Abstract

Human trafficking does not receive nearly as much attention that it deserves but, awareness has increased over the past decade. The biggest misconception is that human trafficking is not a vast problem within the United States. There is a large controversy on whether or not people choose this lifestyle or are forced into it. Exploitation of another person is a despicable act but, because of the high demand, there are those willing to get their hands dirty. The sex trade industry is one of the most lucrative of commerce. Sex trade offers amplified profitability; even more so than narcotics and firearms because once those items are sold, they are gone but, humans can be retailed immeasurably. Having a product that is able to be reused endlessly at a high price makes it extremely easy for greed to win. How can we fix these circumstances of gluttony, lasciviousness, and self-indulgence that sacrifice the innocence of others? The only answer to stopping the perpetrators and bringing healing to victims of human trafficking is creating more awareness, enforcing legislation and providing adequate training. When we love others as ourselves, human rights becomes an important issue. There is a conscious deficit of the resources in the community, legislation and the love of Christ.

Keywords: Human trafficking, Modern slavery, Prostitution, Economic exploitation, Sex trade, Profit, Greed, Broken homes, Victim healing, Resources, Awareness, Stigma, Grace, Christ.

History of Human Trafficking

Human beings have been traded to be used for sex and labor for thousands of years. Although human bondage has been around since ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, most scholars begin to record and associate human trafficking around the 1400s along with the African slave trade. Human trafficking has been more closely defined within the last decades. According to Burke, The United Nations defined human trafficking as:

Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. (Burke, 2017, P. 4)

This definition is significant because it provided the groundwork for law enforcement to be aware of this veiled issue and commence working towards resolving it. The numbers on average of just how many victims there are of human trafficking is difficult to pinpoint because many cases are unknown. The US Department of State estimates roughly 50,000 human trafficking victims throughout the United States with a 36 billion revenue. Many traffickers operate in a freelance style, making the crimes difficult to track. We do know, however, 50% percent of the victims are minors and about 80% are women. Some are forced into pornography, others into marriages or labor.

Many times human trafficking can go unnoticed by police, social workers, and citizens. Commercial exploitation can have many facades to cover up their illicit operations. Some of these operations take place in nightclubs, nail shops, motels and many other places that might go unnoticed. Sometimes people see something that may not seem normal but do not question it. We may think this does not happen in my city or neighborhood but the reality is that it does. The internet facilitates much of the business transactions that are made; especially social media sites that allow for a discrete process of supply and demand. One of the biggest social media sites is Back Page. Another issue is the use of Bitcoin instead of currency. These types of transactions make it difficult for law enforcement to trace and apprehend perpetrators.

Modern Slavery and Prostitution

Human trafficking differs from prostitution in that there is power and control over the victim for the purpose of exploitation, whether it be for sex or for labor. Some victims are forced to get tattoos to display ownership just as slaves were branded. This victimization is forced sexual activity, not a chose profession of prostitution. Many believe slavery is an issue of the past but, when someone is taken, transported and forced to perform against their will; that shows that slavery is alive and well. In human trafficking the victims also do not keep any of the wages they earn from exploitation. Three components that also differentiate trafficking from prostitution are fraud, force, and coercion. The bottom girl is often compared to the overseer in slavery. Not everyone believes it the slavery analogy. Some think runaways chose their pimp’s home life over their parents and, initially that may be true but, what happens when they realize they made a mistake and are not allowed to leave? Mishra disagrees with the comparison of slavery, claiming: “the overt slave exploitation learned from history books restricts understanding of the subtle and hidden exploitative mechanisms involved in highly complicated human trafficking” (Mishra, 2015, P. 19) Perhaps human trafficking is more intricate than most think. The concern of human trafficking is global. There are some figures to observe below:

Human Trafficking Visualized. Digital image. Stand Against Human Trafficking. N.p., n.d. Web..

