Human Trafficking In The United States

Human trafficking is a prominent problem within the United States that is often overlooked. The definition of human trafficking is, “Human trafficking - the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation” (“Human trafficking”). People in the United States believe that human trafficking is a problem that occurs in other less developed countries compared to the United States. What these individuals do not realize is that human trafficking occurs on American soil contrary to popular belief. The United States is one of the top three destination countries of human trafficking and human trafficking is a top criminal enterprise across the world (“WEAVE, Inc.”).

The United States has always been known for sticking their nose in places where it does not belong. America has been part of wars that could have been avoided, scandals that had nothing to do with the United States. Millions of lives over the years could have been spared if America would have just simply stayed where they belong. What if though, America feels like they have to get involved in forging affairs if they think it can cause or is causing a problem on American soil or with the Americans themselves? Human trafficking is issues that most people do not necessarily knows about or even really think about. There are several different types of human trafficking and smuggling crimes that are in today's society. The number one kind of human trafficking is sex trafficking. The handlers usually kidnap someone, ninety percent of the time, a girl under the age of eighteen, and sell them to different people all over the world for sexual reasons. The girls they kidnap and sell can be from the area or just passing through and get in the wrong place at the wrong time. Forced labor is the second most common type of human trafficking in the world. This is where a person takes advantage of a worker and changes labor laws to make them work longer hours or harder, more tiring jobs with very little pay. Victims of forced labor most of the time do not even know what is happening to them. Most of the people that get sucked into the forced labor trade are very vulnerable;

Human trafficking “is used in common parlance to describe many forms of exploitation of human beings” (“Involuntary Trafficking Statutes Enforced”). The modern problems of human trafficking have evolved from the problem of negligence and or abuse from parents. These kids are sought out by pimps and other people with ill intentions. Human trafficking, however, has evolved significantly since the early years of the African Slave Trade and has now expanded to the point where there are 20 to 30 million victims world-wide. The expansion of the network was caused by

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.

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.

There is estimated almost twenty-one million trafficked humans throughout the world. Sixty-eight percent of the trafficked humans are held captive and forced to work. In North and South America, there is more women trafficked than men, human trafficking is one the most traumatizing things in the world, people in this world are more worried about money, then being humane.

Human Trafficking is serious, you may think that it doesn't affect you, you may think that you can’t do anything about it because the world of Human Trafficking is so much bigger than we as humans can comprehend. Over 27 million people are still trapped in Human Trafficking, and those are the documented people. This is the largest number of slaves ever recorded in history. The majority of trafficking happens in cities like our own. In fact, Houston is one of the top hubs in America when it comes to Human Trafficking. Homeless children – desperate for food, shelter and comfort – are

“People were created to be loved; things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” --John Green. Human Trafficking is a big problem here in the United States and all around the world (Zhai 2). Trafficking is violent, both emotionally and physically (Hummel “Human Smuggling” 1). There are three major forms of human trafficking: forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution (Petriliggieri 1). Forced Labor is the most common type in the U.S. (Haerens 17). About 17,500 people are trafficked to and from the United States every year (Haerens 16), but there were only 3,000 known cases (Zhai 2). Some critics may say that there are organizations and government programs

Men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face involuntary servitude working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories. India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Bangladeshi women reportedly are trafficked through India for sexual exploitation in Pakistan. Although Indians migrate willingly to the Gulf for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, some later find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude, including extended working hours, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement by withholding of passports or confinement to the workplace, and physical or sexual abuse. Bangladeshi and Nepali men and women are trafficked through India for involuntary servitude in the Middle East.

The U.S. Department of State reported there’s an estimate of 20.9 million victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is many occurrences that happen unnoticed anywhere, anytime causing undescribed and inhuman events to the victims. Victims of human trafficking are unable to escape from the life of being raped, beaten, and violated constantly; however, with the support of the government and people around the world, we can help stop it.

The International Labor Organization estimated that there were 4.5 million victims trapped in forced sexual exploitation, or sex trafficking, globally. Most would believe that this is a problem that does not occur in the United States, but they would be wrong. In 2007 alone, 14,588 sex trafficking cases were reported in the United States and the problem is only getting worse. This research paper will discuss multiple topics such as the definition of sex trafficking, recruitment and those at risk, where it occurs, organizations, consequences, a healthcare provider’s role and a study on the attitudes of the public. The objective is to bring light to this problem and educate those who are reading (Polaris Project, 2016).

Every day these men, women, and children are affected and forced to do actions that they do not want to do. Because of the way human trafficking looks to the naked eye, it is very hard to depict what is good and what is putting people in agony every day. It's hard to understand that the people holding their victims captive will do anything to keep them or sell them, these people cannot get away easily. There has been stories of people getting out and being brought back in and of the criminals doing anything to get them back because they think they have formed a special bond. When these people are trafficked they have no choice but to do what they are told or else there is consequences depending on the type of work they are forced into. “In what seems like a coordinated attack, assailants also stormed a government shelter in an attempt to kidnap other trafficking survivors. Our safe house is home to women and girls who have endured harrowing abuse and who are fighting legal battles against traffickers” (How), is an account from when a safe house was berated in an attempt to get the girls back. Legal officials find it hard to keep the girls safe from harm because of the lengths these people are willing to go to, to get these victims back. But if these people do get out there isn’t the best situation on the other side. “ Victims of human trafficking often find themselves

Human Trafficking is the illegal act of manipulating humans to engage into sexual acts for money against their will (NHTRC). Human Trafficking has been a extensive conflict throughout our societies among countries. This topic is very crucial because Human Trafficking is considered the modern form of slavery. Due to the global rate of Human Trafficking increasing over the past few years, the United States government is alarmed. The government fears crimes, displacement, and retaliation within families. Human Trafficking has progressed over the past hundreds of years beginning initially with slavery in the 1400s-1600s, to currently rape and smuggling humans from foreign countries. Human Trafficking has become oppressive due to the government’s lack of laws, regulations, and immigration policies, which need enhancements with more specifics to provide further prevention.

Human trafficking is a serious global issue that needs the awareness and attention of the world. The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes identifies human trafficking as “an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion, or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them” (UNODC). According to the book Trafficking in People by the policy analysts Clare Ribando Seelke and Alison Siskin, this exploitation can include forced prostitution, ”forced labor and services, slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs” (Ribando Seelke and Siskin 4). Human Trafficking is a violation against fundamental human rights. But even 63 years after the United Nations Universal Declaration

Human trafficking is, and has always been, present in every nation on earth either as openly accepted slavery in the past, covert slavery in the present, or as a state being an intermediate travel point or destination for victims, an operating center for perpetrators, or a combination of all forms. However, nations that experience instability, civil war, weak legal structure, and extreme poverty are most vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers. (Makisaka, p. 11)