Human trafficking is a significant, but hard to spot problem in Houston – and across Texas. Houston is known as a hub for human trafficking, which involves young women brought here for prostitution because of our proximity to the Mexican border. One fourth of all trafficking victims rescued in the United States are found in Texas, mostly in Houston (McCall). In the year 2011 alone, there have been a number of arrests for Human Trafficking made in the Houston area as well as several brothels have been closed down. However, FBI reports at least two new brothels open monthly in Houston (Palmer). There are a number of ways to fight human trafficking including educating yourself, spreading the word, taking a look in your own community, talking to kids and teens and becoming involved in groups to combat human trafficking.
The definition of human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation (Rome). Some of the major forms of human trafficking are forced labor, sex trafficking, bonded labor, debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, child soldiers, and child sex trafficking (U.S. Department of State). Another way to explain human trafficking is to say that it is equivalent to modern day slavery. The problem is not limited to the Houston area, although Houston is considered a main trafficking hub city and a major destination.
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If we want this horrid crime to come to an end we have to do it ourselves, every citizen, neighbor, social and political student activists, fellow Houstonians and we must do it together (AUD). Human trafficking is more pervasive in Houston, Texas than many people realize and for that, nothing is being done. Our Houston dark alleys have become an international start point in this crime. According to an article by Laurie Johnson from the Houston Public Media, Houston has a huge commercial sex industry bigger than in Las Vegas. There are about 300,000 girls that are being trafficked and Texas accounts for about 25 percent (PRBD). Will there ever be an ending to this human trafficking? If so how? (RHET?) It is within our grasp to extinguish human trafficking from not just our city but from the world, we cannot just wait for a solution to be handed into our hands, if we did, many victims will still continue to suffer. We can begin with how to recognize human trafficking, what to do before and after helping victims being rescued and how to actively take a role in ending human trafficking
This study examines the research that initially began on October 28, 2000 and spanned through to October 31, 2009. If a human trafficking case occurred in the US, with the victim being under the age of 18, and at least one arrested, indicted or convicted felon, their case would be filed in the data analysis report. This research resulted in the finding of 115 separate incidents of human trafficking, involving at least 153 victims and 215 felons or perpetrators, 117 (53.4%) of them being convicted of their heinous actions. Each individual case consisted of anywhere between 1 to 9 victims of trafficking. 90% of these victims were females between the ages of 5 to 17 years who were held captive from less than 6 months to 5 years. 25 (16.3%) of these minors were exploited through some type of false promise and 15 (9.8%) were kidnapped. 34 (22.2%) of the victims were abused through com...
What is Human Trafficking? “Human trafficking refers to the recruiting, transporting, enslaving, or receiving of people in order to exploit abuse them (Pubantz, Jerry, and Allphin Moore Jr.).” In nineteenth century France, prostitution was a common form of human trafficking.
Defining human trafficking can be difficult due to the fact that it can be confused with other illegal activities such as smuggling and consented prostitution. In the essay Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery In The 21st Century , Shaden Mohajerin states that human trafficking can be defined as the transferring, harboring, and transportation of persons which is accomplished through force, coercion, kidnapping, and deception (...
Human trafficking can be described as the act of taking people against their will, threatening them into submission, or coercing them into making a deal, and forcing
In 1865 the United States passed the thirteenth amendment of the constitution which formally abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. Over a century has went by since this day, and yet somewhere behind the mask of freedom that our country holds with such pride lingers a hidden trade. This is the trade of modern day slavery that remains prevalent in our country. Despite the freedoms we are granted as a citizen of the United States,- human trafficking is an enormous issue that is often overlooked. In fact very little light is shown on this topic, but the awful reality is there. Every day women, children, and even men are kidnapped, taken from their families, and forced into free labor and sexual exploitation.
Human trafficking is the form of modern day slavery and it is a worldwide problem that affects our local communities. Human trafficking presents itself in two forms: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Human trafficking touches people of all ages: children, young adults, and the elderly. Human trafficking is defined as, “ the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat of use of force or other forms of coercion, or abduction,” (Lightfoot, p.1, 2013).
