Rebecca Bender ©

HUMAN TRAFFICKING LINGO

Bottom, or Bottom B*tch: A person appointed by the pimp/trafficker to recruit potential victims, report violation of rules, and often to help punish.

B*tch: A term used endearingly toward one another to refer to a “working girl.”

Working: performing sexual acts for money. Branded: A tattoo on a victim indicating ownership by a trafficker/pimp.

Daddy: A term a male trafficker /pimp requires his victims to call him.

P.I. : Another term for pimp

Family or Folks: A group of victims under the control of a trafficker/pimp. The term is an attempt to recreate the family environment.

Gorilla Pimp: A violent trafficker/pimp

Romeo/Finesse Pimp: A trafficker who uses fraud and deception to lure their victims in by pretending to be their boyfriend.

Grooming: When a trafficker is dating a girl to win her trust, before he tells her he is trafficker or pimp.

Lot Lizard: Derogatory term for prostituted women and children at truck stops.

Pimp Circle: Describes a situation where pimps circle around a victim to intimidate and discipline them, using verbal and physical threats/action, i.e.beating with wire coat hangers, defecating and urinating on victims

Quota: The amount of money a victim must give to their trafficker/pimp each night. If a quota is not met, the victim may be made to work until it is, or may be beaten or otherwise disciplined.

Seasoning: The process of breaking a victim’s spirit and gaining control over her, using rapes, beatings, manipulation and intimidation. There is actually a manual for pimps on how to season victims.

Stable: A group of victims under the control of a pimp.

Trade Up/Trade Down: The act of buying or selling a person for a pimp’s stable.

Knock: Convincing a girl to go home with a trafficker – before the “turning out” phase.

Turn Out: To be forced into prostitution; also a person newly involved.

“Wifey” or Wife-in-law: A term prostituted women and children are required to call the other females in the “stable.”

Sister: Another term for the other females in the stable.

Kiddie Track or Runaway Track: Just what it sounds like it means.

The Track/ The Blade: The area in which a girl walks to try to catch a date.

John / Trick: A man purchasing sex from a prostituted woman or child.

Date: The appointment set up to exchange sex for money.

Staying in/out of pocket: abiding to the rules that the trafficker has set before his females.

Reckless Eyeballing: looking at other pimps, which is considered out of pocket.

Caught a Case: Went to jail for prostitution.

Stack: Putting money to the side, whether a girl stacks money without permission, or the trafficker is stacking money so they can make a move

Square: A person who is living a “normal” lifestyle

The Game/The Life: What the entire life of human trafficking is referred to.

Chose Up: the act of joining a traffickers stable.

Choosing Fee: A term used on girls to pay to enter the stable

Rebecca Bender ©