Human Trafficking

The extent at which human trafficking is uncontrollably growing has a colossal impact on the rights of numerous citizens, leading to crimes against humanity. Human trafficking is ranked the third largest international crime behind illegal drugs and arm trafficking (A Profitable). The most common type of human trafficking is the enforcement of labour. Other forms include sex trafficking, involuntary domestic servitude, child soldiery, organ trafficking, and bonded labor. According to the United Nations: Trafficking in human beings is the recruitment transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipts of persons, by means of threat or the use of force or other forms of coercion, or abduction, of fraud, of deception of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of a person having control over one another, for the person of exploitation. (qtd. in Moore 184) This crime is illegal in most countries, but is beyond the control of the highest authorities. Iran, North Korea, Burma and Cuba are few countries that are failing to meet the minimum standards for prevention of human trafficking (Human Trafficking). Under federal law, a human trafficker can be defined by being any individual who uses physical or mental abuse to force someone into labour, services, or commercial sexual exploitation. “It is a crime that attacks the essence of what it means to be human, and it knows no boundary” (Fisanick 141). Human trafficking is modern day slavery and has increased due to globalization and poverty. Globalization plays a vital role in the rapid growth of human trafficking as countries advance by interconnecting through technology, trade, and culture. It is believed to generate profits of an estimated $32 billion (A Profitable). Elizabeth Pathy Salett, of the National Multicultural Institute, states, “Globalization and the promise of good jobs and economic opportunity serve to lure women and men to what they believe will bring them a better life” (Fisanick 17). Those workers are forced to carry out tasks in difficult conditions to pay off their debts for their family members. Every year, millions of people are illegally traded within and across national borders for the purpose of servitude. They serve as bonded labour, farm workers, and sex workers, but most of the trafficked transnational victims in developing countries are used for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and organ theft. Human trafficking is a problem that does not discriminate against race, religion, gender, or age, but the predators do target a particular population. These traffickers can be found anywhere from being homeless to a high ranking position. Human trafficking occurs in many parts of the world; you see its presence in countries and regions, but not in major cities or rural areas. Roughly between 600 thousand to 820 thousand men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders (Human Trafficking). Approximately 70% of those trafficked are women and girls, and nearly 50% are minors (Human Trafficking). Anyone living anywhere can become a victim of this cruel act. Human trafficking is commonly considered and referred to be modern form of slavery. Trafficking involves the act of deceiving and/or forcing someone to move to another region and they are exploited to work. These victims are schemed or enforced into slavery. In 2005, Kathryn Farr reported, “27 million people around the world live under some form of slavery” (Moore 135). Women and children make up the majority out of the 27 million people. These women have “become the new slaves of global economy” (Moore 135). Those who are enslaved are obligated to work in horrifying conditions with little or no pay, and are physically and mentally threatened regularly. Threats and violence are used against the victims, and some are required to pay off a false debt. The traffickers treat their slaves cruelly; their use of intimidation is what makes the victim not object or fight back. Slaves are usually found in brothels, factories, construction sites, restaurants, and mines. In the past 200 years, the price of slaves decreased dramatically. According to Kevin Bales, “In 1809, the average price of a slave was $40,000 when adjusted to today’s money. In 2009, the average price of a slave was $90” (Moore 186). Being enslaved is extremely dangerous to the human life. Only a small portion of the children enslaved make it to adulthood—those who survive often suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts. “Slavery today: willingly but perhaps unknowingly people give up their freedoms” (Fisanick 117). Modern slavery is a crime that allows traffickers to have endless supply of people to abuse for financial gain. Poverty is the foremost leading cause of human trafficking. The traffickers target individuals in certain populations because they are vulnerable. Most of these victims who are targeted are uneducated, in desperate need of money to pay for schooling, and need to provide financial aid for their family. The victims are deceived by the traffickers with false promises of education and well-paid jobs; “poverty sometimes forces people to make the wrong decisions” (Poverty One). The continuous debt and poverty in the less privileged countries have caused many parents to sell their children to traffickers, but it is unknown to most parents that their children would be forced to work in the sex industry (Moore 137). Being isolated from their family makes these children more vulnerable and willing to do anything the traffickers ask. Young girls, who are virgins, are in higher demand and are more expensive because they carry no sexually transmitted viruses. Victims of human trafficking are most likely dealing with extreme poverty, brutal and corrupt governments, and impossible lives (Fisanick 147). If poverty did not exist, there would be a lower rate in human trafficking and people would not have to turn to trafficking for employment. The growth of globalization and poverty are the leading factors of human trafficking, or widely known as, modern day slavery. US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, states, “This is modern day slavery. A crime that spans the globe, providing ruthless employers with an endless supply of people to abuse for financial gain” (Haerens 17). Trafficked victims are stripped from their human rights and forced into labour, prostitution, and domestic servitude. Traffickers prey on those who are vulnerable, primarily in developing nations, and people who lack education, money, or opportunities for employment. The majority of these victims are women and children. Human trafficking is a widely spread crime that has impacted the lives of many innocent citizens. Not only does it violate governmental laws, it also plays an enormous role in crimes against humanity. It disintegrates the person as a whole, bringing to ruins the hope and future of many.

