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Essays on sex trafficking in america
Research paper on human trafficking in the united states
Human trafficking across the globe
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Sex Trafficking is huge problem all around the world, mainly in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. These countries are widely known for their ever growing, multi-billion dollar human trafficking industries. This is clearly an issue that many people are aware of, but one thing that is not a commonly known, is the fact that sex trafficking is something that is prevalent in the United States, and more specifically right in the Midwestern portion of the country. In our project we discussed sex trafficking in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas, and found out exactly how often this terrible situation rears it’s ugly face right in the middle of the United States. Within this theme, I myself targeted the problem with sex trafficking in Oklahoma. In this I researched exactly what the situation was in Oklahoma, I compared the trafficking in Oklahoma to the books that we read and discussed throughout the semester, and I connected it to two of the topics that we read about at the beginning of the semester.
In this project our group’s main focus was to find exactly what kind of situations were going on in the Midwestern part of the United States. We did this by finding articles and cases that displayed examples of sex trafficking from the state, which we were assigned. In doing so, I discovered an article about an Oklahoma sex trafficking ring that reached as far as Mexico. In an October 2012 article by the Tribune Business News, it discussed how Oklahoma is one of the leading states in sex trafficking occurrences in the whole country. This article also discussed how in this trafficking ring, a 19-year-old girl was found in a duffel bag behind a grocery store in Bethany, Oklahoma. This girl and the other girls that have been...
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... it to where it was clear to see that they were trying to display imperialism.
Throughout this project we discussed cases of sex slavery in the Midwest. Whether it was in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, or Oklahoma, each case was just as horrifying and repulsing as the next. When discussing these situations in these articles, it is quite easy to relate them back to the stories that were discussed in both Siddarth Kara’s Sex Trafficking, or John Bowe’s Nobodies, mainly because of the similarities of the situations that went on in these books, whether it was in Florida or over seas. After learning the definitions of globalization and imperialism it was also quite easy to relate these articles to these ideas. Though it may be more of a problem in countries such as India, Bangladesh, or Nepal, it is clear that sex trafficking is definitely a problem in the United States.
Kotrla, K., & Wommack, B. A. (2011). Sex Trafficking of Minors in the U.S.: Implications for Policy, Prevention and Research. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 2 (Iss. 1), article 5.
The book Renting Lacy: A Story of America’s Prostituted Children by Linda Smith addresses the topic of the underground world of child sex trafficking. Unfortunately, it is a topic that has been purposefully neglected in our society for many years. The author presents every chapter with a real story of a sexually exploited child. The stories are intense, powerful but especially touching which makes the reader feel frustrated, desperate, and vexed. After every chapter, Smith tries to include commentaries that presents a deeper understating about human trafficking. It seems that the purpose of her commentaries is to make the reader think deeper about the problem of sex trafficking and accumulate desires to act towards this issue as they continue
Human trafficking is an issue that no one really wants to talk about. The media portrays this horrible crime as something that only happens in foreign lands. Americans do not want to believe that something so heinous could happen on our own soil. However when survivors of human trafficking come forward, people are forced to confront the reality that this issue is not that far from home. Some individuals still choose to deny that this is a real issue. However the facts make it extremely hard to deny that human trafficking happens on American soil.
"Sex Trafficking in the U.S." Sex Trafficking in the U.S. | Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. Polaris Project, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
In the article “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States,” Kimberly Kotrla discussed the disheartening facts of what’s going on in the United States under our noses. Today more and more people are finding out about this sad industry. In Alaska my brother goes out in the streets to help save these girls in sex trafficking. Knowing my brother is doing something to end this made me feel proud while reading this informative essay.
27 million people all over the world are currently being forced into human trafficking or modern day slavery, 161 countries including the US will be affected by human trafficking. 1 million children will be exploited by the commercial sex trade each year. Sex trafficking began in the 1700s in the United States. It hasn’t been stopped because it continues to increase over the years. Even though the law enforcement and people around the world could be strong enough to stop human trafficking, I believe this situation needs to be more focused on and stopped as soon as possible. Because Human Trafficking is increasing rapidly and Oklahoma is a cross-way for sex trafficking due to the interstates such as I-35, I-40 and I-44.
Kara, Siddharth. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia UP, 2009. 5. Print.
Domestic sex trafficking is the vile new innovative business model used in the sex industry to promote prostitution. The myth about sex trafficking is that it is a foreign not a domestic problem. Sex trafficking is a very lucrative business. The “John’s” create a demand and the “pimps” provide the supply. Child abuse, child neglect, pornography, pedophilia and prostitution are all links in the chains that enslaves America’s children for the pleasure of adults.
