Introduction
Human trafficking is an issue many people are not familiar with or choose to ignore; however sex trafficking and labor trafficking occurs on global and local levels. In order for us to have clear understanding of how human trafficking effects our communities, we must first abolish the myths. Such myth include: Trafficking only occurs in countries other than the United States; victims are from rural or improvised areas; sex trafficking is the only form of human trafficking; or individuals who are trafficked are forced or coerced. (The Department of Homeland Security). Although the term human trafficking is relatively new, the underlining issue of slavery is not a new concept. “Human trafficking is modern day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” On some level we all are connected to this industry. This may involve purchasing goods such as clothing apparel, electronics, or chocolate manufactured by laborers working in the most inhumane conditions. It can also include children and women being exploited in the sex trade industry. The Department of Homeland Security reports “human trafficking generates billions of dollars per year, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime.”( The Department of Homeland Security). Historically, social work has addressed human trafficking in different capacities. Florence Kelly, Executive Secretary of the National
Human trafficking was once called slavery. “Slavery began in Ancient Greece when they captured prisoners of war. They traded these slaves with other people to be used as laborers, including domestic work to build the pyramids. Slavery continued to grow all throughout Asian civilizations and into the birth of America.” (Gale) The slave trading began when the Europeans began establishing colonies with the Americans. Experts say that three hundred thousand slaves were sold to plantation owners in the 1400s and the 1500s. American colonies traded molasses and weapons for these slaves. Our textbooks tell us that slavery existed but it doesn’t always go into depth of what really happens. Everybody knows that slavery is bad. The word slavery itself, seems very unnatural and provokes mixed feelings depending on a person’s heart. Nobody really
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 defined as a recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, of receipt of persons, by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation (Human Trafficking Information). Today human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, has been one of the controversial issues in the United States and nationwide. In fact, it is now considered as the fastest growing multi-billion-dollar business form of organized crime. Also, Human trafficking is affecting the lives of millions around the globe and robbing the victims of their pride. As a matter of fact, Traffickers deceive men, women, and young children from around the world to force them into unspeakable
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.
Many believe that slavery ended years ago. However, a modern form of slavery has ruined the lives of thousands of people from around the world and continues to do so. It is referred to as human trafficking. Human trafficking is “the movement of persons for the purpose of exploitation.” People can be sold into sex slavery, or forced to do hard labor. They are taken, oppressed and treated as an object. Even though slavery was abolished in the United States in the 19th century, exploitation, dehumanization, and forced labor continued and still exists today. The history and origin of slavery impacts the current issue of slave trading and human trafficking in America because it is still an existing problem
Although slavery was abolished in 1865, the practice of it is still very alive today. Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, is the buying and selling of people, whether it 's for forced labor or commercial sex. Every year, thousands of adults and children, especially girls, are forced into the endless trafficking ring. “The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally” (“The Facts”). The human trafficking industry is a worldwide network that is worth an estimated 150 billion dollars (“The Facts”). Millions of stories about victims experiences can be found and read. Many of these victims are sucked into the world of human trafficking because they are immigrants trying to escape to the U.S. and have debts to pay off once they get there. Trafficking happens everywhere, from big city shopping centers, to small town massage parlors. People are being captured, sold and transported across the world via various forms of transportation at all times. With updated technology, it becomes easier and easier to buy and sell these “slaves” and with this, the chances of being caught and punished is almost nothing. Many people think slavery is dead; however, human trafficking is still alive and it needs to be stopped because many people are being forced into involuntary sex and labor.
Even in the land of the free, there are millions of people oppressed through human trafficking. The problem has not been addressed properly to citizens of America, and tends to be overlooked by many. This article will educate one on a variety of topics, regarding human trafficking in America through peer-reviewed research evidence. The first topic focused on is about who the victims are, how to identify international and domestic causalities, and what types of obstacles one may face, when trying to identify a potential victim. Next, one will learn how victims become involved and the common types of human trafficking. Moreover, the plethora of services for victims, eligibility for assistance, and issues for providing help will
Human trafficking is a modern-day multibillion slavery business, involving victims who are kidnapped, smuggled and/or recruited then forced into slavery, labor and/or sexual exploitation. The primary cause of human trafficking is poverty. It is a global epidemic sweeping the nations and has been for years. It is more prevalent in third world countries, yet it is occurring all over the world. Traffickers make an income and a way of living from offering humans for slavery, labor, and sexual exploitation. According to Equality Now, “At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced
In recent years, the topic of human trafficking – or modern day slavery as many call it – has captured the attention of the American public. Realizing that slavery, a problem thought to have been fixed a century ago, was still growing rampant in the world, Americans became indignant. As a result, countless campaigns, fundraisers and organizations have been formed to try and alleviate the problem. The type of trafficking that scares the population the most would be the sex trafficking of thousands of women and girls each year. However, other forms of human trafficking such as forced labor and trafficking humans for organs, are just as big an issue in America, as well as throughout the entire world.
When thinking of slavery, it is common for a person to think of stereotypical slavery: African Americans working in harsh conditions without pay or choice. However, since the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, this type of slavery has decreased significantly. Today, we use the term ‘human trafficking’ to describe modern slavery. Grant Oster states that, by definition, “human trafficking is the act or gathering, moving, receiving, or keeping of human beings by threat,
Human trafficking is classified as modern slavery because of the method in which people are recruited (coerced, kidnapped, sold, etc.) and transported to work in deplorable conditions where their basic human rights are violated (Gould, 2012). “Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/ or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour” (Department of Justice, 2015). Human trafficking
Human trafficking can take many forms, as well as many victims. One form of trafficking is slavery. Slavery is having a worker who is unpaid and who works by force using coercion, fraud or threat of bodily harm. “According to the United Nations, there are between 27 and 30 million modern-day slaves in the world (Jesionka, “Human Trafficking: The Myths and the Realities”).” “By 1860, the nation’s black population had jumped from 400,000 to 4.4 million, of which 3.9 million were slaves.(Henry Louis Gates).” That means there are nearly ten times more slaves today than there were in the late 1800’s.
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.
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.
Human trafficking is modern day slavery; it is an multi-billion dollar criminal industry; it denies