Many people are astounded to hear that human trafficking is not just a complication outside of America’s borders and that it is flattering more of an American drawback as intervals go on. Human trafficking has converted into creation's second leading criminal industry, transforming the individual, their dignity and rights as a human being, and humankind. The United States of America is mainly a transfer for trafficking in persons. It is assessed in The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, “that 14,500 to 17,500 people, primarily women and children, are trafficked to the U.S. annually.” This act augments pre-existing illegal disadvantages, offers new defenses and makes accessible certain welfares and aids to victims of trafficking. The Department’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices estimated that from at least 127 countries have found to be harnessed in 137 states. In the United States, for instance, more than 15,000 individuals are enforced into the present day counterpart of slavery every year. An estimated one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand Americans are forced into this each year, as predicted by the national police department. But the collision of human trafficking goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches. The U.S. has aided states to enact anti-trafficking regulation, educated law enforcement officials, DAs, border guards and judicial officers, and impeaching traffickers, and protecting targets.
This crime is committed by individual criminals and criminal organizations who target male and female victims of different nationalities, socioeconomic classes and ages. There are three types of human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage and sex trafficking. Among the three, sex trafficking is the most common in the state of Texas. The city of Houston, Texas is known as one of the leading sex trafficking sites, due to Houston being located in the center of a major highway that leads to other major cities. Houston is also a “hot spot” for human trafficking due to the large international airport George Bush Intercontinental and the Port of Houston. Many people believe that human trafficking only happens in third war countries, but in reality it is happening in our own communities. According to the Department of Public Safety, “one of every five human trafficking victims has been found enslaved in Texas” (Texas Advisory Committee, pg. 11,
Human trafficking is the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others or for the extraction of organs or tissues, including surrogacy and ova removal. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against the person because of the violation of the victim's rights of movement through coercion and because of their commercial exploitation. Human trafficking is the trade in people, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person to another location..
Human trafficking is a serious and a grave violation of human rights. It is a problem all over the world; almost each and every country is facing human trafficking. Upon seeing that young people in United States are affected the homeland security and other religious non-profit organization lunched a campaign to educate people about human trafficking. In Collin college campuses they set up days for human trafficking discussion and movies. One of the meetings took place at CPC where one representative of homeland security in McKinney talked about how human trafficking is a huge problem in Texas. He mentioned that Texas is one of the states with high number of human trafficking. He said that this is so because it is bordering
Human trafficking is an issue in the United States. “The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.”() Children and Adults are often times taken from their families and sold into different forms. Moreover thousands of people are smuggled into the United States to also be sold into different forms of slavery. However more often than not these victims are not reported about. No one tries to find them and they simply become lost. The first way that these can be found is to begin shinning a spotlight out into the night looking for them. That will be done by educating the citizens of the United States of how prevalent human
Human trafficking is a form of slavery, forcing victims to engage in sexual activities and labors against their will. These activities can be taken place through force, fraud, or constraint. Human trafficking is not just affecting one group of people, it is a worldwide issue, affecting all different ages, genders, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds. Human trafficking is such an immense problem, apprehending the true size, knowing how to help, and how to keep the issue from reoccurring. Human trafficking is and is still becoming such a serious issue that something needs to be done about.
Human trafficking is a worldwide problem. From California to Australia, it happens. “161 countries are reported to be affected by human trafficking by being either a source, transit, or destination count. Out of the 161 countries, 56% of those are in Asia and the Pacific, being the number one place it occurs” (UNGIFT). Trailing far behind with 10% is Latin America and the Caribbean” (UNGIFT). No matter the location or the state of the economy, human trafficking is always in progress. “People are reported to be trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries, affecting every continent and every type of economy” (UNGIFT). “The majority of trafficking victims are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old” (UNGIFT). Just because those are the most common ages, doesn't mean that it only happens to them. Children are also affected by human trafficking. “An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year” (UNGIFT). So many people think that it is just teens and adults that get stuck into the trafficking business, but it is also small children.
One reason why human trafficking is a serious crime that many people are unaware of is because it secretly takes place in the United States. Between 2007 and 2012, there were reports of 9,298 different cases of human trafficking (Polaris Project). An example of how unknown this topic is is that 41% of sex trafficking cases and 20% of labor trafficking cases were proven to have United States citizens as victims (Polaris Project). And this is only what we know so far. There are thousands of cases that we don’t know about. Many people also don’t know that men, women, and even children are also taken hostage by human traffickers. An example of this would be that out of those 9,298 cases that were reported, women were victims of sex trafficking in 85% of those cases. Men were victims of labor trafficking in 40% of those cases (Polaris Project). Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice). Children are even more under the radar than we know about. On average, one in three teenagers on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving their home (National Runaway Hotline). For example, two female friends who were minors ran away from home and were prom...