The outrage misdirected at Lolita – and its author – does nothing to negate the realities it reflects. Reading Nabokov’s novel now raises questions about censorship, book banning and human nature.
Women in parts of the world are victims of slavery.
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More than 40% are victims of violence at least once in their lifetime, according to research. This is likely the tip of the iceberg.
Ugandans watch the start of the International Criminal Court trial of former child soldier-turned-warlord Dominic Ongwen.
Isaac Kasamani/AFP via Getty Images
A religion scholar explains why the label of ‘cult’ gets in the way of understanding new religions and political movements.
A billboard in Mounds View, Minnesota, put up by the nonprofit National Human Trafficking Resource Center.
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Children are not routinely being snatched from pizza parlors and sold into sexual slavery. Sex trafficking more often looks like ‘vulnerable people struggling to survive’ through sex.
A missing girl, a sensational trial, and the troubled history of anti-trafficking.
Facebook’s initiative places the company in a complicated situation, as increased user privacy, while positive, could come with potential impunity for offenders.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Facebook is planning to put end-to-end encryption on all its messaging services soon. But governments aren’t happy about it, as it could make it harder to catch criminals.
Female sex offenders may not receive as much public attention or scorn as male sex offenders.
271 EAK MOTO/Shutterstock.com
Jane E. Palmer, American University School of Public Affairs
Part of a law that goes into effect in New York state on Aug. 14 allows victims more time sue in civil court. Epstein’s victims can still go after his estate.
Sex worker rights – fought for at this red umbrella protest in Vancouver – are under threat by ‘hospitality’ programs which ask civilians working in hotels to ‘report’ on their guests.
Caroline Doerksen
While there’s still a great deal that is unknown about sex trafficking, research studies and nonprofits have been able to gather telling data on this industry’s victims and perpetrators.
The victim-offender overlap is disturbingly common in the human trafficking trade, with women once trafficked becoming traffickers.
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If India really wants to stop sex trafficking, legislators might consider asking sex workers in Kolkata how they keep the Sonagachi red light district safe and exploitation-free.
Anti-trafficking evangelical activists are often sensationalist and incite fear, prurient interest, and a sense of moral righteousness in their crusade against sex work.
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In the past two decades, the fight against human sex trafficking has become an evangelical mission but sex-worker rights advocates have rejected the conflation of sex trafficking and prostitution.