How Does Sex Trafficking Affect Women

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

“Globalization influences human trafficking as traffickers take advantage of new transparent borders, broadband communication, and economic upheaval to prey on those most vulnerable … people are largely defined by their economic worth, and since the most vulnerable have only their bodies to sell (labor … sex) … human beings become commodities and victims” (Burke 2013). Additionally, chapter four defines population and migration as an explanation for human trafficking. As the world’s population increases dramatically, there are many poor and vulnerable individuals who are forced to find a way to survive. “Traffickers are resourceful, inventive, and opportunistic, and can find a way to manipulate … population growth … there is an increase in the supply of potential victims who traffickers can exploit and from whom they can profit” (Burke 2013). Victims are driven into human trafficking because they are unable to sustain themselves living in poverty, or are vulnerable as an immigrant or refugee.

Both Human Trafficking and Violence against Women can be caused by a number of things, yet let’s look specifically at the causes in the United States. Human trafficking is lucrative business, earning “$32 billion in 2005”, is fueled by the kidnapping of women and children before being coerced in to the sex trade and forced labor (Fiengold,2005). While human trafficking is an equal opportunity crime unlike gender-based violence, the root causes can be divided into three different parts including economic, social, and politics based on area in which the individual may be lacking or has had a void. Economicaly, “traffickers often deceive their victims” by luring them under false pretenses of vast and abundant economic opportunity, creating new “routes of trafficking from less developed countries to developed” ones like the United States (Clawson,Dutch,Soloman,Grace,

play a role in sex trafficking and the sex industry stem from actions taken on individual, national, and international levels, and therefore occur within and outside the borders of a country. Therefore, the geographical distribution and occurrence of sex trafficking is based on many compounding factors including those of gender inequality, economic stability or lack thereof, and supply and demand. Gender inequality plays a large role in sex trafficking and the sex industry, itself. Women and children are the main victims, but there is a growing number of boys and young men being targeted in areas where sex tourism is high, such as Sri Lanka.

Human trafficking doesn’t happen in third world countries only. It doesn’t just happen to poor people and it certainly doesn’t solely happen to women. It is present here in the USA but it is hidden, and even worse, so are their victims. They are everywhere yet invisible. They are silently crying for our help through their eyes and smiles. According to Polaris, “…the prevalence of sex trafficking in the United States is still unknown, we do know that women, children, and men are being sold for sex against their will in cities and towns in all 50 states”. Human trafficking can happen to anyone even to Theresa Flores, the author of “The slave across the street”(“Sex trafficking” 2015). An average 15 year old American girl, coming from a privileged background and a respected family became a victim of sex trafficking and through her book, she convinces us that human trafficking doesn’t have a specific demographic.

Most people throughout the world would think of slavery as an issue of the past, but sex trafficking is today’s form of “modern day slavery” (Countryman-Roswurm, 2014). Sex trafficking has become the fastest growing and most profitable criminal enterprise in the world due to the fact that people can be sold over and over again. Corrupt governments have tried to cover this issue up and have worked alongside traffickers to help them obtain illegal documents to continue operating (Deshpande et al., 2013). The effects of this crime causes victims of trafficking to have many emotional, physical, and mental traumas (Deshpande et al., 2013).

Human trafficking exists in several nations all around us. No nation, including the United States is exempt from human trafficking. There may be factors that create unique anti-trafficking issues and obstacles for each nation, but the characteristics are all the same or very similar worldwide. These characteristics are how the trafficking is conducted, how the victims are kidnapped, the percentage of victims, the gender of the victims, and the percentage of each gender in different trafficking situations. The situations include children, adults, male, and female victims. The situations the victims fall into are pornography, forced labor, sex slaves, prostitution, child sex tourism, and many more. These are the issues and key points made by the authors to persuade the reader to agree with their position.

Those who sadly become part of globalization or capitalism for women are beaten and force into organization that seen them as pawns in game that will drugged them to alter their perception of reality. They would even force pregnant mothers into having births and then taking their children away as collateral damage in order to make them obey their rules or laws. Policemen will even turn a blind eye because they have mutual ties with the brothels owners and it is not that they do not believe the victim or female story but it is far more common in countries where women are more sexually conservative. Prior examples are Iran, Pakistan, and India. Human trafficking is a disease that cannot be describe in one article or video but throughout history, it is a term that challenges the foundations of compassion and

