Top 10 Predictions for the State of Abolition in 2010: Sexualization to Lawsuits

This past year has been a big one for human trafficking -- a new administration, revamped legislation, and great grassroots initiatives -- to name a few positive trends. But I have a crystal ball that says 2010 is going to be even bigger. Ok, so maybe it's not a crystal ball, but it's made of some kind of glass and I washed it off after unearthing it from the attic. Don't judge; have you ever tried to buy crystal on a blogger's salary? Ball-quality concerns aside, here are my predictions for the State of Abolition in 2010. Some predictions are hopeful and others are ones I'd rather be wrong about. But ultimately, you're the ones who will determine which ones come true. You can check out my first five predictions in Part 1.

6. Increased sexualization of children. I hate to make this prediction, but 2009 trends indicate that in 2010, the sexualization of kids will increase. Whether it's sexy Halloween costumes for tweens like Noah Cyrus, dolls that pole dance, or an increased pressure for younger and younger girls to slut it up MTV-style, the barrage of sexual culture aimed at kids is going to get worse before it gets better. Maybe 2011 will be the year we finally see a dip, but I'm not optimistic for 2010.

7. Someone will spot the connections between human trafficking and terrorism. Okay, maybe a couple tuned-in folks have gotten here already, but most people, including security personnel tasked with protecting America, haven't noticed that human trafficking and terrorism are deeply connected. Whether it's both trafficking and terror thriving in an unstable Pakistan or American borders and ports being penetrated by both traffickers and terrorists, these huge international issue overlap in many ways. I think that trafficking will finally be part of a meaningful security strategy in the coming year.

8. An increased focus on corporate social responsibility. 2010 will be the year that a number of corporations stop passing the buck of responsibility for slavery associated with their products. Whether its more chocolate companies buying more Fair Trade cocoa, producers of consumer goods creating better corporate guidelines for better working conditions, or major hotel chains working to prevent child prostitution at their properties, 2010 will be the year of increased CSR. And when companies do choose to do the right thing, you'll hear about it here.

9. More trafficking survivors successfully suing their traffickers. The ability for trafficking victims to sue their traffickers has been around for a few years, but only in the last couple have lawyers and victims really begun to take advantage of it. There was at least one highly successful suit this year, and victims' collecting their traffickers' cash is a trend poised to rise. This hit-em-where-it-hurts technique is especially effective when you go for the tenderest part of a trafficker's body -- his wallet.

10. Human trafficking takes its place as a top global women's issue. As global understanding of the intricacies and overlaps of human traffiicking grows, it will finally take its place as a top global women's issue. Human trafficking overlaps with other violence against women issues, as well as poverty, fair pay, equal rights, religion, and just about every other issue which affects women. Domestically, the 2010 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act will provide the U.S. with an opportunity to be a leader on this front. And a bright shiny quarter says they'll take it!

Photo credit: BK2000