Work Cited
"A Profitable Enterprise." The CNN Freedom Project Ending ModernDay Slavery RSS. N.p., 29 July 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-facts/>.
"First the Bad News." About Slavery. Free the Slaves, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <https://freetheslaves.net/SSLPage.aspx?pid=348>
Fisanick, Christina. Human Trafficking. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. Print
Gifford, Clive. Child Labor. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2010. Print
Haerens, Margaret. Human Trafficking. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Print “Human Trafficking." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Global Issues In Context. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&source=gale&idigest=a326f8d4b09b45578da18b7a14a4cee5&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=albertak12&tabID=&docId=CP3208520059&type=retrieve&contentSet=GREF&version=1.0>
"Human Trafficking FAQs." Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/human-trafficking-faqs>
Moore, John. "Human Trafficking." Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. <http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&source=gale&idigest=a326f8d4b09b45578da18b7a14a4cee5&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=albertak12&tabID=T001&docId=CX2831200209&type=retrieve&contentSet=EBKS&version=1.0>
"Poverty One of the Biggest Obstacles in PHL 's Fight vs. Human Trafficking." Interview by Andrei Medina. GMA News Online. N.p., 2o July 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/266146/pinoyabroad/news/poverty-one-of-the-biggest-obstacles-in-phl-s-fight-vs-human-trafficking>.

Cited: "A Profitable Enterprise." The CNN Freedom Project Ending ModernDay Slavery RSS. N.p., 29 July 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. &lt;http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-facts/&gt;. "First the Bad News." About Slavery. Free the Slaves, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. &lt;https://freetheslaves.net/SSLPage.aspx?pid=348&gt; Fisanick, Christina. Human Trafficking. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. Print Gifford, Clive. Child Labor. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2010. Print Haerens, Margaret. Human Trafficking. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Print “Human Trafficking." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Global Issues In Context. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. &lt;http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&amp;source=gale&amp;idigest=a326f8d4b09b45578da18b7a14a4cee5&amp;prodId=GIC&amp;userGroupName=albertak12&amp;tabID=&amp;docId=CP3208520059&amp;type=retrieve&amp;contentSet=GREF&amp;version=1.0&gt; "Human Trafficking FAQs." Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. &lt;http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/human-trafficking-faqs&gt; Moore, John. "Human Trafficking." Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. &lt;http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&amp;source=gale&amp;idigest=a326f8d4b09b45578da18b7a14a4cee5&amp;prodId=GIC&amp;userGroupName=albertak12&amp;tabID=T001&amp;docId=CX2831200209&amp;type=retrieve&amp;contentSet=EBKS&amp;version=1.0&gt; "Poverty One of the Biggest Obstacles in PHL 's Fight vs. Human Trafficking." Interview by Andrei Medina. GMA News Online. N.p., 2o July 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. &lt;http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/266146/pinoyabroad/news/poverty-one-of-the-biggest-obstacles-in-phl-s-fight-vs-human-trafficking&gt;.