Abstract
This Note examines the shortcomings of Ohio’s current anti-trafficking legislation and argues that additional victim-focused legislation must be enacted at the state level to prevent human trafficking and to protect victims. Part II provides a broad overview of the human-sex-trafficking epidemic, its magnitude at an international level, and the United Nations’ response. Part III discusses the scope of human trafficking within the United States. It also examines federal level anti-trafficking initiatives, including the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), its reauthorizations, and its effectiveness in preventing domestic human trafficking and in protecting victims. Part IV addresses the urgent need for state involvement to combat human sex trafficking in Ohio. Part V addresses the prevalence of human sex trafficking in Ohio and examines the factors that contribute to its pervasiveness. Part VI examines the need for state level anti-trafficking legislation in Ohio. Finally, Part VII analyzes Ohio’s current anti-trafficking legislation, examines anti-trafficking measures in other states, and argues that in the absence of additional victim-focused state level anti-trafficking legislation, Ohio’s current human-trafficking measures are minimally effective. To strengthen Ohio’s current anti-trafficking law, Ohio state legislatures must formulate a comprehensive plan to effectively punishing traffickers, while providing much needed victim services to those plagued by the brutal effects of this modern day slavery.
Recommended Citation
Note, Our Backyard Slave Trade: The Result of Ohio’s Failure to Enact Comprehensive State-Level Human-Sex-Trafficking Legislation, 25 J.L. & Health 381 (2012)