Memo On Human Trafficking

Annotated Bibliography including five citations in APA documentation format, each with a brief summary paragraph: in your own words, write a two-three sentence summary the source’s main point and identifying key expert views or evidence which will help support specific points in your outline.

Human Trafficking in the Three Social Lenses When one thinks of those two words, human trafficking, so many questions come to mind. What really is human trafficking? Is there more than one kind of it? How did it begin?

This research is exploratory because the researchers attempt to point out social trends that play a role in becoming a human trafficking victim. It goes beyond the mere description of human trafficking its causes and effects, the information that the researcher provide might be able to prevent the crime. Or at very least, educate potential victims. This is pure research because the researchers want to expand the body of knowledge of human trafficking. There has been substantial research in regards to victims of human trafficking, this particular study lists a few previous research components.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against his/her will. (“Human Trafficking.”) Differing definitions of sex trafficking in state laws make it difficult to know if the studies on sex trafficking are including consensual, adult sex workers, who are not victims of trafficking under federal or international law in their numbers. Vulnerable Native American women and youth are targeted by traffickers more than any other ethnic group. The data collected for the “Shattered Hearts” report from 95 Native women and girls suggest that the trafficking of Native girls into prostitution is a significant, though rarely discussed as a problem. Still, the studies do suggest that sex trafficking of Native women and girls, specifically, is present in the United States. (“Shattered Hearts.”)

In this eye-opening look at the contemporary American scourge of labor abuse and outright slavery, journalist and author Bowe visits locations in Florida, Oklahoma and the U.S.-owned Pacific island of Saipan, where slavery cases have been brought to light as recently as 2006. There, he talks to affected workers, providing many moving and appalling first-hand accounts. This book deserves the attention of anyone living, working and consuming in America.

Ships coming into port are not the only mode of transportation of victims; ground and air vehicles are utilized as well. It is easy to understand that no amount of people working in law enforcement will completely stop human trafficking, but more employees could possibly rescue more victims. A way that this is currently being addressed is through the bill that President Obama signed which granted Customs and Border Protection the ability to recruit at least 2 thousand people within the next year. This is a great start and more policies like this need to be implemented in order to further increase the law enforcement presence in the U.S. Another government policy aimed towards the issue of human trafficking is the Blue Campaign. In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security implemented the Blue Campaign that combats human trafficking through public awareness, law enforcement training, victim assistance and law enforcement investigations (DHS Human Trafficking). The Blue Campaign is most commonly practiced through training at Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers across the nation. The only change to make to this policy is making sure that all federal law enforcement officers coming into any of the agencies the Blue Campaign affects are given the training.

Each year about 17,500 individuals are brought into the United States and become victims of human trafficking. Every country has this problem and it has become the 3rd largest illegal industry worldwide.

How would you feel if you were bought, sold and used around the world? Child/ human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes and violations in the world. It is estimated that thirty thousand victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. Eighty percent of those sold into slavery are under twenty four, and some are as young as six years old. There have been twenty point nine million human trafficking victims worldwide as of twenty thirteen. Females and children have a greater risk for sexual exploitation. There are several physical and mental consequences for trafficking victims.

First and foremost, the current system the Unites States has fighting human trafficking is not succeeding. According to Patrick Belser’s Forced Labor Statistics, at any given time there are 12.3 million victims of forced labor or sexual exploitation worldwide (4). If this system is not revised modern day slavery will continue to blossom nationally. Human traffickers capture victims with the intent of selling them into forced labor, sexual exploitation or a mixture of both. Although not all slaves are in bondage for the same reasons, they all live under similar conditions. When tricking victims into capture, human traffickers promise them a better life with vast opportunity (U.S. Department of State 11). This is never the case. On the contrary of the victims’ beliefs, the victims proceed to live in terrible conditions being forced to do things against their will. They are often isolated and live with very restricted access to food, clothes, medical care, and sleep. These people are dehumanized. Slaves used for labor often get ill, injured, and sometimes even die from the intense circumstances they are living. Furthermore, slaves being sexually exploited often get sexually transmitted diseases. The victims also have very slim chances of escaping due to being locked into places and being guarded by multiple people with weapons (U.S. Department of State 17). By creating more laws against human

For many years now the state of Texas has been said by many to be the land of opportunity where everyone can reach their aspirations. According to the Texas tribune, “More than 1 million undocumented immigrants live in Texas, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Because of its proximity to Mexico, Texas is second only to California in the number of undocumented immigrants who live in the state. Since the U.S. Congress in 2006 sparked national debate about illegal immigration, the state's immigration policies have become a matter of controversy in the Texas Legislature.”

One consequence of viewing ontology and identity as relative is that properties and universals hardly seem much more problematic. Although universals obviously do not exist on a fundamental level, I think both David Lewis and David Armstrong provide helpful suggestions on the scope of universals in practical discourse.

The whole foundation that AwareKC and Stop Trafficking is built off of raising public awareness over this issue. The only way to combat this problem, is to educate all ages about the gravity of this issue. The education of young people is vital to shape the future posterity of the United States. Research has proven that people who receive a greater punishment are less likely to to repeat their actions. In 2012, sex traffickers “received sentences that ranged from four to eleven years in prison, and that was all” (KCTV5). The fact of the matter is that on average, people in the trafficking business, if caught, are only sentenced roughly 7 years. Knowing these women/men sold into the business are doing these things against their will, and the puppet masters are only put in jail for a few couple years for ruining someone's life, is incredibly problematic. Another known issue seen in society today is the objectification of the female body. If female bodies were not objectified by society, exploitation of vulnerability would be harder, since the women insecurity rate would decrease. If males were taught from a young age to respect the female body, it will help decrease the amount of trafficking through the United

Human trafficking is a very secretive act most of the time and most Americans are oblivious to the extent of trafficking situations because they are not informed. To help stop human trafficking, one needs to understand what it is. For starters, traffickers begin by forcing people to go somewhere with them and then manipulating them into forced labor or sex. Anybody can be a victim of human trafficking but children and women are victimized the most. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, fifty percent of trafficking victims are children, eighty percent are female, 70% of

Although, smuggling and trafficking involve both humans, human trafficking differs from human smuggling because it is “compared to a modern day form of slavery”, involving “the exploitation of unwilling people through force” (Schmalleger, 2012, pg.605). Capturing, arresting and prosecuting human trafficking kingpins wouldn’t eliminate the problem, but rather encourage aspiring cartels to continue a “legacy”. However, fighting human trafficking is perhaps the most dangerous and difficult problem because of drugs and weapons, but nevertheless a rewarding accomplishment because “women and children compromise the largest group of victims” who are “often physically and emotionally abused” (Schmalleger, 2012, pg.607). A solution to this problem would probably be awareness, where the Federal government communicates to states, cities and communities to report suspicious activity. Therefore, proper help can be admitted to the victims by allowing new identities to be assigned; in addition, this would lower fraud and provide

Human trafficking of U.S. citizens and foreign nations persist and thrive for various reasons, one is the low risk involved. This is when the community is unaware of this issue, when the government/community institutions aren’t properly trained to respond, and the biggest reason yet is when law enforcement does not investigate and prosecute the crime, human traffickers perceive little risk or deterrence to affect their criminal operations. The next reason why human trafficking is so successful is because the high profits; when individuals are willing to buy commercial sex, they create a market and make it profitable for the traffickers to sexually exploit children and adults. (“Why”)