Sex and Human Trafficking

"An ounce of cocaine wholesale: $1,200. But you can only sell it once. A woman or child: $50 to $1,000. But you can sell them each day, every day, over and over again. The markup is immeasurable." This quote from the 2005 Lifetime film "Human Trafficking", however chilling and horrifying, is true. Human trafficking is the commercial trade of human beings who are subjected to involuntary acts such as begging, sexual exploitation, or involuntary servitude. Human trafficking is an umbrella term used to describe all forms of modern-day slavery. No longer is this a term from the past, but a horrific reality in our present and, unfortunately, our future. Every 10 minutes, a woman or child is forced into labor (McGill 12). Even though we live in

Human trafficking has been identified as a profitable illicit business. Sexual exploiters have profited off the sexual exploitation of women and minors, while businesses have profited from nonconsensual labor from minors who cannot express their own interest. (Marcus, et.al, 2002, p.47). The regional director of “Not for Sale” makes a valid point about profitable gains of human trafficking. “You can sell a bag of drugs once, but you can sell a person multiple times,” (Marcus, et.al, 2002, p.47). That quote is basically the mindset of traffickers who look forward to making a profit and decide partake in this illicit business. In regards to sexual exploiters and minors, there are only a handful of

Human trafficking affects our children and our schools more than most realize. It is estimated that more than 200,000 American children are trafficked each year in America. Victims of trafficking often come from vulnerable populations, including migrants, oppressed or marginalized groups, runaways or displaced persons, and the poor (Talati). The children most likely to be targeted by traffickers are those not living with their parents, who are vulnerable to coerced labor exploitation, domestic servitude, or prostitution. Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Studies have shown that it is not just high school children at risk, demonstrating that pimps prey on victims as young as 12 years old. Victims

You might be asking what are the psychological effects that a person might go trough during this. Whether before, during or after something like this may happen. If you look at a person before something happens to them they are more than likely happy and enjoying life with

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).

Images of foreign lands usually conjure up when the thoughts of human sex trafficking come to one 's mind. The United States of America is not immune to this type of horrific behavior. America is the land of the free and yet something as awful as human sex trafficking occurs in our very own backyard each and everyday. According to the Department of Homeland Security the definition of human trafficking is “modern day slavery that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act” (“What Is Human Trafficking?”). In this research paper the reader will experience the savagery that comes with human sex trafficking and how it has expanded in the United States over recent years. Within this research

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about Human Trafficking. What it is, where it is and who gets affected.

Most of the children involved with prostitution are girls, despite an increase in the number of young boys in the trade. Over 100,000 children have been forced into prostitution or pornography every year, as part of the $9.8 billion U.S. sex trafficking industry. “Child sex trafficking has been a severe problem. According to the Department of Justice, forty percent of all human trafficking cases opened for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010 were for the sexual trafficking of a child. Victims on average are between the

The Swedish government has acknowledged the problems of human trafficking and how prostitution plays a large role. So by continuing this acknowledging of the buyers, many national campaigns have also been created to combat prostitution and human trafficking. In 2002, a campaign was launched at the Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm. At these events, Racing fans often “celebrate their winnings at a brothel or by paying for sex acts with women in street prostitution. At Solvalla, pimps commonly hustle buyers at the racetracks or give them a ride to sex clubs after the races end” (Raymond 12). After the first race, Swedish Minister for Gender Equality Margareta Winberg spoke to the crowd about the impact prostitution has on women and the problems

Child prostitution is a problem not only globally but, specifically, here in the U.S. Each year, 1.2 million children worldwide are trafficked for sexual intentions. In the U.S., it is estimated that 300,000- 400,000 children are exploited through prostitution annually (Fong &

Sex trafficking happens when someone uses his force or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or kids. Could be for prostitution, pornography in exchange for money, drugs. In general, the very nature of slavery implies that the slave is in fact available for sex, and the usual social conventions as well as the legal protections that would otherwise restrict the actions of the owner are no longer effective. Thus, extramarital sexuality between a married man and a slave was not considered adultery in most societies accepting slavery. A UN report gives an annual estimate of one million women or girls involved in force in trade and / or sexual slavery.

The U.S. Department of State defines sex trafficking as “when an adult is coerced, forced, or deceived into prostitution- or maintained in prostitution through one of these means (recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, obtaining a person or for debt bondage) after initially consenting.” Adults are not the only victims of sex trafficking. Children under eighteen are victims as well and are “induced to perform a commercial sex act.” The U.S. Department of State makes a point to say that the rules that apply to the forcible nature of sex trafficking for adults are not applied to children. It is a universal law that child sex trafficking is prohibited as it has too many consequences for children, especially as they age into adulthood.

Although human trafficking is the fastest growing process by which a person is enslaved, it is also the fastest growing international crime and one of the largest growing incomes for organised crime. It is estimated that at least 12.3 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide. Of these 2.4 million are as a result of human trafficking. Consequently it 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.(STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014) Six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year. Approximately eighty percent are women and children and up to half of them are minors. Predominantly the vast majority of trafficked people come from the poorest countries and the poorest strata of the national people. Human trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income, being surpassed by drugs trafficking. Some trafficking groups have been reported to be switching their cargo from drugs to human beings, in a search of high profits at a lower risk. (STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014)

Horrifying, simply horrifying. The reading was difficult. I must say I was not surprised by it though. The situations mentioned in the text are all too familiar to me. I used to volunteer at children’s homes, as well as homeless shelters. I heard all the stories of human trafficking and prostitution in children. I meet the girls and I got to know the victims. My heart broke for them. I remember one little girl by the name of Andy that started prostitution at the age of 12 and then was almost killed. It is a sick thing. Reading this makes me mad, but anger without action is of no use. I do not believe that everyone is called to be a cop and try to confront it personally like many of the cops did in the text. I think that everyone is called to

Prostitution, “Providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration” (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been seen since the beginning of human society. The first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, one of the first known civilizations (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). Also, prostitution is often referred to as “the world’s oldest profession.” Today, even though prostitution is illegal in most parts of the world, prostitution is still prevalent worldwide with many forms of prostitution and ways to exchange sexual services for payment. Street walkers are prostitutes who sell their services on the street, usually with the customer typically driving up to the prostitute. According to Roger R. Hock, professor of human sexuality and author of the textbook Human Sexuality, street walkers face the highest risk for arrest, violence and contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) (Hock 558). Escorts can also be prostitutes; they are contacted in private by clients and are usually at less risk of violence. Another type of prostitute is brothel workers; brothel workers work in “a house of prostitution,” a brothel and are normally in areas with legal prostitution (Hock 560). These three types of prostitutes are the most common form of prostitution and can be seen worldwide. Similar to prostitution,