What is Human Trafficking?

Human Trafficking is a modern form of slavery. It involves the illegal sale and trade of humans. People may be roped into this world either for purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labor. They are often coerced into it through threats, desperation, economic abuse, debt, and deceit. "The people who are at the highest risk for being victims of sex trafficking include: those in extreme poverty or with limited education and work opportunities, those who have experienced forms of sexual abuse as children, those with substance use disorders, mental or physical disabilities as well as adolescents who are runaways, homeless, and even those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ community". 

 

Human trafficking affects society more than people realize, with some of the main hubs in the United States being places like The Dallas/Fort Worth Area, Houston, LA County and Washington D.C. Major events such as the Superbowl or large concerts are also opportune times for traffickers to transport and sell their victims with ease. Nearly 24.9 million people are victims of human trafficking worldwide and of this number, the most trafficked group of people are women and girls. 

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This horrific practice continues to happen because of its immense profitability, generating approximately 150 billion dollars every single year, with sexual exploitation raking in over 32 billion of those dollars. Traffickers are often not obvious or easy to identify, as much of their work remains in the dark. "They use everyday systems to accomplish their goals. For example, traffickers will utilize city banks to deal with their monetary transactions, they use average methods of transportation like buses and airplanes to move their victims from one place to another, they book nice hotel rooms and even advertise their ‘product’ on social media platforms". 

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This form of modern-day slavery impacts individual victims in ways involving their mental and physical health. Victims can be both physically and emotionally traumatized by their harrowing experiences. These people are abused and are often injured upon rescue. On a mental and emotional level, they will likely have reluctance trusting people, may be scared and uncomfortable with being touched in any way, they could be struggling with substance abuse, and they often carry so much shame and guilt regarding their circumstances. “Victims of sex trafficking are at high risk for long-term physical and mental health consequences related to inflicted trauma and deprivation of their basic needs for survival”.

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On a larger-scale level, human trafficking is perpetuated, often unknowingly, by average citizens supporting companies who use forced labor to create their products or services. Companies without a moral compass use this method, “if the demand for labor cannot be satisfied by legitimate distribution networks, then unauthorized networks will emerge to supply the labor market”. This modern form of slavery also harms men, women, and children alike. It promotes the growth of organized crime and similar social issues; it can weaken economies and distribute dangerous substances across countries. 

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Human Trafficking is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "The unlawful act of transporting or coercing people, in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation." This article is only a basic, and general explanation of how  horrible human trafficking really is. The world still has so much farther to go before human trafficking and the evils that accompany it, are permanently eradicated. In order to accomplish this massive goal, people need to be educated on the matter and be willing to fight in whatever way they can for the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.