Human Trafficking: A Brief Overview Of A Huge Problem
For most people, the thought of “slavery” conjures up images of slave ships, cotton fields, and bull whips. They may remember studying slavery in the Civil War section of their American history class—a terrible and sordid thing of the past. The awful reality, though, is that because of the scourge of human trafficking, there are more slaves worldwide now than at any other time in history. Polaris, a leading organization in the fight against modern slavery, has this to say:
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery—a multimillion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. And no matter where you live, chances are it’s happening nearby. From the girl forced into prostitution at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his will. All trafficking victims share one essential experience: the loss of freedom.
Many of the products the average American uses every day may be all or partially made overseas by slave labor! But, if you think that the problem only occurs in far away places, guess again. Experts estimate that, here in the United States, between 100,000 and 300,000 children are trapped in the modern day evil of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). They are sex slaves, forced into prostitution right here in our own backyards.
Considered broadly, human trafficking is a many-faceted problem. In some countries, India for example, debt bondage (the practice of charging workers exorbitant interest rates for the costs of food, housing, and transport) keeps people, and sometimes whole families, bound to the owners of factories and businesses because of perceived debt they have no hope of ever repaying. Debt bondage is also employed to enslave domestic workers, agricultural workers, and sex trafficking victims in western countries, including the United States. A family trapped in desperate poverty in Africa might allow their young daughter to travel abroad with people who promise a good job in a foreign country. When the girl gets to her destination, though, she is forced into domestic servitude or prostitution. Instead of a wonderful new life and money to send home to her family, she becomes a slave, trapped by force and debt bondage in a life of hell.
Even closer to home, sex traffickers lure vulnerable American children into forced prostitution. A girl might meet a charming young man at school or online who flatters her with expensive gifts and promises of love. Then, when she is completely under his spell, he asks her for a favor: he owes some men money and if she could just do this one thing for him, just this one time…He will tell her that if she truly loves him, she would be willing to help him. Once she has been used in this way, it’s only a short road to a life of being prostituted, because the charming young man is actually a pimp. In other cases, a child might be abducted right off the street and coerced by fear and torture. Once they are trapped in this life, they will likely be forced to have sex with multiple men every night and will often be advertised for sex at venues such as major sporting events and conferences. According to Linda Smith, the founder of Shared Hope International, these girls are usually between the ages of 11-14. There are risk factors that make these children vulnerable. According to the Shared Hope International website sharedhope.org:
Men, women and children from a wide variety of backgrounds are victimized through sex trafficking. Vulnerability factors that make individuals more susceptible to trafficking include low self-esteem, being abused or neglected, poverty, homelessness, being in the foster care system and identifying as LGBT. Children’s emotional and economic dependence on others and undeveloped ability to analyze decisions and understand consequences combined with their high “market value” among buyers make them especially vulnerable to traffickers.
It’s very easy to blame the traffickers and unscrupulous employers, but we must ask ourselves if we, as individuals and as a society, play a role in this problem. We are a consumer-driven society. While I am a believer in the free market system, nothing in this fallen world comes without a price. American corporations, striving to maximize profits, sometimes knowingly or unknowingly buy materials and products manufactured using slave labor. In some industries, such as the fashion industry, women may be working in slave-like conditions in American territories allowing the “made in the USA” label to be used. Even worse than this, American men can travel to foreign countries where sex tourism allows them relatively anonymous access to young girls. The practice may be illegal, but it’s tolerated in many countries because of the money it infuses into the economy. Local police and politicians are often either complicit or simply paid to look the other way. They might even run the brothels. Places where prostitution is legal or common are hotbeds for sex trafficking, as is the pornography industry in the United States. Prostitution and pornography are controversial subjects. With staggering numbers of men (and women) looking at porn on a daily basis, the idea that they are helping to promote sex trafficking is a huge pill to swallow, and the rights of “sex workers” is a major topic among feminists. I plan to deal with pornography and prostitution in a later blog post.
As you can probably see, modern day slavery is a monstrous problem, seemingly beyond the scope of any individual effort. But it isn’t hopeless. One of my goals in writing this blog is to provide simple first steps that individuals can take to help. The “useful links” page of this blog lists several organizations which are waging a valiant war against trafficking here and abroad. Organizations like International Justice Mission, Shared Hope International, and Operation Underground Railroad rescue victims, provide ongoing aftercare, and fight for better laws and law enforcement practices. The work is expensive and often dangerous, but they do it every day, all over the world. And you can help. Below I’ve provided a checklist of straightforward steps you can take right now. I hope that you will check off every box and that these simple steps will propel you to even greater action. Remember something: if your actions lead to the salvation and healing of even just one other human being, your life on this Earth will have infinitely greater meaning.
The Checklist:
1. Learn the signs of trafficking. Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking have recognizable signs. Download the printable pdf from Shared Hope International ❏
2. Know who to call if you suspect trafficking is taking place. Put the following numbers into your phone so that you always have them:
The National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1(888)373-7888
The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children 24-Hour Hotline: 1(800)843-5678 ❏
3. Download the Truckers Against Trafficking app for iOS. It actually lists the signs and has buttons you can press to call hotline numbers. They made it easy! ❏
4. Sign the petition at ijm.org ❏
5. Pick an anti-trafficking organization and set up a monthly donation. ANY amount will help. ❏
To be honest, I have barely scratched the surface of this problem. To provide this overview, it was necessary to pick and choose what to cover, and what I have omitted is glaring. Fortunately, if you want greater detail, there are good books available, many of which are listed in the Books page of this blog. Plus, the websites of all of the organizations listed on the “Important Links” page provide a wealth of information.
M.
1 thought on “Human Trafficking: A Brief Overview Of A Huge Problem”
Thank you for putting all that information in one post. Got it all in my phone now!
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