Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Studia Humanitatis Journal
Articles: monographic section

Prostitution and Sexual Trafficking in the Digital Age: An International Systematic Review

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  • Lorena Añón-Loureiro ,
  • María Castillo-López
Lorena Añón-Loureiro
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9189-9212 (unauthenticated) Universidad de Santiago de Compostela

Bio
María Castillo-López University of Murcia image/svg+xml

Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33732/shj.v6i2.193

Published 2026-08-24

Keywords

  • Online prostitution advertisements,
  • Risk indicators,
  • Information and communication technologies (ITC),
  • Sexual exploitation,
  • Women

Copyright (c) 2026 Studia Humanitatis Journal

Creative Commons License

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Abstract

The internet has emerged as a critical social field for the localization, contact, recruitment, and sexual exploitation of women and girls, driven by complex, subtle, and invisible mechanisms that demand thorough investigation. In this regard, this systematic review aims to explore the available evidence regarding the characteristics of prostitution in the digital age, online sex advertisement platforms, and risk indicators for sexual exploitation and human trafficking within these spaces. Following PRISMA guidelines, 15 articles published between 2020 and 2026 were identified through Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Dialnet databases. The analysis revealed three key themes: (1) the characteristics of prostitution in the digital era, mediated by the internet and classified ad websites, alongside the intersectional component within the discourse; (2) the psychosocial risks and consequences associated with digital environments for women in prostitution; and (3) new recruitment, coercion, and exploitation strategies linked to sex trafficking, identifying emerging risk factors tied to the digital landscape. The findings highlight the urgent need to review and update sexual exploitation and trafficking indicators, with generative artificial intelligence serving as a key element in this endeavor. Its role will be highly relevant in adapting policy, prevention, and intervention to the new challenges posed by the digital age, given that current indicators for identifying sex trafficking prove to be insufficient.
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