A Modern Day War Against Human Trafficking
What is Human Trafficking?
Modern Day Slavery. Human trafficking is referred to as the modern day slavery as it “is the process of trapping people through the use of violence, deception or coercion and exploiting them for financial or personal gain” (antislavery.org). The victims are used to perform some sort of work under slavery-like conditions. Despite the perception that human trafficking is only women who are forced into prostitituiton, there are 3 types of trafficking. They are sex trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage.
Definitions
Sex Trafficking : the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another for the purpose of sexual exploitation
Labor Trafficking : involves recruiting, transporting or holding victims to coerce them into doing any kind of work
Debt Bondage : when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt
Who Are The Victims Of Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking affects an estimated amount of 40.3 million people across the globe. Lots of times, these traffickers take advantage of the victim’s vulnerabilities. Their vulnerabilities can be things such as having an unstable living situation, facing poverty, having previously faced abuse, low self esteem, etc. As World 101 explains, the process of trafficking can take many shapes or forms. Given examples of this can look like “offering women in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, waitressing jobs in the capital city Bishkek, only to seize their passports and force them into sex work overseas. Or it can look like traffickers offering Central American migrants good jobs and visas to the United States, only to deliver work in which conditions are awful and pay is abysmal”. Women and girls make up most of the victim count as they are estimated to be almost 80% of the overall total. In the United States alone, between 15,000 and 50,000 women and girls are trafficked each year.
A True Story From A Survivor (Information taken from CNN article)
Coming from an abusive home both physical and sexual, Karla Jacinto became an easy target for traffickers in Mexico. After years in a broken home, she was young and vulnerable. At the prime age of 12 she was fooled into a situation that would set her on a path of hidden lies. A man of 22 picked Karla up to take her on a trip to Puebla and after, created a relationship. It wasn’t long after that he would convince her to leave her home with him for good. Excited and dazzled by the new apartment, fancy clothes, and luxury that she had never experienced before, she was content. Many red flags started to appear as the two spent their time together, leaving Karla curious as to what she got into and what this man was all about. Soon after she questioned him, her life turned upside down. He began having her prostitute day after day, from 10am to Midnight…having sex to up to 30 times a day. Miss Jacinto ended up giving birth at 15 where her baby was taken and never seen again. She lived a life from Hell until she was finally rescued in 2008 during an anti-trafficking operation in Mexico City. Living with a past of horror she came out at 23 and spoke her story hoping it ‘take the blind fold off the eyes’ of the public.
Where Does Human Trafficking Take Place?
Human trafficking is EVERYWHERE. Every continent in the world has been involved in human trafficking and no country is immune. While human trafficking can happen anywhere, it tends to be concentrated to international travel hubs.
How Can YOU Help Combat Human Trafficking?
5 Tips
- Know the signs
- Report a tip
- Spread the word
- Stay Informed
- Raise your voice
Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline Visit disclaimer page if you have any tips or concerns about a potential trafficking situation. Call 1-888-373-7888, text HELP to BEFREE (233733), or email help@humantraffickinghotline.org.
Bloomsburg Infographics 