibit them from revealing the full extent of the abuse which they have experienced.  They may experience feelings of judgment or differential treatment because of the negative stigma and traffickers can easily exploit that fear.

 

• Organized Crime – Hostess clubs and strip clubs within specific ethnic networks are often tied to organized crime.  Women are frequently told they owe money to the network, and failure to pay will result in harm to them and/or their families.

When does it become trafficking?

Stripping, nude dancing, and hostessing become sex trafficking when the employer uses force, fraud, and/or coercion to compel an adult worker to engage in commercial sex with club patrons.  If the escort is under the age of 18, s/he is considered a victim of sex trafficking regardless of the presence of force, fraud or coercion.  Situations of individuals being compelled to hostess, serve drinks, or dance in these types of clubs may also be a type of labor trafficking, if force, fraud, or coercion is used to induce the individuals into performing some form of "labor or services."