Unit Six Assignment

Unit Six Assignment

Unit Six Assignment

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Misconceptions on Human Trafficking in United States

Human trafficking is a rapidly growing problem in the United States that is not being adequately addressed by law enforcement. Instead of the trafficked victim being treated like a victim they are instead treating like criminals. Not only are the victims treated like criminals the public turns a blind eye to the plight of these victims due to a misconception that sex industry workers are not traffic victims. This misconception has led to innocent women, children, and men being exploited for sex or forced to into labor with no hope for rescue. Human trafficked victims do not chose to become slaves but instead are forced into slavery by traffickers.

Many human trafficked victims are taken from their home or coerced through ploys used by traffickers to convince the victim they are a legitimate employer. Once the victim is under the control of the trafficker they are no longer free to leave. Sex trafficked victims are forced into the sex industry while other slaves are forced into hard labor. Once the victim is in the clutches of the trafficker it is difficult for them to escape. The trafficker will threaten the family of the trafficked victim or they will use bodily force to ensure the victim complies. Many sex trafficked victims are put on drugs to ensure they will be more compliant and to make it harder for them to escape the sex industry.

The fact is almost 80% of all victims are trafficked for sex (Aronowitz, 2009). This means man of the prostitutes the police arrest and the public turns their back on are victims of human trafficking and are being forced to have sex for money. There are an estimated 27 million adults and 13 million children around the world who are victims of human trafficking (Aronowitz, 2009). Once the victim is forced into the sex industry they become criminals in the eyes of the law. Even if the prostitute is under age, in most cases they are arrested and then put back onto the streets.

Human trafficking is becoming a booming business because there is little risk the trafficker will ever get caught and it is extremely profitable. While America is not the leader of human trafficking it does have a major, growing problem that must be addressed. The human trafficking problem now exceeds the drug problem in the world and effects millions. While the majority of victims are trafficked for sex other human slaves in the United States are forced to work long hours in sweatshops, as a servant, or in agriculture.

Once a victim is in the clutches of the human trafficker for the purposes of sex they will become conditioned not to run away and to obey the orders of their trafficker. The conditioning is necessary in order to trust the sex trafficked victim to work the streets as a prostitute. The victim will gang raped, beaten, starved and most commonly have the lives of their loved ones threatened (Ergas, 2012). The victim will be forced onto drugs and make to have sex with hundreds of johns which make them ashamed and numb. These victims are terrified of their traffickers and receive no assistance from police.

Human trafficking is a crime and should be punished. When police arrest a prostitute they should provide them with an opportunity of avoiding charges if they are trafficked victims needing aid. These victims should be placed in programs far from their traffickers o they can recover their lives. Next the johns should be harshly punished and shamed in the public to deter them from seeking the services of prostitutes and the trafficker should be identified and punished. Without support from law enforcement current measures to assist the human trafficked victim will not be a success. Police and the public must recognize many of these sex workers are victims and treat them as victims.

References

Aronowitz, A. (2009). Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human

Beings. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group

Ergas, A., Gallager, A. & Todres, J. (2012). Is law enforcement alone enough to reduce human

trafficking? Retrieved May 27, 201 from

http://www.themorningsidepost.com/2012/12/04/great-debate-human-trafficking/