Sex Trafficking In The United States

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).

“43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98% are women and girls” (UNGIFT). Women and girls are ensnared in sex trafficking in a variety of ways. Some are lured in with offers of real and legal work in restaurants, massage parlors, or anything else. Others are promised marriage, education and a better life. Still others are sold into trafficking by boyfriends, friends, neighbors or even parents (SOROPTMIST). Many of the girls and women are also forced into pornography. With all of the types of sexual exploitation comes abuse. Sexual, physical, and emotional are all types of abuse put onto females in human trafficking. Many people traffic others in hopes of getting money, work done, or just pure pleasure.

Sex Trafficking has been a key component in “ degradation of human and women's rights” because they believe that these people are only good for sex (Deshpande Para 1). Often victims who come back, if they ever can, have a hard time adjusting back to normal life. These girls have trust issues towards men, and sometimes even women. They also could have numerous health problems ranging from STD’s to unplanned pregnancy or even worse “ broken bones, concussions, bruises and burns” can all be found on these victims of sexual assault. These girls could also have mental issues, such as anxiety toward older men and women, fear of going outside ever again and social issues. The saddest thing about this is not only are these victims going through a horrible amount of sexual abuse, they also have been ripped away from what they know and may love. Some people believe that women and some men are just objects and they are the ones that are often pimps in the sex trafficking, but this is a completely skewed way of thinking of people.

Human trafficking has received increasing global attention over the past decade. Trafficking of women and girls for forced sex work and, to a lesser extent, domestic servitude, were the sole focus of advocacy and assistance. There is recognition in today’s society that women, children, and men are trafficked into many different forms of labour, and for sexual exploitation. In her article, “Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Women”, Cathy Zimmerman and Heidi Stockl focus on the commonality of human trafficking and how evident it is in everyday life. They bring in the health effects and possible solutions to human trafficking to help validate their opinion and argument. In the solutions they offer, Zimmerman and Stockl shine a light on policy-makers/decision-makers, health-care providers, and researchers/funders and what each of these groups of people can do to help combat the issue of human trafficking. In a quote from their article, Stockl and Zimmerman say: “Health care providers and organizations involved with trafficked persons should increase their capacity to identify and refer people in trafficking situations and provide sensitive and safe services to people post-trafficking”. This quote shows how Zimmerman and Stockl believe human trafficking should be combated by caring and talking to those affected by the issue but how they also believe awareness should be made about human trafficking so as to allow people surrounding the issue to identify and help victims of this issue. Zimmerman and Stockl’s view on the ways human trafficking should be combatted relate to those of Soroptimist due to the fact that the two groups of people are focused mainly on helping women and girls who have been trafficked and trying to get them to a better life after getting out of the trafficking situation. Both groups focus on helping men as well, providing options to help them such as raising money and awareness, and getting educated on being able to identify victims of human trafficking.

The problem with sex trafficking is that it is not only illegal, but the lasting effects it has on the victim are detrimental. Sex trafficking has been shown to increase the chance of sexually transmitted infections, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, unsafe abortions, malnutrition, and sexual violence (Konstantopoulos et al., 2013). There is an estimated 4.5 million people that become victims of sex trafficking; 98% of those are women and young girls (Konstantopoulos et al., 2013).

Sex trafficking is a problem that is happening and occurring all over the world. Many families and individuals suffer due to sex trafficking. Many people are not even aware of what it really is. Sex trafficking is when young girls, as young as five or six, get kidnapped and are used for the sexual pleasure of others with a profit, or are sold as sex slaves to other people. The official definition is, “Human sex trafficking is a form of slavery and involuntary servitude resulting in grave human rights violations. Sex trafficking involves individuals profiting from the sexual exploitation of others and has severe physical and psychological consequences for its victims.” (The

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.

When most people think of human trafficking they think of third world countries where little girls are sold for next to nothing, and when people think about trafficking in America they usually think of Asian and Eastern European women being brought into the states. The truth is that it is actually 10 times more likely for an American girl to be trafficked inside the U.S., and according to The U.S. Department of State statistics almost 300,000 American children are and risk for trafficking into the sex industry. It’s scary to think that your child could be kidnapped or coerced, and ultimately pulled into this trade so close to home. We as American take pride in our country and like to believe we are safe, but these dangers lurk so close to home.

The people that are taken are victimized in ways that are unimaginable. “ A trafficking victims experience includes severe exploitation, such as abduction, rape, sexual enslavement, forced prostitution, beatings, and starvation” (Squillante 224). This happens to the majority of women that are in the human trafficking trade, as none are taken care of properly and treated worse than if they were animals. Sex trafficking creates “a special evil” which exploit innocent and vulnerable victims predominantly consisting of women (Squillante 224). Women that are depressed

“Owners” of Women in human trafficking are beyond brutal. Survivors say they will beat you till you admit something even when you know nothing of the incident. They do not tell the traffickers where they are. If they know where they are they may be able to get help. Traffickers have no rights. 90% of the time they have no cell phone, no contact to family, and are under monderting at all times. They are beaten for not working hard enough. These victims experience abuse that no one should ever have to experience. It is an unimaginable situation that is a reality to too many women. According to the FBI services here is what Human Trafficking means “People are being bought, sold, and smuggled like modern-day slaves, often beaten, starved, and forced to work as prostitutes or to take jobs as migrant domestic, restaurant, or factory worker with little or no pay.” This is a hard situation to think about living in but yet women are forced to.

Human Smuggling is defined as the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a persons across an international border, in violation of one or more country’s laws, either clandestinely smuggling refers to illegal immigration in which an agent is involved for payment to help a person cross a boarder clandestinely and using them for prostitution. Unfortually, this is the negative side of human smuggling. Human smuggling is secured to obtain financial debt or other benefits to the smuggler. When in the country that they’ve paid to enter into, they are not in contact with the handler anymore. Furthermore, there are other benefits to human smuggling being positive like reuniting families together and or putting victims in protected custody. Frank Schmalleger quoted: that The State Department notes that the vast majority of people who are assisted in illegally entering the United States annually

Many Americans remain ignorant of human trafficking within the United States, believing that this inhumane act only occurs in third-world countries. No one likes to believe that it can be happening in our own country let alone in some of our own states and cities. Society rarely takes the time to understand these women and what lead them into trafficking and what factors contributed to them staying in trafficking. This study seeks to voice the ability to raise awareness, enhance penalties for the traffickers/violator’s, and offer rehabilitation for the victims.

Illegal trafficking is one of the biggest things going on now all around the world including the United States, the only part that prostitution is legalized are some parts in Nevada. Today, sex trafficking is a high-tech, and customers are engaged at all levels, they do the same things to control prostituted women. They do physical violence, social isolation, verbal abuse, and sexual assault.There are other ways that women can get controlled in order for them to get what they want from them. Practicing prostitution is a crime involving to exchange of money for sex pleasure. There are different cost of money for what the clients wants done on that particular woman. The solicitation cost can get bigger by practicing of prostitution to a minor,

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

The trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution is big business. It has been and still is one of the biggest industries worldwide. These unfortunate women and girls do not lead normal lives, but rather they are bought and sold as commodities. They also usually have no control over their lives and live in conditions of extreme poverty and abuse. Trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, and other abuse is suffered by women all over the world and it is a violation of human rights. The problem is one of international proportion. United States feminists as well as many nongovernmental organizations acknowledge that this is a huge problem that needs to be tackled with greater proportions. We