There have been enormous questions on the effects that globalization has had on sex trafficking. Some have argued that globalization is characterized with the global efforts, funding and regional legislation that undermine the spread of the sex trading. However, the increased liberalization and other factors such as the presence of the internet have heavily favored sex trade globally and especially in the United States of America (U.S.A). The United States has been a destination for the many immigrants from third world countries and others that have been encroached with wars and terrorist activities.  According to the National Human Trafficking (2017), 4460 cases of the trafficking were recorded in the U.S.A of which 3186 cases reported were linked to sex trafficking. In 2016, the reported human trafficking cases tremendously increased in 7621, and the sex trafficking cases reported also increased to 5593. The reported sex trafficking cases were 4183, 3593, 3380, 2382 in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively (National Human Trafficking, 2017, 1). From the cases recorded by the National Human Trafficking Hotline, it is evident that globalization has created a favorable environment for the sex and the human trafficking. The economic, political and legal environment created by the globalization favors the spread of sex trade in the United States of America.

I mainly just picked sex trafficking in the United States because this is a ‘Dear America” presentation. I do acknowledge that this is happening every where in the world and that this is a universal crises, I just wanted to focus on the U.S since a lot of people are not aware that this is still happening here, just like over seas. Since 2016, there has been human trafficking has rose to 35.7 percent according to UPI.com. There was a total of more than 26,000 calls on the trafficking hotline. According to UPI, the National Human Trafficking Hotline stated "Left unchecked, human trafficking will continue to flourish in environments where traffickers can reap substantial monetary gains with relatively low risk of getting caught or losing

It is absoultely unthinkable and heartbreaking to know that sexual slavery occurs in the United States of America. I was astonished when I had first read the article Pair Admit to Keeping Girl ,12,as a slave in Irvine for multiple reasons. One of the major reasons was how close Irvine was to Fullerton and how this young girl was robbed four years of her life because one of her sisters was caught "stealing"(Lin,1) and would have been reported to the "police" if her parents did not send the then ten-year-old over. But, I was more so disgusted at the fact that this was happening right under the our noses. Geographical locations transforms the way we feel towards sexual slavery for multiple reasons.For example, I had been watching a documentary on YouTube about homeless little boys who are raped by other men in random locations. These boys range from ages of eight to at least twelve. Without being exposed to this going situation previously before I would not have really though much of sexual slavery occurring in many parts of the world because they are farther away from the United States.

There are several factors to why human trafficking exists: poverty, governmental instability, natural disasters, addiction, and organized crime are just a few. Although there certainly are men victimized into trafficking (particularly forced labor), women and children are the most vulnerable to trafficking. Generally, those who become prey to traffickers are poor, weak, ill-educated, or isolated woman (3). Some recruiters befriend teens and adults with the intent of exploiting them. Deceived with the promise of a better life, young women travel with them into unknown territories. Once they reach their destination, traffickers burn their passports and immediately force them into sexual labor. Raped and beaten, girls are chained to beds and are repeatedly forced to serve up to forty men a day. In several low income communities, fathers and mothers will sell their children due to an overwhelming amount of

Human trafficking is the trade of humans by force, mainly women and female children, for the purposes of sexual slavery, sexual exploitation, and domestic labor. Global human trafficking has often been labeled as modern- day slavery; however the history and causes have been identifiable just as the causes of traditional slavery have been. What causes human trafficking? In this present paper, the hypotheses on the primary causes of global human trafficking will be identified. There are three major themes that cause human trafficking: a nation’s economy, political and legal factors, and social factors that enable the continuance of human trafficking. According to previous research indications of historical influence and social hierarchy have the greatest impact on the causes of human trafficking; these topics will further be elaborated upon during the discussions of political influences and social factors that impact human trafficking.

According to the HDI of India gender inequality is still an issue (except in the more southern areas of India). Boys are favored over girls; girls are seen as an economic burden because in order to be married the family has to provide a dowry. Instead of paying for the dowry some families sell daughters into slavery; approximately 12% of individuals were given to human traffickers by relatives (Silverman et al. 2007). More than half of the individuals caught in human trafficking are illiterate/uneducated, therefore unlikely to report their situation to anyone who could help. Low education levels and gender inequity are serious culprits holding back the improvement of this condition. Overall, historical influence, surging population, intents poverty, limited education, and high gender inequity have all exacerbated the human trafficking issue in India.

The trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution is big business. It has been and still is one of the biggest industries worldwide. These unfortunate women and girls do not lead normal lives, but rather they are bought and sold as commodities. They also usually have no control over their lives and live in conditions of extreme poverty and abuse. Trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, and other abuse is suffered by women all over the world and it is a violation of human rights. The problem is one of international proportion. United States feminists as well as many nongovernmental organizations acknowledge that this is a huge problem that needs to be tackled with greater proportions. We