Causes of Trafficking

According to Palmiotto, “the demand for human trafficking has increased with globalization, the breakup of the Soviet Union, economic poverty and lack of border control.” (Palmiotto, 2014, P. 18). One of the biggest strategies of human trafficking is coercion. Spotters will stake out parks, fast food restaurants and many public areas in search of young people who look exposed. There are young children who feel a sense of hopelessness in their home life, and traffickers make it seem like they can fix all their problems with a little charm. Many times a recruiter preys on vulnerable groups such as runaways, LGBT community, undocumented immigrants and poverty-stricken youth. These predicaments provide very little stability and support so it makes the groups more susceptible to trafficking. The first person to make contact with the victim may promise a job opportunity, a family-like environment or glamorous life. The victim may believe they are being set up for a modeling job and the thought of nice clothes and jewelry may seem enticing in the beginning. Many may lack a father figure in their lives and the pimp takes on that role even though they are being mistreated. Now this young child with low self-esteem goes from being a person to simply a product. Other methods of intimidation may be used such as threatening family members or rape. In some cultures, a family member might even sell someone in their household for profit due to their economic status. Once the adolescent is lured in they can be controlled by narcotics, substance abuse and violence.

Solutions for Sex Trade

Some strides have been made in the war against human trafficking but there is a long way to go. There have been cases against the Communication Decency Act which protects websites from third-party publications. If a social media site is selling a minor for sex, Congress said that the website is not responsible for the transaction. Law enforcement has been paying more attention to the human trafficking epidemic. There are now task forces who dedicate their time and resources solely to trafficking stings. The closest one to my department is in Fayetteville, North Carolina who has a team of six members. I believe that more agencies need special units like these. There needs to be no more turning a blind eye, the public needs to renounce the thought that this only happens in other countries. We need to wake up and realize this could happen to a sister, a daughter, a friend. Trafficking, like other organized crimes, does not discriminate and will seize an opportunity. Another helpful key is eliminating the middlemen. There are those needed to facilitate the crimes in human trafficking, such as those who falsify documents like passports or fake identification cards and other counterfeit items used. Law enforcement needs more training on recognizing the signs of human trafficking and how to investigate it; as well as knowing the difference between sex trafficking and prostitution. You cannot fix a problem you do not know how to identify. As Biback states: “we all stay at motels, get on planes or trains and go to sporting event and sometimes see something and say to ourselves ‘that looked strange” but then do not say anything. It’s at our truck stops, at our restaurants” (Biback, 2017, P.34). If we paid attention and cared a bit more we might be able to make a true difference and save someone’s life. Some trafficking traveling indicators are cash only transactions, nervousness, and limited eye contact.

Grace Over Stigma and Shame

Recently, as part of my law enforcement training, I attended a human trafficking awareness Symposium at NC State University. One of the components of the conference was called “The Bottom Girl Phenomenon”. The main speaker was human sex trafficking survivor named Shamere McKenzie. Shamere spoke to law enforcement about her role as a bottom girl and the stigmatization that still follows her despite her being a victim. She argues that she was criminalized repeatedly when she was manipulated and forced to commit the crime by a pimp. It was her job to recruit, manage and supervise other young girls. After McKenzie got out of the life she was charged with various felonies for her role in the trafficking world. She stated how it was hard for her to get a college education and a home with a record and she remained branded. At this point in my career, I had not considered the aftermath struggles of the bottom girl much. I had very little sympathy for recruiters but I had not measured that they too were indeed victims.

The bottom girl is the pimps right hand and many times drive the girls around, takes them shopping and handles their money. I thought to myself as she spoke, that she would have had ample opportunity to reach out to a store clerk or even drive to the police station. McKenzie spoke of the fear the pimp had instilled in her and about Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is when the hostage feels empathy or positively about their own captors. Although she was beaten, raped and spit on and endured so many dreadful things, the pimp was still her lover and provider. What can we offer them other than a felonious record? I cannot even begin to imagine the psychological trauma that these victims are scarred with and the court system fails to take that into consideration. Stewart speaks of risk factors for victims’ mental health such as: “violence before and during trafficking, poor living and working conditions, restricted movement while trafficked, longer duration of exploitation and unmet social needs after escape; all factors commonly present in trafficked individuals.” (Stewart, 2016, P.343). A little more empathy can be beneficial to the victims of human trafficking. They may be able to receive the treatment they need and be given a true chance at healing.

