Super Bowl Trafficking Myths Debunked

Super Bowl trafficking myths have been debunked again!

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, which means media outlets and law enforcement will be pushing the false narrative that human sex trafficking will be rampant this weekend. Police and policy makers use this lie to boost their campaigns and inspire budget increases. But the truth is that there is not more sex trafficking during the superbowl, but there are more arrests of consenting adult sex workers. Like many other vendors and service providers sex workers travel to the Super Bowl because it’s a big money making day and, well, they want to make money!

Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin and the University of Minnesota recently found that the evidence, “did not support a causal or correlative link between Super Bowls and sex trafficking.” They also found that increased local policing around the Super Bowl has not shown any lasting impact on reducing trafficking in that area. Once again, over-policing does not help decrease trafficking, but it does harm consensual sex workers who are just trying to make a living.

Be the annoying person at your Super Bowl viewing party this weekend by bringing up these points while everyone else is trying to watch the game. It’s important!

— Adapted from this episode of Old Pro News and the Old Pros website. Learn more from this LA Times article: The Dangerously Fake Link Between the Super Bowl and Human Trafficking.