Pros And Cons Of Sex Trafficking

What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is a modern-day slavery, which involves the use of force, fraud, or obtaining some type of labor sex act. Every year, thousands of women, men, and children in countries all over the world are trafficked. Human trafficking is a hidden crime where victims hardly come forward for help because of the language they speak, fear of the traffickers and the fear of law enforcement. More border regulation should be in place to reduce human trafficking in the United States because the percent of victims are increasing every year, it is the third largest international crime industry, and the impact it has on the environment.

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.

Human trafficking is one of the many faces of organized crime. Human trafficking is a broad term which contains trafficking for the purpose of sex along with the exploitation of labor. Currently, there are 20.9 million victims of sex slavery (Stacy.j.cecchet 2014 482) whom have or are suffering suffer inhumane circumstances and consequences. Sex trafficking is one of the largest criminal activities in the world (Stacy 249). Vulnerable women and children are taken advantage of and thrown into sex slavery, yet there is no explanation available as to how women and children are taken and thrown into the industry within countries such as Canada and the United States of America (482 Stacy j Cecchet 2014), which have human rights protection. Sex slavery leaves everlasting mental and physical effects on the abused women and children being trafficked. Even though sex trafficking is a crime it is also, for a lack of better words, an industry which would cease to exist if it was not for the supply and demand for women and children.

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.”).

human trafficking is one of the fastest illegal trade in the world especially in countries such as China. Human trafficking is more of a modernized type of slavery that involves fraud, force, or having the trafficker persuade their victims to do something by using force or threats. Many victims of human trafficking victims fall prey to this type of crime by being sold by family, abducted, tricked, or lured in by false jobs advertisement, and many more. Human trafficking is a booming illegal business where the criminals can exploit women and child for services that involve labor or sex which can also be accessed on the internet. When these victims become involved in human trafficking, they become high risk to abuse, drug use, and sexually transmitted diseases. A lot of these sex trafficking victims are forced to work in places such via online ads or escort services, fake massage parlors, residential brothels, on the streets, hotels and motels, and sweatshops.

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

Ronald Weitzer states that human sex trafficking is defined as “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for a commercial sex act.”

Over the last several years, the issue of human trafficking has been compared with the slave trade. This is because both are focused on taking someone against their will and forcing them to engage in demeaning activities. Yet, the practices of modern traffickers are different from slave traders. To fully understand the similarities and disparities requires contrasting them with one another. The combination of these factors will provide specific insights about the two. (Bales, 2010)

There have been enormous questions on the effects that globalization has had on sex trafficking. Some have argued that globalization is characterized with the global efforts, funding and regional legislation that undermine the spread of the sex trading. However, the increased liberalization and other factors such as the presence of the internet have heavily favored sex trade globally and especially in the United States of America (U.S.A). The United States has been a destination for the many immigrants from third world countries and others that have been encroached with wars and terrorist activities.  According to the National Human Trafficking (2017), 4460 cases of the trafficking were recorded in the U.S.A of which 3186 cases reported were linked to sex trafficking. In 2016, the reported human trafficking cases tremendously increased in 7621, and the sex trafficking cases reported also increased to 5593. The reported sex trafficking cases were 4183, 3593, 3380, 2382 in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively (National Human Trafficking, 2017, 1). From the cases recorded by the National Human Trafficking Hotline, it is evident that globalization has created a favorable environment for the sex and the human trafficking. The economic, political and legal environment created by the globalization favors the spread of sex trade in the United States of America.

Human sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing and most insidious man made epidemics, coming only after the criminal industry of black market drug-trade. Perpetrators of human trafficking prey upon and agonize our most vulnerable members of society. These unprotected people are our men, women, children, who experiencing an institutional lack of resources. These individuals

Many people are surprised to hear that human trafficking is not just a problem outside of America’s borders and that it is becoming more of an American problem as time goes on. With only trading illegal drugs in front of it, human trafficking has become the world’s second largest criminal industry. The numbers are only estimations because most human trafficking is done secretly

These structures are lasting patterns of behavior and social organizations that uphold, inform, stipulate, and restrict other behaviors. Sex trafficking has its own subculture that has its own rules of behaviors making it easier to function while consecutively going undetected with law enforcement. Operations online and decentralization makes sex trafficking difficult to track. Human trafficking produces $32 billion in profits each year. Traffickers stop at nothing to find victims due to the high demand. Each year, approximately 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States (Freedom House, 2013). The “pimp,” “perpetrator,” or “john,” names that some of the traffickers go by, lie to potential victims to retain loyalty or maintain control over them. Pimps provide an illusion of a better life, immigration benefits, employment, and make victims believe they are in a relationship with their traffickers to convince victims to work or do what they say. Victims are forced to live in inhumane conditions, isolated from family and friends, confined in a house or hotel, and often gang raped to create submission. Victims fear deportation and arrest, and threats are made shaming them for what they have done or threatening to hurt their family. Traffickers drive victims to different locations, cities, and other trafficking networks to continue soliciting (Polaris Project, 2013).

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”)

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.

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