Imagery plays a powerful role in how the public perceives an issue. Popular news sources and organizations that address commercial sexual exploitation often choose to use images that are meant to elicit a combination of fear, disgust, and sympathy from their readers in attempts to provide them with an understanding of the severity surrounding the topic. Such images frequently include depictions of young women bound with rope or with barcodes tattooed on their bodies. While the intention behind the use of such images is pure, their use can perpetuate harmful stereotypes about commercial sexual exploitation that further complicate the matter.
On Friday, February 9, the CSE Institute will begin featuring a mini-series written by the winners of our First-Year Law Student Blog Competition, Emma Sullivan and Lindsay Burrill. Both writers chose a specific image to critique. Their submissions delve into the potential repercussions associated with the use of problematic imagery to depict commercial sexual exploitation. We are excited to share their thoughtful insights on this frequently overlooked matter and hope to spread awareness about the detrimental implications certain imagery has on the overall perception of commercial sexual exploitation.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.