Sex Slavery and Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States

The sex trafficking of women has received attention by the U.S. social work profession as a contemporary human-rights abuse. However, trafficking is not an emergent issue but is historically situated within the profession. Sex trafficking is inextricably linked with the origins of professional social work, with Jane Addams playing a critical role in the Progressive Era fight against sexual slavery. This has impacted the contemporary understanding of sex trafficking by social workers and has had practice implications. This article examines historical and contemporary parallels, policies, and perspectives on the sex trafficking of women in the United States.