Julia Muraszkiewicz's Can Apps Prevent Human Trafficking

When one hears the words “Human sex trafficking”, they probably think of girls being stolen from their homes or lured into mysterious white vans and whisked away into the black market of sex trafficking. While these methods are not uncommon in the world of trafficking, the rise of technology and popularity of social media has given way to completely new opportunities for sex traffickers and pimps to scope out and lure potential trafficking victims. In the same way, this rise in technology and social media also offers law enforcement and special agencies new and unprecedented ways to stop black market deals before they happen, locate victims, set up sting operations,

Human trafficking, or the selling and buying of people, is a well-hidden yet prominent issue within today’s society. It is both an immoral and horrific topic that needs brought to attention and dealt with. When human beings are manipulated into work, sexual servitude, or economic hardship, human trafficking is occurring. In the year of 2006, only one individual is convicted of human trafficking per 800 victims (UNGIFT). By looking at straight statistics, reasons human trafficking happens, and the toll it has on people, it is very clear that this is a major issue that is happening in our world.

In today’s day and age everything is done online. From watching a movie, to ordering your groceries, to even dating someone. But what happens when society decides to sell and transport human beings like livestock. Take a walk with me as we explore what human trafficking is,

Sex trafficking is becoming more and 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 2nd fastest growing criminal industry [Internet Safety 101]. More and more sex trafficking is coming about due to the evolution of the internet and the improved ability of gps tracking. Through internet, social media also causes many problems for ability to find people and try to be their friend, it is providing

Human Trafficking is the illegal movement of people, typically for the purpose of forced labor or commercial sexual abuse. Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics to force people into this business (Polaris, 2016). It is worldwide, ran and participated in by many, and brings in approximately $150 billion and involves 161 countries, annually (Polaris, 2016). Kids and teenagers are obsessed with phones and other electronics, but do they really know who they are talking and giving personal information to?

According to estimates, more than 700,000 people are trafficked every year for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. They are transported across borders and sold into modern-day slavery. Over the past decade, trafficking in human beings has reached epidemic proportions. No country is immune. Clawson (2009) discusses how the search for

Sex trafficking is a major problem in the world today and the only way to truly combat it is by raising awareness through the media. I say the media because it is the most effective tool to reach out to world’s largest audience. Although one person has the ability to change the world, it is not enough to change the process of sex trafficking. If everyone right now was able to view real, in depth information on sex trafficking, the problem would not go unnoticed. However, the thought would be out of people’s mind within a week because of some other news article, or video. I propose that we use the mass media to its full potential and rame through every aspect of social media and make the people uncomfortable. By doing this, I believe that it would be a more effective way to to keep the thought of sex trafficking linger in one’s brain enough for them to want to help change the problem.

Human trafficking is in every state of this nation and in every country across the world. It’s in cities, suburbs, and rural areas; being hidden in plain view; unseen by so many. In 2015, 17,500 cases of sex trafficking were reported in the United States (Chawla). This is only the cases that were reported. It is estimated that there were about 20.9 million cases across the world that never got reported in 2015 (Lize). There are more human slaves in the world today than ever before in history (Straker). The purpose of this paper is to educate the reader on human trafficking in the United States and in the World, and prove how bad it has become.

Of the 13,325 calls made to the Human Trafficking hotline, 4,546 were made by community members; that is highest amount of calls were made by a single source. By making people aware of the crime, it can help to the spread and vast reach of trafficking. Not only an increase from a decade ago, but also a difference between two years that sees an increase in reported cases and victims. 2016 alone saw 7,572 reported cases of human trafficking, 2015 saw 5,526 cases reported, and 2014 saw 5,042 reported cases. There were 4,293 more reported cases in 2016 than 2012. This data shows an increase in recent years, the data from the human trafficking hotline is as current as for December 31, 2016.(Human Trafficking hotline 1) The recent increase within recent years is putting many people at

Donna M. Hughes’s essay “The Internet and Sex Industries: Partners in Global Sexual Exploitation” claims that the Internet is responsible for the mass increase in human trafficking in the recent years. Hughes is a professor and Carlson Endowed Chair of the Women's Studies Program at the University of Rhode Island. She has also completed research on trafficking in multiple countries. Hughes uses uncredible claims of fact and value, and websites that no longer can be found when trying to convince the audience that the Internet is responsible for the mass increase in human trafficking in the recent years.

A $28 billion trade is human trafficking, not to be confused with smuggling. This can take place in many forms such as modern day slavery, sexual exploitation, or even worse, organ harvesting. Human smuggling is when persons pay just to be brought into a country and do not get forced into all the terrible things that a ‘trafficked’ person gets forced into doing. Trapped with no way out many are forced to work as migrant workers or prostitutes. This is one of the fastest growing criminal activities around the globe. (Vardi, 2010). “It is estimated that 800,000 to 900,000 victims are annually trafficked across international borders worldwide and between 14,500 and 17,500 victims are trafficked into the United States annually.” (2012).

Microsoft believes that the technologies of today’s “mobile-first, cloud-first; world can be used to help disrupt the global problem of human trafficking. Technology can not only make law enforcement more efficient, it can be used to educate those at risk and their families, and can disrupt criminal operations by increasing the risk and reducing the rewards of their activities. (Microsoft APAC News Center, 2015) They are additionally to putting resources into research and in government and industry associations to comprehend the role of science and technology in combatting human trafficking. There are several endeavors and technologies now being connected by Microsoft to combat human trafficking which incorporate: Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit

Citizens of other countries see the United States as the land of the free.While back in their own countries, they may suffer from government persecution which will increase their desire to move out of their countries. Now for human traffickers, they see this as a golden opportunity to lure their next victim into their reach. One of the many ways human trafficking is caused is by various push factors that countries of origin make for a cause for migration to other countries where those moving will be more susceptible to human trafficking. In an essay that focuses on the causes of human trafficking,written by Sophie Hofbauer, it concludes that the main cause for an increase in human trafficking from nation to nation is an increase of hostile

Human trafficking is an unraveling issue that occurs all over the world, across oceans, cities, and maybe even right in front of your own eyes. There are many cases that go unreported and the victims of human trafficking continue to be abused, treated poorly, and stripped of their basic rights as human beings. To help solve this complex issue, we must address the questions of what is the main factor that contributes to human trafficking and why data collection on victims is so doubtful and controversial? Recognizing the key elements of human trafficking and discovering the best, most accurate method to collect data on victims can help us try to defeat this immense issue. There are many elements argued about factors

Human trafficking is defined as the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labour or commerical sexual exploitation. Karla Jacinto, a 24 year old woman from Mexico, is a victim of this violence called human trafficking. She speaks of her traumatizing encounters in a CNN article called “Human Trafficking Survivor: I Was Raped 43,200 Times”. In this article, she says “...up to 30 men a day, seven days a week, for the best part of four years -- 43, 200”. This staggering number is very important to not only this article but this topic as a whole because it shows the reality of what human trafficking becomes for some people and how it changes the course of people’s lives forever. Human trafficking has become a trade so lucrative and prevalent, that it knows no borders and links towns in central Mexico, where Karla Jacinto, with cities like Atlanta and New York. Karla’s testimony was used as evidence in support for H.R. 515 or Megan’s Law that mandates U.S. authorities share information pertaining to American child sex offenders when these convicts attempt to travel abroad. In this CNN article, it says: “Her message is that human trafficking and forced prostitution still happens and is a growing problem in our world.” This quote is very important from this article because since Karla experienced human trafficking in first person, her opinion about it continuing to be a growing problem