The National Human Trafficking Hotline received 641 calls from Pennsylvania last year.

Advocates say raising awareness around the issue should be matched with efforts to end human trafficking.

Some advocates say that an anti-demand approach in prosecutions around the sex trade could make an impact.

Shea Rhodes, a law professor at Villanova university, founded the Institute to End Commercial Sexual Exploitation. She says advocacy to end sex trafficking, has to remember why people get trafficked.

“We have the market, here in the United States of America, where people pay for sex.” Rhodes said.

Someone who is sex trafficked gets pulled into the broader sex trade—which is generally illegal in 48 states, including Pennsylvania.

“Legally, prostitution and sex trafficking are married. Is all prostitution, trafficking? Absolutely not. But all sex trafficking involves prostitution,” Rhodes said.

Prostitution charges assume someone is choosing the act. There is a movement to fully decriminalize the selling and buying of sex.

Rhodes said there is a lot of abuse and manipulation in the trade; that often crosses over to trafficking in ways that don’t match stereotypes in the average citizen’s mind. From managers encouraging substance abuse 

Its not uncommon for people who escape sex trafficking to have a criminal record of prostitution—which complicates their transition to a stable life.

In 2024, there were 151 people charged for selling sex in Pennsylvania; there were 181 men were charged for buying.

“If we eliminate the demand or that market for commercial sex, paid sex, then traffickers aren't going to come to Pennsylvania,” Rhodes said.

She advocates for the Nordic, or Equality Model to update Pennsylvania’s legal and social strategy around this topic.

The model legalizes the act of prostitution— legally defined as exchanging sex for something of value (whether it be money, drugs, shelter, etc). But keeps the criminal charge for buying sex or promoting/being a third party coordinator in the sex trade.

The model also calls for public awareness campaigning. Rhodes says communities have to talk about the harms of pornography and prostitution.

“I’m not coming at this from a moral standpoint. I’m coming at this from, I don’t want people to be harmed,” Rhodes said. “and this does harm, everyone. Not just those who are in the trade."

Lastly, Rhodes and many advocates say that resources must be available for people who escape trafficking situations.

“There has to be funded— and that is key—  exit services for people,” Rhodes said. "I'm talking about adults here who want to leave the sex trade to get job training, to find safe and stable housing, to get help for substance abuse, and help processing their trauma."

There is some debate over if the Equality Model reduces sex trade activity, and how it impacts violence towards people in the sex trade.