Sexual exploitation exploits women and provides a vehicle for racism in a “first world” country like America, where victimization rates are disproportionately higher with “third world” women (O'Connor & Healy, 2007). Goodson is an anti-trafficking activist, is director of international programs for Shared Hope International which is an organization who works with victims of sex trafficking. From her experience, many victims are poor and are sexually abused children and young adults who are swayed by the promises of a better life. Once they reach the United States, the victims are psychologically and physically abused. In the United States, victims of international sex trafficking come primarily from South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa through states such as Florida, California and New York (Goodson, 2006). The U.S. Department of State estimates that about 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across national borders annually. Furthermore, it is estimated that 17,500 to 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. annually, with Florida receiving a high percentage of those victims. Although the people who enter the United States are often not legally permitted to enter the United States, Lagon asserts that it is important to note the difference between human
Most American citizens, if asked, would say that sex trafficking is an issue that happens on foreign land, not here in America. Many American’s believe that slavery was abolished years ago, but modern day slavery is happening in this country and internationally every day right under our noses. The startling fact, is that sex trafficking happens within our borders, and in our very own towns at a much higher rate than anyone would imagine. Sex trafficking occurs when people, usually women and children, are coerced into the sex trade against their will (TVPA, 2013). Many traffickers target weak, vulnerable people who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and have a history of abuse; however anyone can potentially be trafficked (The Polaris Project, 2014). Many traffickers lure their prey in with false promises of love, money, or security, and then the victims are instead faced with lies, debt bondage, violence, physical and mental manipulation, and abuse (The Polaris Project, 2014). In today’s world many of our social issues, such as human trafficking, are made worse by the general lack of education, resources, and information available to the public and to victims. I propose a policy that will help 180 Turning Lives Around provide comprehensive and much needed services to victims of sex trafficking, as well as educate the community and law enforcement officials in order to help end modern day slavery in America.
The United States is a major port for human trafficking and, “Due to the covert nature of human trafficking, it is difficult to ascertain which countries are the primary source nations for trafficking into the US” (Hepburn). People of all ages and genders are at risk to human trafficking (Hepburn). Women and girls make up about fifty-six percent of the people trafficked for forced labor, while men and boys make up the other forty-four percent; children make up forty to fifty percent of those numbers (Hepburn). Ninety-eight percent of the people trafficked for sexual explorations are women and girls (Hepburn). Children tend to be targeted more than adults because they are much more vulnerable. Human trafficking has different forms, and “While trafficking for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation is more publicized in the media, it is not the only form of trafficking that takes place in the US” (Hepburn). Trafficking for the purposes of forced labor is just as likely to occur as trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation (Hepburn). Many citizens have never heard of human trafficking for something other than sexual exploitation. Hepburn shows that, “Forty-three percent are trafficked for purposes of...
In order to understand how sex trafficking affects its victims, one must first know the severity of sex trafficking and what it is. The issue of sex trafficking affects 2.5 million people at any given time (Abas et al., 2013). The form of sex slavery affects many women and children across the world. Even though both males and females are sexually trafficked and exploited, there is a deep emphasis on the sexual exploitation of women and children. This is due to gender discrimination (Miller, 2006). This is because women and children are more vulnerable and appeal to the larger populations of brothels and the so-called “clients” since the majority are men. Ecclestone (2013) stated that children as young as age three are trafficked. Sex trafficking has changed over time; “Today, the business of human sex trafficking is much more organized and violent. These women and young girls are sold to traffickers, locked up in rooms or brothels for weeks or months, drugged, terrorized, and raped repeatedly” (Walker-Rodriguez & Hill, 2011). It is found that many of the victims of sex trafficking are abducted, recruited, transported and forced into involuntary “sex work”. These sexual acts include prostitution, exotic dancing, pornography, and sexual escort services (McClain & Garrity, 2011). What happens to these sex trafficking victims is extremely traumatizing.
Sex trafficking is essentially systemic rape for profit. Force, fraud and coercion are used to control the victim’s behavior which may secure the appearance of consent to please the buyer (or john). Behind every transaction is violence or the threat of violence (Axtell par. 4). Just a decade ago, only a third of the countries studied by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had legislation against human trafficking. (Darker Side, par.1) Women, children, and even men are taken from their homes, and off of the streets and are brought into a life that is almost impossible to get out of. This life is not one of choice, it is in most times by force. UNODC estimates that the total international human trafficking is a $32-billion-per-year business, and that 79% of this activity comprises sexual exploitation. As many as 2 million children a year are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, according the the U.S. State Department.-- Cynthia G. Wagner. (Darker Side, par. 4) The words prostitute, pimp, escort, and stripper tend to be way too common in the American everyday vocabulary. People use these words in a joking manner, but sex trafficking is far from a joke. Everyday, from all different countries, people are bought and sold either by force or false promises. Some are kidnapped and others come to America with dreams of a dream life and job. The buyers involved in the trade will do anything to purchase an innocent life just to sell for their own selfish profit. Many people wouldn’t think of a human body to be something you can buy in the back room of a business or even online. But those plus the streets are where people are sold most often. There are many reasons and causes for sex trafficking. The factors behind sex traffic...
The “Land of the free” is not so free after all. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry after illegal drugs and arms trafficking . Human trafficking is like modern day slavery; it is defined as the loss of freedom to another 's control by force, fraud or coercion. The United States turns out to be the #1 destination for child sex trafficking. I chose this topic because it interested me the most out of all other topics. When finding a topic to do research on, none of the topics left me asking myself so many questions. The fact that i barely knew anything about human trafficking, made me realize that there might be many people out there that are like me. People who probably think that human trafficking rarely happens,
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...