Christian Worldview of Trafficking

As Christians, we are called to be agents of change. Isaiah 61:1-3, King James Version speaks about “binding up the brokenhearted, freeing captives from darkness, comforting those who mourn and bestow a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” Sometimes we call ourselves Christian but can look down on those who we may see as unredeemable. How many times have you told a prostitute or a drug addict that Jesus Christ died for them and He loves them? We tend to shy away from those types of people when they are the ones who need to hear from us most. We serve a God of love, who restores and makes all things new.

One of the biggest problems in Christianity as well as politics and law enforcement is the amount of hypocrisy. It is so easy to blame the pimp and the bottom girl; but what about the rich man, the high-end client who is purchasing a child for sex? There is a global heart problem that is like cancer in our society. Proverbs 4:23 warns us to “guard our hearts above all else because all that we do flows from it”. If we allowed Jesus to dwell in our hearts and in our marriages and our homes there would be a lot less brokenness and emptiness. If young girls would know the love of their Father God Abba as well as their natural father they would not need the deceiving love of a pimp. Lust and purity have a long history of battling against one another in the hearts of mankind. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we are not our own and bought with a price”. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price and died on the cross so we may live for Him.

Conclusion

In a perfect world, there would be no broken homes, poverty, and lack of education and surplus of crime but; this is not a perfect world. Sadly, I do not think the war on human trafficking can ever be won due to the malice in this world. Timoshkina makes a valid point in saying: “Trafficking in persons has been, and still is, conceptualized primarily as a criminal justice issue and a national security problem, rather than a complex phenomenon encompassing human rights, labor rights, the right to free movement and migration, and the right to family reunification, among others.” (Timoshkina, 2014, P. 412). Despite that fact, together, we must keep fighting the good fight against the sex trade. More people need to commit to spreading the good news. The word teaches us to preach the gospel to all creatures, not just the ones we like. Law enforcement can be more vigil and knowledgeable to human trafficking indicators. Treat victims as victims and allow them to obtain the treatment necessary to heal. Legislation needs to change and be harsher and strictly enforced upon traffickers.

Human Rights Social Responsibility Essay Example
2161 words 8 pages

Human rights violations are a major occurrence in many countries throughout the world. Human rights include being free from abuse, assault, and exploitation. Major violations in these countries include human trafficking, exploitation of women and children, discrimination and abuse. The scope of this analysis includes human rights violation against women and children in Ghana, Columbia […]

Read more
Abuse Child Human Trafficking
The Sky Is Gray by Ernest J. Gaines Essay Example
277 words 2 pages

Books rarely have the power to change history, and it is even more rare for them to cause a major conflict. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a significant impact on the perception of slavery in the early 19th century. Abraham Lincoln acknowledged the book as a catalyst for the American Civil War and […]

Read more
Abolitionism American Civil War Books Crime Human Trafficking Novel Science Slavery Society
Rhetorical Analysis Human Trafficking Essay Example
318 words 2 pages

Human trafficking in the world is a major issue. Human trafficking is to be lied to and or taken against your will, bought, sold and then transported into slavery. There are many reasons for human trafficking such as sexual exploitation, sacrificial worship, and many other reasons. There is a lot of violence in human trafficking. […]

Read more
Abuse Crime Human Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking Example Essay Example
331 words 2 pages

A Global Matter: Human Trafficking Denisse Guerrero, Cami Venhaus, Kim Douglas, and Marissa Selaya University of Phoenix A Global Matter: Human Trafficking Human trafficking is the act of transporting, enlisting, or harboring an individual by use of force or intimidation for the sole purpose of exploitation. Exploitation can be caused by prostitution, domestic servitude, sweatshop […]

Read more
Crime Human Human Trafficking Slavery
Policies of sex trafficking in Netherlands and Thailand Essay Example
1135 words 5 pages

