Many people in today’s society probably have no idea what human trafficking even is, and if one tried to tell them that it is modern-day slavery they would deny it saying that slavery ended a long time ago, but that is not entirely true. Slavery still exists in society today just not in the same forms necessarily and with a different name- human trafficking. According to the Convention of Transnational Organized Crime, human trafficking is
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, or fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent
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The causes of human trafficking vary from place to place, yet they do usually follow a common trend depending on the actual location. Traffickers and their victims can and do include anyone; males, females, children, longtime family friends, and even relatives, it does not really matter. Recruitment takes place in plain sight and victims are transported overseas where they receive a new identity. Once this happens, because of the great knowledge traffickers have of what they are doing, the chances of actually finding victims before any damage occurs are very slim. Although human trafficking is an international issue, it has a greater effect on the United States’ citizens and economy more than anyone would have ever …show more content…
These statistics help prove the fact that human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing criminal activity only behind the sale of drugs (Shelley 87). The only reason human trafficking is behind drugs in the run for the “lucrative criminal enterprise” is because drugs can be sold over and over again and humans can only be sold once (Crompton). Some commonly mistake human trafficking has only existing in certain countries and not actually being an international issue, but that isn’t true. Just as Elizabeth Miller stated, “there is a perception that human trafficking is something that happens in large, urban centers or on the coast, but it’s everywhere.” (Crompton) In the United States alone, trafficking takes place in every state. It does not matter if it is populated or unpopulated, a rich area or poor area, or even just an interstate, human trafficking will still occur (Shelley 223).Those states that do present red flags of a higher concentration of trafficking include New York, California, Florida, and Washington D.C. (Human Trafficking). This trend is also apparent in other countries as there are indicators of areas with higher rates of trafficking than compared to others. Countries with high levels of poverty are prone to more cases of human trafficking as
Country to country, person-to-person, human trafficking is becoming a bigger and bigger issue all across the globe, including right here in the United States. Human trafficking is said to be a form of modern-day slavery, subjecting its victims to commercial sex, debt bondage, and forced labor through force, fraud, or coercion. There are often no easily identifiable victims as they come in all ages, genders, and races. There are said to be at least 2.4 million victims of human trafficking across the globe at any given time, leading to profits of $32 billion for the criminal masterminds behind such trafficking operations, making it the second most lucrative criminal industry behind narcotics. Despite the abundance of victims, it is estimated that fewer than 30% of all countries report at least 10 trafficking convictions a year, and 20% of countries do not even have an offense for trafficking. An additional 20% of countries have an offense for trafficking but still report no convictions of the offense. Without an organized coalition to help prevent such atrocities, it is left up to national governments to come up with solutions for their respective nations, and many governments do not possess the know-how or effort needed to combat these crimes.
Human trafficking is among the fastest growing categories of crime in the world right now, rivaled only by the drug and weapons industries. A 32 billion dollar global enterprise annually, its effects are far reaching and highly damaging to all involved. In reality, “human trafficking” is essentially a politically correct term for slavery. Through books, articles, and interviews, the two phrases are used interchangeably and are used to mean the same exact thing. There is an endless list of myths and misconceptions in regards to human trafficking, but I plan to keep all the information here very clear and concise. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Human trafficking is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” (1) This means that innocent people are taken from their homes and families, kept in secret and forced to work for their captor or whomever they are sold to. This work may be physical labor and it may be sexual in nature. The living conditions are usually harsh, and it is not uncommon for the captor (or
As victim count continues to rise, its difficult to see how such great numbers of men, women and children are bought and sold every year. Trafficking can be found in many forms, including: prostitution, slavery, or forced labor (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that international human trafficking became globally noticed. With the lack of government intervention and control in several nations, and the free trade market, slavery once again became a profitable industry (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). As previously mentioned, easier movement across nations borders is one of the outcomes of globalization. It is also what makes human trafficking so easy today. It is estimated that about 20.9 million people are victims across the entire globe (United Nations Publications, 2012); trafficking accounts for 32 billion dollars in generated profit globally (Brewer, n.d). 58 percent of all human trafficking was for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and of this 55-60 percent are women (United Nations Publications,
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.
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 gone 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.
When it comes to human trafficking gender, race and ethnicity do not matter, anyone could be taken at any moment of the day. It is the third largest criminal organized enterprise in the world (Walker-Rodriguez & Hill, 2011) just below drug smuggling and illegal arms trade. It is the fastest growing crime in the world (Widbin, 2014). Though, slavery has been banned everywhere in the world millions of people are still slaves. Pimps will go after people that vulnerabilities such as immigration status and economic hardships. In 2007 human trafficking made thirty-two billion dollars, that was more than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined (Widbin, 2014). In the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report, human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat; it deprives people of their human rights and freedoms, it increases global health risks, and it fuels the growth of organized crime. The United States is one of the top three places for trafficking. There has been a case of human trafficking in every state in the United States (Widbin, 2014). California, New York and Nevada are the three most common states for trafficking. The most common cities are Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit...
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...
Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry followed behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking (“11 Facts” pg. 2). The International Labour Organization estimates that women and girls represent the largest share of forced labor victims with 11.4 million trafficked victims compared to 9.5 million men ( ). Trafficking comes in many forms, forcing victims into prostitution, subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude, compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography, and misleading victims into debt bondage (11 Facts. Pg 2). According to federal reports estimate that 14,500 to 17,500 victims are trafficked into the United States each year (What is Human Trafficking. Pg 2). Traffickers will often make their victims’ new birth certificates, passports, and drivers’ licenses making it almost in possible for them to ...
Summary: We see that there are many different aspects and types of human trafficking that everyone should be made aware of. As a whole human trafficking is a lucrative industry raking in $150 BILLION globally. The impact that this industry has on its victims is
“Human trafficking coerces and persuades their victims to cross national borders in search of new jobs and better opportunities and after that they are forced into some sort of labor bondage” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Even though trafficking is a problem in almost every country; poorer countries have a bigger problem with it because they are more desperate for work. Just in 2000, the U.S. enacted their first federal anti-trafficking law, called the Victims of Trafficking Protection Act (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Trafficking has just begun to receive notice on how big of a problem it actually is. “Proponents of strict anti-trafficking initiatives say that laws and prevention against trafficking are necessary in order to stem the growing tide of large scale organized crime that profits off of smuggling and trafficking” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1).
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.
The United States has one of the largest percentages of trafficked humans worldwide, however so many individual are unaware of this issue. As many as 17,500 individuals are thought to be trafficked into the United Stated annually, and some have estimated that 100,000 U.S. citizen children are victims of trafficking within the U.S. (Siskin & Wyler, 2010). Since many cases go unreported, these estimates may be fewer than the actual number of victims in the US. There is substantial evidence that supports the ideology that woman and children from low socio-economic status are most likely targeted (Okech, Morreau, & Benson, 2011), of all the people trafficked each year about 70 percent of women and 50 percent are children that are mainly forced into the sex trade (Human Trafficking Statistics). Among socio-economic problems, the trafficking business feeds on conditions of vulnerability, such as family conflicts, natural disasters, youth, ignorance, gender, social exclusion, political instabil...
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.
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...
Human trafficking is a topic that is not discussed very often in society. Many people fail to realize that human trafficking still exists today. Human trafficking violates basic human rights. It takes away the freedom and security of men, women, and children world wide. The diversity and widespread execution of human trafficking make it difficult to regulate and prosecute.