SOC120 FINAL PAPER

Running head: ETHICAL ISSUES 1

Ethical Issues: Human Trafficking

Marshakie Applewhite

SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility

Instructor: Thomas Reeder

28 October 2017

ETHICAL ISSUES 2

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is believed to be one of the most significant criminal activities in the world.

This activity should be addressed as it is a form of slavery. Human trafficking involves forced

labor, commercial sex trafficking, and domestic servitude among others. Human trafficking

involves both foreigners and the United States citizens and is not limited by any geographic

restrictions. The federal Bureau of investigation works in a lot of cases, which are both civil and

violent crime related. Majority of human trafficking victims suffer traumatic experiences, hence

the need ensure that their needs are well considered. This paper addresses the problem of human

trafficking, which is an ethical issue of consideration. Ethical theories have been highlighted to

support and emphasize the extensive nature of the issue.

What are the ethical issues?

Efforts have been made by many governments to combat human trafficking in different

regions of the world. The emergence of social media has become a new platform for more

human traffickers (Patanaick, 2015). Therefore, it becomes tough for the authorities to trace

offenders. Such criminal activities become hidden and wider. Millions of men, women, and

children are victims of human trafficking and forced labor. Technology and the numerous social

networking sites have provided predators a primary outlet to lure the naïve and vulnerable

populations into sweet promises. The final paper will present the history, the method, purpose,

and forms of human trafficking. Ethical concerns will also be highlighted in the final paper. All

in all, human trafficking is illegal and immoral. The utilitarian ethic is not enough to justify the

morality of human trafficking. The fact remains that individuals cannot use children as objects or

ETHICAL ISSUES 3

the means to achieve the desired ends. They are still human beings and need to be treated with

the highest level of dignity.

Where are there breaches of ethical behavior?

The breaches of ethical behavior in case of human trafficking are magnificent. First, in human

trafficking, the rights of individuals and liberties are entirely violated. Most victims are subjected

to torture, violence, sexual assault and also humanitarian offenses. All these are unethical.

According to ethics, every individual has the right to choose, and make decisions on where they

want to reside, the type of work they want to do, and more so, there is a need to protect

everybody's interests.

Ethical theories

Kantianism and human trafficking

In Kantian ethics, every individual has inherent dignity by his or her humanity. Every

individual is only good or bad based on his ethics and depending on the motivation of his

actions. This is not gauged based on the goodness of the consequences. According to this theory,

every human being has an intrinsic value and not merely instrumental. Without human beings,

there would be nothing ‘valued’ (Shelley & Lee, 2007). According to Kant, the moral thing to do

is the rational thing to do. Immoral actions such as human trafficking, therefore, are irrational.

An act is considered to be morally permissible only if that law can be a universal law of nature.

Kind argues that an act is also permissible if every individual acted for the same reason in the

situation at hand. Kant, therefore, reduces morality to rationality, which works quite well in

regards to explaining the illegality of human trafficking.

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Despite the fact that an individual may willingly agree to take a job or to migrate legally,

one he or she is compelled by the use of physical threat or abuse, then the consent to obtain

employment with the trafficker becomes completely irrelevant. This idea is what introduces us to

the principle of utilitarianism, where the consequences of an individual’s action are determinant

in the morality of actions. The meant in attaining the end are entirely disregarded. The Kantian

principle goes ahead to compliment the utilitarian approach, which emphasizes the need to do

good and not necessarily focus on the means. Human trafficking remains illegal and immoral,

and against ethics in the society at large.

Deontology

Deontology emphasizes that there are specific actions which are forbidden, while others are

required. This is despite the consequences which follow from them. For example, if telling lies

could ensure that more lies would never be told, the first lie should not be told since lying is

itself forbidden. There are a lot of forms of deontological views. Some actions that should not be

accrued out are those that cause harm, for instance in the case of human trafficking. The

principal discourages the act and renders it to be immoral and unethical. Some people claim that

there is a need to make lives better and strive to protect others from harm. Rules of etiquette

should be followed, and human trafficking violates ethical requirements as per deontological

views.

Solutions to human trafficking

The final paper will also address the solutions which can be embraced to solve the human

trafficking problem. One of the significant challenges faced with the emergence of modern ways

to conduct human trafficking is the unique characteristic of the internet (Clawson et al. 2009).

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Efforts to keep up with the developing and ever-changing technology have proved futile for most

humanitarian organizations. To combat traffickers, experts prove that more people need to be

targeted and public awareness enhanced. Vulnerable people are also encouraged to speak to

authorities and trustworthy individuals in the society. This is a long and complicated process and

needs a lot of coordination among the civil, government and agencies.

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References

Kempadoo, K., Sanghera, J., & Pattanaik, B. (2015). Trafficking and prostitution reconsidered:

New perspectives on migration, sex work, and human rights. Routledge.

Shelley, L., & Lee, M. (2007). Human trafficking as a form of transnational crime. Human

trafficking, 116-137.

Clawson, H. J., Dutch, N., Solomon, A., & Grace, L. G. (2009). Human trafficking into and

within the United States: A review of the literature. Washington, DC: Office of the

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, US Department of Human and Health

Services. Retrieved December 25, 2009.