Persuasive Speech On The Role Of Sex Trafficking In Houston

Human trafficking is a public health problem within the United States and Internationally. The victims subjected to the lifestyle of human trafficking can have sexually transmitted disease, HIV virus, and AIDS. It is an estimated 30,000 victims of human sex trafficking dying each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. According, to U.S. government an estimates, of 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, and up to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year (Hodge, 2008). “According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over the past 30 years, over 30 million children have been sexually exploited through human trafficking” (Random Facts, 2015, para. 24).

I want to have 4 children one day. Two girls and two boys. My children could be vulnerable to sex trafficking if I don’t teach them the dangers of what a conniving, charming, and manipulative person could do by turning them no longer into a friend but a product that is bought and sold for sex. According to Equality Now about 18,000 people in the US and 20.9 million people worldwide adults and children are bought and sold due to sex trafficking. That means one out of forty-three people will be bought and sold into sex trafficking in the US alone and I do not want that one to be any of you. Slavery in any form makes me sick to think about. Sex trafficking is one that upsets me the most. The buying and selling of humans for a sexual and torturous purpose should without a doubt looked upon in a stricter light. Together we need to shed light on this dark topic and know the warning signs of a pimp and of a victim so we can stop something that to the subject seems impossible to stop.

Sex trafficking is becoming more of a problem as time moves on. Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion [Internet Safety 101]. Sex trafficking is increasing due to the evolution of modern day social services and sources. From safety sources, it is the second fastest growing criminal industry, [Internet Safety 101]. Increasingly, sex trafficking is coming about due to the evolution of the internet and the improved ability of GPS tracking. On social media, many people find other people and try to be their friend, even if they don't know who they are. This provides opportunities for fake people to create more of a problem. The internet is providing different advertising places that can increase the effect of sex trafficking and lure in citizens to becoming victims. Sex trafficking has to come to an end for the safety of citizens, for the safety of their pride and dignity.

"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

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,

Imagine being trapped in a box and having things and people thrown at you. You cannot get out and you have no control of who or what comes in. That is the life of a young girl who is trapped in sex slavery. On average over 100 adolescent girls are being used in sex trafficking every night in Atlanta, and most of those girls are with at least three men. Sex trafficking mostly consist of people taking control of the lives of young girls. They take their bodies to make money: in fact, this industry makes over thirty billion dollars per year. They destroy their emotions by trapping them from their freedoms. Those that are taken into the system are often innocent girls who are walking in Atlanta which should be a save city. Girls are threatened or beaten if they try to escape and forced to do things no one wants to do. Many girls who do get out end up getting back into the system because they feel that they cannot do anything else to support themselves, or because they aren’t looked after and they get taken back in. Sex trafficking in Atlanta has become a huge issue and more action should be made to stop it and help those who are trapped in it.

Human sex trafficking and its sister category, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking also referred to as DMST, (Kotrla,K. 2010) is the most common form of modern day slavery. In the United States there are an estimated 293,000 youth who fall under high risk factor or DMST (Walker-Rodriguez, A. & Hill, R. 2011). Many men prey on the at risk youth to make a fortune for themselves. DMST exposes the youth to a life filled with violence, abuse that is both mental and physical as well as a isolation. The Victims of the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 defines sex trafficking, “in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion or in which the person induced to

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.

Every day innocent girls are manipulated into the human trafficking industry. Human trafficking is the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Typically, human trafficking involves bringing girls living outside of America, into the United States, telling them there is a better life for them. However, this could be further from the truth. In the United States, the top two states with the highest rates of human trafficking are California and Texas. One of the top cities for human trafficking in Texas is Dallas. Even though human trafficking may not be in the public eye as much as it has been in the past, it is still a prevalent issue within the city of Dallas.

In a letter from 2010, Mayor Annise Parker acknowledged the growing problem and said, “Houston is a hub for Human Trafficking where approximately twenty percent of all human trafficking victims will pass through our city at some point of their enslavement.” The Mayor’s Office recently reiterated the importance of fighting human trafficking and in a

To fully understand the controversies regarding making human trafficking laws tougher in Texas, it is essential to analyze the various views regarding the issue and its history to be able to see how the problem arose. Such views include discussions of laws like Tex. Penal Code §20A.02, where it “Establishes trafficking as a second-degree felony with a sentence of two to 20 years imprisonment. If the persons trafficked or transported are under the age of 14, or if the commission of the offense results in death, the offense is a first-degree felony with a sentence of five to 99 years imprisonment” (“Human Trafficking Laws”). Specifically, these views are centered around three main beliefs. Some professionals advocate for tougher laws, while others want to see more comprehensive laws. Others believe that our attentions are misplaced, and instead, the emphasis should be on helping the victims recover from their traumas.

One of my all time favorite musicals as I was growing up was alway Annie, about a sweet little orphan who through determination and a little positivity found a better life. But has happened to orphans nowadays, you don’t exactly drive by your neighborhood orphanage on your way to work. It seems that these children have disappeared, virtually falling off the face of the earth. Today they are called foster kids with families like my own housing them. The early foster system was established in the 1500s in order to care for children who were removed from their parents. Foster care was intended to be a short-term solution until the child is either adopted or reunited with their family. However, the average child will spend over two years waiting to be adopted. But the flaws in this system run much deeper, from mental disorders all the way to human trafficking. Human trafficking through the foster system is a dire problem that can not be neglected. We will examine this today by looking at three points; recognizing what the problem, understanding the pressure that they are under, and finally how you and i can help provide the promise of a new life

Imagine for a moment you are a normal man or woman. You have lots of friends, a spouse who you love, maybe children and pets too. You have a new co-worker at your job. This person has invited you to come to a party in the less safe part of town, but you accept anyways because you want to become friends with this person. The next thing you remember is waking up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people, they tell you you are to do everything they say or your family and friends will die. You will now be forced to perform sex acts, or forced to work for little to no money, and you won't be allowed to see your family ever again, with no way out unless someone from one of many organizations rescues you. People who are trafficked are used in many ways and for many reasons. Human trafficking victims can go to one of the many organizations for help.

Slavery is a modern, pervasive problem. Human trafficking has been found in every state in America (humantrafficking.org). It seems that most Americans likely live within a comfortable drive of someone who is being exploited through human trafficking. There is a growing trend in human trafficking toward sexual exploitation (Bennetts, 2011). The Information Age has helped to create new opportunities for sex trafficking to flourish.

Human Trafficking has become the modern day slavery; endangering millions if innocent humans. What is human trafficking? Well human trafficking or sex trafficking is when someone is illegally moving people from one country to another; it’s typically known for forced labor or forced sexual exploitation. Many victims are tricked into thinking that they are getting a better job offer, better living environment or even tricked into thinking they will be moved safely to a better country. This illegal industry is making a fortune, over $32 billion yearly, and is spreading all over the world. Now many people aren’t aware of the major threat and that is because people aren’t aware of what’s going on. For example, many of the students in my English class were unaware of what human trafficking was. During the class we had the opportunity to read Sold written by Patricia McCormick, and it opened up all of our eyes. It gave us the perspective of what the slaves had to deal with. With the book and the recent movies, like Taken, have opened up the eyes of society and see how dangerous and common human trafficking is.