Human trafficking is often thought of as a problem indigenous only to developing nations. However, the phenomenon is pervasive internationally, including in the United States. Examples of human enslavement in the U.S. that have recently been exposed by the media and law enforcement have been found in the fields of domestic service, prostitution, farm labor, factories, and mining (Bales & Soodalter 2007). "Trafficking supplies human beings for prostitution, sweatshop labor, street begging, domestic work, marriage, adoption, agricultural work, construction, armed conflicts (child soldiers), and other forms of exploitive labor or services" around the world (Loring, Engstrom, Hilliard, & Diaz 2007:1).
These cases represent only a proverbial 'tip of the iceberg' of the phenomenon as it exists today. The phenomenon of globalization has increased the flow of human traffic worldwide, not only in legitimate spheres of labor, but also in the arenas of human trafficking. "Human trafficking represents perhaps the worst form of labor exploitation and can be regarded as one of the dark sides of globalization" (Loring, Engstrom, Hilliard, & Diaz 2007:1). It can be very difficult to estimate exactly how pervasive the phenomenon is, given the secrecy surrounding the practice. Even victims of the crime themselves may not reveal when they have been enslaved when they come into contact with authorities, because of fears of reprisals from their enslavers and because they are likely to be undocumented workers. For example, statistics indicate that of women in the sex slave industry, 28% saw a health care professional yet only a very small percentage were released from their captivity after the initial visit, after which they returned to their abusive situation (Dovydaitis 2007).
Estimates of the pervasiveness of human trafficking vary wildly. For example, a 2005 International Labor Organization report estimated that there were...
[NAFI, 2007, pg 8] on the other hand there are many adult women who unfortunately end up as forced laborers. These people happen to be victims of false promises who were lured with the idea of well paid jobs and a higher standard of living. The traffickers often employ psychological tactics in forcing their victims to submission. Routinely the travel and identification documents of the victims are seized and
Human Trafficking The State Department of the U.S. Government has for the past ten years issued an annual report on the state of laws governing human trafficking. The latest report shows that most of the world's industrialized countries have enacted laws to protect against human trafficking. This includes recognizing that human trafficking is a problem and having taken steps to address the issue (Wu & Zifcak, 2010). Most countries in the
Presently, many jurisdictions incarcerate the victims and then export them as illegal aliens to the same conditions that made them candidates for trafficking in the first purpose. In the process these poor individuals are victimized again at the hands of the law enforcement officials. It is an unbroken circle. Efforts are on the way such as in the European Union to adopt a more enlightened approach but there is
human trafficking was to 'give voice to the voiceless.' Human trafficking is a serious issue but because its primary victims are poor and often young and female, they receive little attention from the mass media. This is a difficult and unpleasant issue that people would rather forget about than acknowledge exists in our present-day society. The topic presented an interesting challenge to me as a qualitative researcher because it was essential that
Theory -- Approach Linkage Human trafficking in Vietnam: Article critique Although no region of the world is immune to the problem of human trafficking, in certain areas the crime is particularly acute. In Asia, the ratio of trafficked persons relative to the rest of the population is even higher than it is worldwide, with 3 victims per every 1,000 inhabitants, and that is only of the persons who are known to be
The Inextricable Correlation between Human Trafficking and Prostitution Introduction Despite ongoing efforts by the international community, human trafficking remains a global problem today. Tens of thousands of men, women and children are routinely exploited by human traffickers each year, and the practice generates billions of dollars in criminal proceeds at home and abroad. In fact, after drugs and gun-running, sex trafficking is the largest source of money for criminal organizations in the
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