Essay about Human Trafficking in Houston

Sex trafficking, particularly that of children, has become a growing concern in the United States over the past several decades (Kotrla, 2010). By definition, child sex trafficking is “when a child (under 18 years of age) is induced to perform a commercial sex act” (U.S., 2013, para. 4), and includes forms such as prostitution and pornography (Kotrla, 2010). Researchers suggest that children are the most vulnerable to becoming victims of prostitution (Kotrla), and it is estimated that there are at least 100,000 victims in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001). Sex traffickers, otherwise known as “pimps,” often lure children with promises of food, clothing, love, and shelter, and then the pimps manipulate the children to keep them in prostitution (U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ], 2015). Awareness of the issue has led to the development of organizations, such as Children of the Night, that seek to help victims escape the sex trafficking industry (Children of the Night [COTN], 2016d).

A primary location for human trafficking is at truck stops. According to Lieutenant Kimberlin, there are 25 or more truck stops that can hold 20 trucks overnight in Oklahoma. There is a considerable presence at these truck stops. “But it is difficult to detect since the drivers generally assist in hiding the girls.” (Kimberlin2) Love’s Travel Stop, a well-known chain of truck stops, is also working toward the cause to stop human trafficking. Love’s is planning to sponsor a group called Truckers Against Trafficking later in 2014. Love’s plans to teach workers of their truck stops about trafficking through a training video. This video will show common signs of human trafficking. The purpose of Truckers Against Trafficking is to help the trucking industry recognize that human traffickers are taking advantage of the trucking industry with their trafficking efforts.

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).

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use fraud or coercion to profit from forcing victims in commercial sex acts or labor services ("Human Trafficking".) It is a market-driven criminal industry that is based on the principles of supply and demand, like drugs or arms trafficking. Many components make children and adults susceptible to human trafficking. Traffickers target vulnerable people for a variety of reasons, including psychological or emotional issues, economic hardship, lack of safety, or political instability. Unfortunately, victims rarely seek help due to language barriers, fear of the traffickers and law enforcement, or fear of potential consequences. Knowing how to identify signs of human trafficking is the first step in pinpointing victims. Additionally, we can assist victims by modifying criminal policy, receiving more state funds, participating in organizations, and raising awareness.

Globally, about 20 to 30 million people are involved in the human trafficking system, and of those, 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked in the United States every year. Human trafficking is more prevalent today then ever before. It is the third largest crime internationally. People are abused and taken advantage of. According to the article, “11 Facts About Human Trafficking,” on average, a person is forced into the system around age 9, and the majority of victims are women and girls, with a small percentage of men and boys. In addition, the human trafficking system is a $32 billion dollar industry. Human trafficking can be defined as the selling and trade of human beings, ranging anywhere from children to adults, for the purpose of

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.

Human trafficking brings in billions of dollars into the U.S and all around the world. “The prime motive for such outrageous abuse is simple: money. In this $12 billion global business just one woman trafficked into the industrialized world can net her captors an average $67,000 a year” (Baird 2007). The laws around human trafficking are not strict and vary depending on what country it is happening in. Human trafficking is not something that is strictly foreign, it is happening right in front of our faces, in our neighborhoods, and all around us.

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.

“Others have been forced to perform sexual acts in exchange for drugs or money by parents or relatives, a practice dubbed ‘familial prostitution"(Kotria). Some of the most common trafficking recruitment sites are restaurants, traveling sales companies, online jobs, malls, bus stations, and general public places where lost youth are most likely to be found(“Statistics”). Human traffickers take advantage of the lost youth’s troubled circumstances. We need to be helping them, not letting them get cornered into a lifetime of unwilling servitude. The populace of America needs to be made aware of this growing issue that’s victimizing thousands each year, so that we can begin to fight it effectively.

Human trafficking has become an issue in the Bay Area with many individuals unaware of it and how it occurs. To illustrate, there were two recent cases of a 13 year old girl and a 17 year old girl in San Jose who were victims of human trafficking. To illustrate, the 13 year old girl was drugged and sexually assaulted by a variety of individuals while the 17 year old girl met a couple online and reported them to the police because of horrifying messages of what they were going to do to her. In order to prevent incidents like these, San Jose law enforcement patrols the locations of where human trafficking is more common in such as Monterey Highway in San Jose. In addition, detectives have even gone undercover to catch human traffickers by going

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”)

According to the Bureau of Justice, human trafficking is becoming the nations second largest problem, following the war on drugs (“Anti Human Trafficking Initiative” 1.) Statistics on human trafficking in the United States are very scarce and there have not been many studies conducted on the issue. Of the studies done, many of the studies focus only on minors. 100,000-300,000 children are prostituted each year in the United States. In the Ohio, 1,078 people will be trafficked into the sex trade each year. Between January 2003 and June 2006, 15 human trafficking cases were identified in the Columbus and Toledo area. Human trafficking is not something that only takes place in foreign areas, which is why the Polaris project is working to fight human trafficking not only in foreign areas but also in the United States.

many academics, public officials, law enforcement authorities, and the news media believe human trafficking to be among the most tragic and horrendous transnational criminal activities facing us today. Victims are typically transported from