preview

The Sociological Problem Of Human Trafficking And Poverty

Decent Essays
Open Document

The sociological problem that this paper is addressing is that individuals living in poverty are more likely to be trafficked than those who do not live in poverty. The following research will address definitions of common terms that will be used in the paper, as well as background information, facts, statistics, and a conclusion with how all of this information relates to the sociological problem in discussion. The terms that need to be defined for this research are: human trafficking and poverty. Human trafficking, also known as forced labor, is best described as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force… for the purpose of exploitation” (Juergensmeyer, 2012, p. 868). …show more content…

“Absolute poverty is the condition in which people are unable to achieve the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and shelter” (Parrillo, 2008, p. 698). Next, when observing the numbers that follow, it is important to be aware that the amounts expressed are “minimum figures,” since they are solely based off of what has been reported to the authorities (UNODC, 2014, p. 7). Most victims will “remain invisible to the public and law enforcement” due to coercion, fear, and intimidation that prevents many from ever reporting their condition (Hernandez-Truyol, 2009). Due to the fact that many exploited persons will not report this information, the actual numbers are likely to be far higher than research will show (UNODC, 2014, p. 7). Studies done from 2010-2012 were able to estimate the demographics of exploited peoples. Research shows that 49 of victims are adult women, while 33 percent of victims are children and 18 percent are male. The breakdown between gender for the children demographic is 12 percent boys and 21 percent girls (UNODC, 2014, p. 5). Out of all the forms of trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor are the most common forms all over the world. In Africa and the Middle East, 90 percent of their trafficking reports are due to sexual exploitation and forced labor combined. In the Americas, it is a total of 95

Get Access