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The 2005 Lifetime Film 'Human Trafficking'

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"An ounce of cocaine wholesale: $1,200. But you can only sell it once. A woman or child: $50 to $1,000. But you can sell them each day, every day, over and over again. The markup is immeasurable." This quote from the 2005 Lifetime film "Human Trafficking", however chilling and horrifying, is true. Human trafficking is the commercial trade of human beings who are subjected to involuntary acts such as begging, sexual exploitation, or involuntary servitude. Human trafficking is an umbrella term used to describe all forms of modern-day slavery. No longer is this a term from the past, but a horrific reality in our present and, unfortunately, our future. Every 10 minutes, a woman or child is forced into labor (McGill 12). Even though we live in …show more content…

They are sold by pimps for sex, and the sexual exploiters (or johns) are often given wide latitude in how they treat the victims. Some pimps even allow johns to murder the women and girls for an additional temporary sexual rush. The Lifetime movie, "Human Trafficking", give many disturbing but accurate examples as to how people are lured into forced labor. Throughout the film, there are stories of five girls forced into prostitution. First is Helena from Czechoslovakia. Helena is brought to Vienna by a handsome stranger who says he wants to marry her, and then sells her to traffickers. Second is Nadia from the Ukraine. A modeling agency recruits her and brings her to the U.S. where they turn against her and force her into prostitution. Third is Annie from the U.S. While vacationing in the Philippines with her parents, Annie is lured away from her parents and kidnapped. Finally is Jasmine from the Philippines. She is a member of a very poor family and sold to a trafficker by her father. Although these examples are derived from a film, they are excellent examples as to the many ways young women are coerced into forced labor. Recruiting victims is effective when the potential victim's family members are involved (Bales 44). The traffickers convince the girls to stay and keep their mouths shut by threatening to do serious harm to the victim's loved ones. The traffickers know where the victim's family lives and

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