Essays on Human Trafficking

Human trafficking also called trafficking in persons, involves the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labor, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit financially. As of today, it is known as modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is not just to be considered as slavery. Trafficking can range anywhere between prostitution, sexual exploitation, and forced labor. Human trafficking is divided into three categories of trafficking which are sex trafficking, removal of organs, and labor trafficking. Sex trafficking can be considered as the exploitation of individuals against their will to perform sexual acts or engage in prostitution. Sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking. According to psychology today, one estimate claims that between 244,000 and 325,000 American youth are at risk for sexual exploitation, and about 200,000 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors occur each year in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001). Labor trafficking is upholding someone against their will to perform labor tasks for nothing in return, the same as slavery. Labor trafficking victims usually lack skills and are from poor countries. These victims fall into trafficking in hopes of a better life and fortune. Children are trafficked to become soldiers in parts of the African and Asian regions. Adults are trafficked to participate in involuntary labor and can too become soldiers while being trafficked.

Though the removal of organs is a category for human trafficking, it is the least talked about. Trafficking of organs can happen in three ways which are people are forced to donate an organ, an organ was removed without the patient’s consent, and if the patient agrees to donate an organ for a price. Recently, a number of African Americans have gone missing in various cities and states. Many of them have been found deceased with their organs removed. Unfortunately, minorities are being kidnapped and killed for their organs. Organs bring in an enormous profit to sellers who have organs that people are trying to receive. Wealthy individuals pay top dollar for organs out of the black market, to obtain longer, healthier life. The black market is an underground economy where illegal trading of goods takes place.

Some items that are sold on the black market are organs, illegal assault rifles, and drugs just to name a few. The black market is a part of the “dark web” world. The dark web is an underground world of illegal activity via the internet and search engines. Human trafficking contributes to the dark figure of crime because a large majority of survivors do not report that they have been trafficked. Immigrants, younger children, and even adults do not report the crime in fear of deportation, law enforcement, and or of their traffickers themselves. Intentionally, victims do not ask for help. The majority of victims do not self-identify themselves as trafficking victims. Women and young girls may commonly identify as “willing” participants of sexual activities. Other factors such as victims not aware of their location and not being native to a certain language can hinder victims from reporting trafficking to authorities. Few victims have stated that they do not report being a victim because they are usually treated like a criminal themselves. If survivors were to report their experience dark figure of crime numbers would possibly decrease and this would give law enforcement and government officials more awareness on what actually happens to victims.

Traffickers normally use romantic relationships, online media, and social connections to gather more victims. Some traffickers have their victims recruit additional people for them. Generally, girls who are already involved in trafficking try to recruit other vulnerable girls by telling them the false luxuries of trafficking. Traffickers aim for at-risk youth, immigrants, and people who are homeless or in poverty. Human trafficking takes place in industries that demand cheap labor. This affects immigrants who are working for little to no pay already. Through these victims, traffickers use fraud, manipulation, and false hope to recruit. The youth victims are occasionally runaways from home seeking attention and love that they were not receiving from family or guardians. Runaways are typically living in shelters or on streets with no parental guidance near is easier access to predators. Some victims, such as young girls, are manipulated into sexual exploitation. These are usually victims who are lacking parental guidance at home, is a runaway and or have been sexual abused previously. These young girls are lured in by older men who groom them by offering them anything they desire. Predators then start showing victims the affection that they were initially lacking and make them feel better about themselves. Gaining their trust, they manipulate girls into thinking they have obtained a relationship before they begin using them to engage in sexual activities with strangers for money. Trafficking predators use public areas to recruit victims such as the shopping mall, campuses, beaches, and grocery stores to name a few. Although kidnapping isn’t the only way to get trafficked it is the most popular. Many trafficking victims are taking and held against their will and do not have contact with friends and family. Youth victims are the most common to get kidnapped.

Human trafficking does not have an age limit nor does it discriminate against race or ones’ social class. Human trafficking victim’s ages can start on average as young as twelve years old. Babies who are as young as one year old have also been reported trafficked. Women and children are among the most common groups of people to be trafficked. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children. Women and children are commonly used for sexual exploitation and the sexual favors of their pimps or prostitution.