Narco Violence, Forced Displacement and Sex Trafficking: A Qualitative Study in Mexico

Arun Kumar Acharya , Universidad Autónoma de Nuveo Leon
Jennifer Bryson Clark, South Texas College

During the last decade, more than 160,000 people have been forcibly displaced internally due to narco violence in Mexico. Displaced families suffer social and economic vulnerabilities which, leaves them easy prey to traffickers for the purpose of exploitation. Young girls and women are extremely vulnerable. This paper analyzes the impact of forced displacement on trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation caused by narco violence in Mexico. For this study, we gathered information from 16 forced displaced trafficking victims (FDTV) in Monterrey, Mexico. Findings elucidate that traffickers use different tricks and promises to trap displaced young girls and women, including force into sexual exploitation. Moreover, narco violence has generated a huge number of orphans and widows in the country. Traffickers use the economic vulnerable condition, and lack of family support structures, of these orphans girls and widows, and force them into sexual exploitation.

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 Presented in Session 3. Population, Development, & the Environment; Data & Methods; Applied Demography