Both Thailand and the Netherlands are facing a significant issue with sex trafficking. This is due to the fact that numerous foreign prostitutes lack proper immigration documentation, which could be an indication of trafficking. According to research, approximately 33% of trafficked prostitutes in the Netherlands originate from non-European continents like Asia and Africa. The lack […]

Read more
Human Trafficking Prostitution Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking industry in the black market Essay Example
1668 words 7 pages

Any industry targets a specific market and is practically designed to profit. However, it is unfortunate to note that there are existing commercial enterprises that gain at the expense of others’ vulnerabilities. Human trafficking, particularly the evidently profitable sex trafficking, can be considered as the worst in this kind of industry, and it continues to […]

Read more
Human Trafficking Industry Organized Crime Sex Trafficking
Human Trafficking Within the European Union Essay Example
1991 words 8 pages

While slavery was abolished in Europe early on, it has resurfaced as a lucrative criminal enterprise through human trafficking. This deplorable activity now ranks third in organized crime profits, behind only arms and drug trafficking. In the past, slaves were viewed as commodities and sold in markets just like fresh produce because of the absence […]

Read more
European Union Human Human Trafficking Prostitution Slavery
Sex Trafficking In A Global Context Sociology Essay Example
3119 words 12 pages

Poverty, ignorance, coercion, force, illiteracy or merely inevitable fortunes frequently lead people and kids to state of affairss and conditions of development for labour, for commercial sex, selling variety meats, generative bondage and/ or any signifier of bondage and development against their will. This may or may non affect physical motion or transit of people, […]

Read more
Human Trafficking Labor Prostitution Sex Trafficking Sociology
A Case Study Of Human Trafficking In Nepal Essay Example
3834 words 14 pages

This survey really is chiefly concern on the issue of societal exposure of the people from Nepal in the issue of human trafficking, by understanding the procedure and besides the context of migratory smuggling. This paper will besides concentrate on the different actions of the Nepal authorities from giving accent on their different undertakings, Torahs […]

Read more
Human Human Trafficking
Trafficking Of African Women and Girls Essay Example
4484 words 17 pages

Part 1: Problem: Human trafficking tarnishes the planetary scene today. as bondage used to decennaries ago. The adult females and misss are vulnerable to exploitation within the state every bit good as out of the state. The trafficking of adult females and misss for harlotry is a large concern. The hideous experiences of migratory adult […]

Read more
Anthropology Ethics Government Human Human Trafficking Prostitution Racism Science Slavery Social Science Society
Conditions That Allow Human Trafficking Sociology Essay Example
3431 words 13 pages

There are cultural and societal conditions that exist letting human trafficking going on throughout the universe. The chief conditions that exist are poverty, gender favoritism, and corruption. Human trafficking is modern bondage. The basic solution to stop human trafficking is to educate the hapless and assist them in traveling out of poorness. Letting people hold […]

Read more
Human Human Trafficking Poverty Slavery Sociology
Sex Tourism And Child Sex Tourism In Bangkok Sociology Essay Example
7376 words 27 pages

A Survey about Negative Impacts and Positive Impacts of Sex Tourism and Child Sex Tourism in Bangkok, Thailand. Abstraction: This proposal conducts a survey about the negative and positive impacts of sex touristry and kid sex touristry in Bangkok, Thailand. The survey will advert the jobs and benefits Bangkok, Thailand is sing through sex touristry […]

Read more
Child Human Trafficking Prostitution Sociology Thailand
Human trafficking and the sex slave trade Essay Example
5120 words 19 pages

I believe that the trafficking of worlds and the sex slave trade coincide with one another. Human Trafficking and sex trafficking is contemporary bondage ( Moossy, 2009 ) . It can be described as the act of recruiting, transporting, reassigning, harbouring or having a individual through a usage of force, coercion or other agencies, for […]

Read more
Abuse Human Human Trafficking Slave Trade
Female Sex Victims And Slaves Sociology Essay Example
5357 words 20 pages

