Human Trafficking is the fastest growing illegal business worldwide. Most people know basic facts about human trafficking and the gross injustices that go along with it. What people may not realize is the prevalence of human trafficking, and the corresponding forced labor and sex slavery. This is happening everywhere, and the US is no exception; in fact, it is all over the States. Wealth enables Americans to purchase people, at an average global rate of 90$ per person. (www.dosomething.org) Like many illegal global industries, human trafficking is growing. Increased transportation and Internet communications have fed this horrific practice. The international system is not equipped to address this magnitude of international crime, ergo it is difficult to squash the issue. A result of international law lagging behind technology is a low estimate of 27 million slaves worldwide, and trust me that estimate is far too low. (www.dosomething.org) Fortunate, there has been a recent surge of public interest. Ms. Magazine blog recently posted an informative article titled “The Real Story on Human Trafficking.” (http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/11/the-real-story-on-human-trafficking/ ) Celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore have started an initiative called DNA (http://www.demiandashton.org/) DNA stands for “Donate, Notify others, Action”. This campaign has generated public support, compelling celebrities like Dustin Hofffman to make their own comedic “Real Man” videos, claiming that “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls.” (http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2011/04/stars-line-up-in-psas-against-sex-trafficking.html)
Despite the humorous quality of DNA’s campaign, this is a serious and devastating issue. Victims of human trafficking are abused and lied to, ostracized and controlled completely by their traffickers. 80% of human trafficking involves sexual exploitation; the rest forced labor. (www.dosomething.org) Most trafficked children suffer abuse at the hands of their “masters.” Approximately half of trafficking victims are underage, they routinely suffer from poor health and 68% of female victims suffer from PTS. Sex and Labor slaves are subject to physical and mental abuse, and do not have access to the funds they are forced to work obscenely hard for. Their funds go to the traffickers and the buyers. Traffickers and “owners” are often pimps, family members or intimate partners, gangs and criminal networks (similar to drug trade), brothel/escort service owners, labor brokers, agricultural employers, employers of domestic servants, small business managers and large factor owners. Unfortunately, often their only escape from these abusive is through arrest. These victims are often charged with prostitution and illegal immigration, despite laws that exist to protect them. Often their fear of their “Masters” is greater than their fear of prison, and they refuse to relay why they are in the dire circumstances.
So what can we do? Police attempt to treat the symptoms by arresting them for crimes they are not wholly responsible for, but if that does any good its through the symptoms of the issue and not the cause. International organizations do not have enough power to confront such a huge industry, and most countries don’t have abundant resources. How can we help? With a net so wide it may be helpful to know how to spot victims. There are several categories.
1) Physical Signs
- Sings of physical abuse…cigarette burns, bruises, broken bones, missing teeth etc.
- Malnutrition. Victims are likely to be underfed and often dehydrated.
- Sexual Health: often they have signs or rape or sexual abuse. Additionally there is an epidemic of STDs in Human Trafficking. When these go untreated thy can be easier to spot.
-Neglect: this speaks to a general lack of care for their bodies, as they are routinely treated as disposable objects. This means poor hygiene and serious medical conditions left untreated.
1) Physical Signs
- Sings of physical abuse…cigarette burns, bruises, broken bones, missing teeth etc.
- Malnutrition. Victims are likely to be underfed and often dehydrated.
- Sexual Health: often they have signs or rape or sexual abuse. Additionally there is an epidemic of STDs in Human Trafficking. When these go untreated thy can be easier to spot.
-Neglect: this speaks to a general lack of care for their bodies, as they are routinely treated as disposable objects. This means poor hygiene and serious medical conditions left untreated.
2) Living Conditions:
- Often living conditions will be cramped, with some form of security and no free movement of the victims; their comings and goings will be accompanied by an “escort.”
- Often living conditions will be cramped, with some form of security and no free movement of the victims; their comings and goings will be accompanied by an “escort.”
3) Behavior
- Child Victims: Child may be homeschooled, or have large gaps is their schooling history.
- Psychological Signs: Victims of all ages may be suffering from anxiety disorders like PTS and depression. They will often express shame, humiliation and helplessness, especially in children. They may seem frightened to make contact with the outside world and avoid eye contact. They may have an unclear concept of time.
-Interactions: The victim will likely be unsure how to act in the community. This can manifest in different ways, from dressing inappropriately for culture or weather to being unsure of their surroundings, or being unable to find their way home.
- They will often have someone, the trafficker, who speaks for them, either to translate or to maintain control, or both. This person often has the victims’ hard earned cash and their documents or identification.
-In addition to having little to no money and no ID, victims often will have few or no personal possessions.
- Child Victims: Child may be homeschooled, or have large gaps is their schooling history.
- Psychological Signs: Victims of all ages may be suffering from anxiety disorders like PTS and depression. They will often express shame, humiliation and helplessness, especially in children. They may seem frightened to make contact with the outside world and avoid eye contact. They may have an unclear concept of time.
-Interactions: The victim will likely be unsure how to act in the community. This can manifest in different ways, from dressing inappropriately for culture or weather to being unsure of their surroundings, or being unable to find their way home.
- They will often have someone, the trafficker, who speaks for them, either to translate or to maintain control, or both. This person often has the victims’ hard earned cash and their documents or identification.
-In addition to having little to no money and no ID, victims often will have few or no personal possessions.
This information may seem useless for someone who lives say, on a college campus, or in a neighborhood far from factories and brothels. That is understandable, which is why readers may be encouraged to know that there is rising awareness in arenas that can actually make significant changes to this industry. The easiest point to catch traffickers is during transportation. That is why two of the main groups adding Human Trafficking Awareness to their training are flight attendants and truckers. “Truckers Against Trafficking” has taken initiative to police the truck stops they visit late at night, a common stop along trafficking routs.
Flight attendants have started their own trainings to recognize suspicious signs. They have teamed up with http://www.innocentsatrisk.org/ to educate and push legislature on capital hill. Since the U.S. government and international organizations have been unable to act on this issue, it is in the hands of citizens.
Flight attendants have started their own trainings to recognize suspicious signs. They have teamed up with http://www.innocentsatrisk.org/ to educate and push legislature on capital hill. Since the U.S. government and international organizations have been unable to act on this issue, it is in the hands of citizens.
I encourage any reader to follow up on the links in this post to see videos and news articles that both helped me learn about this issue and add insight and detail.
I think this is a great article good job!!
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