Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking Essay

A bit of history on the topic Human Trafficking and where it comes from. There are a lot of different arguments about when human trafficking could have started. Some say that the slave trade that involved Africans being captured by slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to America was the first human trafficking. Others argue that the forced labor of children during the 1700s was the real beginning of what is now known as human trafficking. Human trafficking for sexual purposes was first legally recognized by the term 'white slavery'. According to Kristiina Kangaspunta the Executive Officer of the Applied Research Program of the UNICRI branch of the United Nations. 'White slavery' is when a white woman or girl- by the use of force, drugs, or by dishonesty- for sex which is unwanted by the woman or girl. Kristiina Kangapunta, has also argued that international governments began to discuss 'white slavery' after the transatlantic slave trade was made illegal. (T. Mills Kelly, Human Trafficking in Historical Perspective, August 2012) (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Conference Agenda, 2012)
Just about every country in the world is involved in the intertwined web of human trafficking. Most victims of human trafficking come from poorer countries, which act primarily as source countries. The poorer countries are like banks for the human trafficking world. Richer nations such as the US, Australia, or Japan are more of the destination countries. Where the victims of human trafficking are taken to. Many countries act as transit countries, countries where victims are held temporarily. They act as a pit stop really, on route to destination country. The UNODC- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime- study said 40 percent of affected countries had not registered a single conviction. (The Feature Group, a Human Security Crisis of Global Proportions, 2007)
Human trafficking exists because it is profitable. Traffickers can make money selling human beings or selling the forced services of a human being. The FBI estimates that as many as 18,000 are trafficked into the US each year. It’s not just the US that have high trafficking rates it happens everywhere. Victims are forced to work in brothels, strip clubs, nail salons and massage parlors, or as domestic servants, nannies, and farm laborers. Some are forced to work in factories, making things such as clothing or rugs. People can also be trafficked within their home countries, often from rural areas to urban. Like any business, legal or illegal, the demand drives the supply. Human traffickers victimize vulnerable people. The number of vulnerable humans around the world and in the U.S. also makes it easy for traffickers to keep a fresh supply of victims for both labor and sex trafficking. (The Feature Group, a Human Security Crisis of Global Proportions, 2007) (Why Does Human Trafficking Exist?, 2011) (Joyce Heart, Human Trafficking, pg.5 2009)
Human trafficking occurs mostly because the hope of something more. Most victims of trafficking have been tricked into becoming slaves. They are given false promises of money, new jobs, educations, and better lives, but these promises get broken. The victims are trapped. Some are even locked behind doors and chained up. Others are told they must continue to work because they owe money to their captors. Or, in some cases the victims are too young to understand how to free themselves or that they have any right to be free. Woman and young girls are often forced to be prostitutes. Some victims are forced to become soldiers. Young boys in particular, they are trained to handle guns and are then forced to kill those they are told are enemies. There are many different forms of human trafficking. (Joyce Heart, Human trafficking, pg.6 2009)
What can be done about Human Trafficking and how can it be stopped. Well human trafficking is a global issue. There isn’t just one solution for all cities, countries, or even all government systems. You have to educate people on what, how, and why it’s happening. The best way about trying to help the fight the issue of human trafficking is community awareness. The federal US government passed The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Providing stronger tools to law enforcement to enable more prosecutions. The United States is not the only country with organizations dedicated to trying to stop trafficking. From places like Afghanistan to Vietnam, Germany to Liberia. Groups fight to end the sale, abuse and exploitation of innocent people. Many of them can be found online and provide more information about their services and other anti-trafficking efforts. (Jacob Silverman, What is being done to stop human trafficking?, 2011) (U.S. Department of State Diplomacy in Action, U.S. Laws on Trafficking in Persons)0
What I have learned about Human Trafficking is there is many different types. People are trafficked all around the world each and every day. I have learned that most victims are tricked into the human trafficking world. Some people volunteer. They volunteer for reasons as in their family is starving and they don’t want to see them suffer any longer, victims would be told if they work hard they would earn a lot of money. This type of talk by the traffickers happened all the time but promises would be broken and the victims would have no way of escaping the slavery.