Modern Day Slavery
Mason Moran
Mrs. Davis
Government Period 9
February 14, 2013
Research Project: Human Trafficking
“Modern Day Slavery” “SLAVERY was abolished 150 years ago, right? While it is true that slavery is illegal almost everywhere on earth, the fact is there are more slaves today than there ever were…” Despite the grim reality described in this quote, I believe Robert Alan successfully undermines a common misconception held by Americans, both young and old. Although we are brought up thinking that Abraham Lincoln with his Emancipation Proclamation along with the Civil War Amendments brought an end to the enemy known as slavery, in today’s society, however, that is sadly not the case. The harsh reality is that this problem never truly left us, it merely took a different form within today’s society. The ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment is what makes problems such as this so deadly. Our only hope is that with education comes knowledge which can lead to prevention and ultimately a lasting solution. Modern day slavery, also known as human trafficking is defined as a criminal business that profits from enslaving people for sexual servitude and forced labor. Women and children from all walks of life are trafficked by men; abused, and then exploited. These individuals are taken and sold, never to see their families again. Victims of this heinous crime are under the impression that they are receiving a form of education or being given a job long before they are abused and/or exploited. Human traffickers and pimps play on the vulnerability, lack of knowledge, and desires of children to lure them into the violent world of commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography. Though many youth are at risk of trafficking solely by their age and gender, there is a subpopulation of youth who are most vulnerable. This includes but is not limited to those with a history of family dysfunction, trauma & sexual abuse, running
Mrs. Davis
Government Period 9
February 14, 2013
Research Project: Human Trafficking
“Modern Day Slavery” “SLAVERY was abolished 150 years ago, right? While it is true that slavery is illegal almost everywhere on earth, the fact is there are more slaves today than there ever were…” Despite the grim reality described in this quote, I believe Robert Alan successfully undermines a common misconception held by Americans, both young and old. Although we are brought up thinking that Abraham Lincoln with his Emancipation Proclamation along with the Civil War Amendments brought an end to the enemy known as slavery, in today’s society, however, that is sadly not the case. The harsh reality is that this problem never truly left us, it merely took a different form within today’s society. The ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment is what makes problems such as this so deadly. Our only hope is that with education comes knowledge which can lead to prevention and ultimately a lasting solution. Modern day slavery, also known as human trafficking is defined as a criminal business that profits from enslaving people for sexual servitude and forced labor. Women and children from all walks of life are trafficked by men; abused, and then exploited. These individuals are taken and sold, never to see their families again. Victims of this heinous crime are under the impression that they are receiving a form of education or being given a job long before they are abused and/or exploited. Human traffickers and pimps play on the vulnerability, lack of knowledge, and desires of children to lure them into the violent world of commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography. Though many youth are at risk of trafficking solely by their age and gender, there is a subpopulation of youth who are most vulnerable. This includes but is not limited to those with a history of family dysfunction, trauma & sexual abuse, running
Cited: http://www.caseact.org/learn/humantrafficking/ http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~yongpatr/425/final/timeline.htm http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/human_trafficking http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/HD780.pdf http://juliewedam.blogspot.com/2010/02/history-of-human-trafficking.html http://www.love146.org/ http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html