We as members of the Elon Community take for granted the insouciant day-to-day ambles across campus. We grow accustom to the beautiful flowers and brick edifices along the manner, the nutrients and drinks that we consume, and the freedom we have to travel wheresoever our Black Marias desire. Now imagine you are midway across the […]

Read more
Female Human Trafficking Justice Slavery Sociology
Cause And Effect Of Gender Discrimination Sociology Essay Example
1218 words 5 pages

Gender favoritism started since the yearss of our ascendants who had been stamp downing adult females ‘s rights and is perceived to be the norm of the male-dominance society. Work force are ever, until today, seen as the figure of leading and success in many states with no exclusions to some well-known states where adult […]

Read more
Discrimination Gender Human Trafficking Social Issues Sociology
Human Trafficking and Child Sex Trafficking Essay Example
4940 words 18 pages

Introduction In recent old ages, there has been an increasing involvement in the research of human trafficking, both in general and in child sex trafficking as a particular and important phenomenon. Harmonizing to the U.S. Department of State ( 2007 ) trafficking is one of the fastest turning condemnable endeavors with an approximative figure of […]

Read more
Child Criminology Human Human Trafficking Organized Crime Sex Trafficking
Human Trafficking Analysis Essay Example
990 words 4 pages

Mandela asserts that depriving individuals of their human rights challenges their humanity. The United Nations, on the other hand, defines human rights as intrinsic to all people, irrespective of factors such as nationality, residence, sex, origin, color, religion, language or any other status. Sadly, victims of human trafficking are stripped of their basic rights – […]

Read more
Human Human Trafficking Psychological Trauma Social Issues
Human Trafficking: It Happens Here, It’s Happening Now Essay Example
2005 words 8 pages

Maria, a young girl from Vera Cruz, Mexico, encountered educational obstacles due to her family’s hardships. Sandra Bearden, a woman from Laredo, Texas, discovered Maria and provided her with employment and the opportunity to go to school. Recognizing the rarity of this chance, Maria agreed. Yet, upon arrival at what should have been a remarkable […]

Read more
Human Human Trafficking Sex Trafficking Slavery
Women as Commodity Essay Example
8717 words 32 pages

There people who are being sold just like a mere things sold in a market to be slaves, pimp, and it’s quiet alarming that even naive child is a victim of this kind of discursive life. Women have been also analyzed to be part of those bundles of things paraded, bidded for, sold, and traded […]

Read more
Health Human Trafficking Mother Parenting Prostitution Racism Sexual Offence Slavery Society Therapy
Human Trafficking and the Tvpa Essay Example
2896 words 11 pages

Falling in a Gray Area: Human Trafficking Victims and When to Treat Them as Human Beings Though slavery has continuously existed in some form throughout history, it has only been in the past century and a half or so that humanity has legally acknowledged that the idea of owning another person is unjust. This relatively […]

Read more
Abuse Human Trafficking Sex Trafficking
Violence against Women in the Philippines Essay Example
1165 words 5 pages

ERADICATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE PHILIPPINES As human beings, everyone is equally entitled to human rights without prejudices. We, especially women, have the rights to protect ourselves. Women need extra attention, protection and personal affirmation. They are the most vulnerable who need to be restricted from different types of abuse. Some historians believe that […]

Read more
Human Trafficking Philippines Violence Woman
The Slave Across the Street Essay Example
1128 words 5 pages

The Slave Across the Street Introduction The Slave Across the Street, written by Theresa Flores and published by Ampelon Publishing in 2010, tells the story of the authors struggles as young trafficking victim in her suburban town. The title of the book connotes a close proximity between a possible slave and the reader; and in […]

Read more
Human Trafficking Rape Sex Trafficking Social Institution Struggle

Popular Questions About Human Trafficking

What exactly is human trafficking?
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. ... Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
What are examples of human trafficking?
The 3 most common types of human trafficking are sex trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage. Forced labor, also known as involuntary servitude, is the biggest sector of trafficking in the world, according to the U.S. Department of State.
What crime is human trafficking?
Human Trafficking is a crime that involves exploiting a person for labor, services, or commercial sex.
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New