Mamaril 1

Fortune Mamaril

AP English Language and Composition B

Mr. Rivas

02 June 2017

People for Profit

A woman is lured with a job offer. A woman is promised marriage. Another is promised

educational opportunities. One is sold by a boyfriend. Another by a friend, a neighbor. Some

even sold by their own parents. Each woman passing more than one trafficker. Each woman

traveling through multiple states - multiple countries - before they reach their final destination.

Dazed and disoriented, where are they? Each woman is told they are in another place illegally,

further increasing dependency on their traffickers. Each woman is kept in captivity. Not just

physically, but emotionally. Each woman is trapped in a way where they are obliged to pay back

for recruitment and transportation fees before being released. Others can never escape. All

wanted a better life, yet are granted the opposite of what they wished for.

Human trafficking is known as the third largest international crime industry, behind

illegal drugs and arms trafficking. It reportedly engenders a profit of about thirty two billion

dollars a year (Soroptimist). The United States has a better record on handling human trafficking

compared to most countries. However, countries like Bosnia, Pakistan, and Ireland have

improved their fight against the crime. But what is human trafficking? Human trafficking is the

equivalent of slavery, or at least modern day slavery. It is an important issue that affects people

and takes away their basic human rights, such as freedom. Trafficking occurs when people are

coerced or, more often deceived, into being used for labor or sexual exploitation (labor and sex

trafficking). Although it may seem unlikely, there are actually about 14,500 to 17,500 people
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who are trafficked into the United States each year, half of which are innocent children (ASPE).

In order to prevent this, the media in the United States needs to inform and educate the

general public about human trafficking, while laws should be stricter on regulating it

(human trafficking).

A vast number of the human population are not aware that there is such thing as human

trafficking, let alone know the root causes of it. The United Methodist Women Organization

provides that, “Human trafficking is a crime fueled by global poverty, inadequate education and

opportunity, ethnic discrimination, social inequality between men and women's, and demand for

cheap labor and cheap sex. It’s a crime that transcends culture, class, and geography,” (Johnson).

This statement reveals the roots of human trafficking. The factors mentioned above could

correlate to each other. For example, lack of money usually leads to inadequate education. The

point is that women and children are usually targeted in low income communities. The reason for

that being is that those who sell the women and children in their communities get the chance to

obtain money for practically no effort at all.

Women in neighborhoods such as those are desperate for a change in their lives, and they

take every “opportunity” they have. Opportunities that sometimes unfortunately end up in a trick.

Children are forcibly taken, or also tricked into going with the perpetrators. According to the

Root Causes of Human Trafficking, “In general, root causes of human trafficking worldwide

include those which are economic, those that stem from social exclusion and gender

discrimination, and those which are political, legal, or result from conflict,” (Human Rights

First). This further backs up the first statement. Both quotes signify that global poverty is one

factor that greatly fuels human trafficking. This is valiant to know so that people, specifically

lawmakers, know where to start in preventing trafficking from happening. Furthermore, if the
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public is informed by the media about the root causes, the people can be more aware of where

human trafficking takes place -- places such as low income communities. This can lead to

individuals being more cautious of their surroundings and more cautious in those who they are

putting their trust in. By knowing the root causes of human trafficking, one can also be enabled

to look for traffickers, or people who kidnap others in order to benefit themselves.

It is hard to imagine a world where people sell others in order to gain profit. But in this

world, people are selfish and undertake outrageous activities for money. Soroptimist, a global

volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls through programs

leading to social and economic empowerment, argues, “... because sex trafficking can be

extremely lucrative, especially in areas where opportunities for education and legitimate

employment may be limited,” (Sex Slavery and Trafficking). This statement further proves that

areas with limited opportunities for education and employment are more targeted as compared to

those areas with high employment rates and great education systems.

To add on, this indicates that high rates of education and employment are essential to

safer and healthier communities. Based on Who Are Human Traffickers, “Traffickers range from

small time solo operators to loose networks of criminals, to highly sophisticated criminal

organizations that operate internationally,” (Human Rights First). This statement gives an idea as

to who traffickers could be, and shows that anyone can be a trafficker. There are a variety of

traffickers, the lowest being those who need some sort of income and are desperate to obtain

money. They are willing to sell the women and children in their communities if it means gaining

more money, money that they do not have because of the lack of employment in their district.

Other traffickers are in actual businesses that usually operate internationally (United Methodist

Women). These types of traffickers are the ones who already have money saved up, but want and
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need even more money, more wealth, and more power. Both of the previously mentioned

statements establish a sense of who the real perpetrators are. While a few only kidnap and sell

women and children once or twice, others are involved in worldwide industries of human

trafficking. These types of traffickers benefit one way or another, more often in terms of finance.

This is significant because with this knowledge, lawmakers can decide how to put a stop to the

whole business internationally and not just stop certain individuals from forcibly taking and

selling the people in their neighborhood. Additionally, if the media takes the time to educate the

public about who the perpetrators are, it will give the people the idea that they should be more

careful in who they trust, and be wary of those who are in their neighborhoods. In learning about

who they are fighting against, the public can be informed and then take action to protect those

around them. By doing so, the public are rising up against the whole business of trafficking.

Consequently, it might put an end to the industry altogether - maybe not instantaneously - but

slowly and efficiently. Human trafficking is too big a system to just stop or end overnight.

The annual number of victims in the United States range from two to four million people,

50% of those whom are estimated to be children. The majority of traffickers find children the

easier targets. Based on Risk Factors for Trafficking Victims, “Commonalities amongst victims

include age, poverty, gender inequality, unemployment, sexual abuse, health/mental problems,

and vulnerability,” (ASPE). Children, being as young as they are, are more susceptible to human

trafficking because of their age and vulnerability. Their innocence can lead to anyone being able

to manipulate them into doing what they want. It is easy for traffickers to obtain the trust of

children since they (the children) are not quite aware that there are such thing as human

traffickers, or even human trafficking in general. If parents take the time to teach their kids what

human trafficking is, then children will know and find it even more important not to talk to
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strangers. But that is not to say that a friend or neighbor can sell the child, because they can

easily do that too. However, if the children are informed by their parents or the media, they can

still try being careful, or at least know what to do if they are in a situation where they might be

tricked or forcibly captured.

When they are being captured or tricked into going with traffickers, children do not know

exactly what is happening. Be that as it may, once they realize they have been exploited for labor

or sex, their innocence slips away. They come to realize that the world is not as happy as adults

make it seem. According to Women Trafficking Women and Children:An Exploratory Study of

Women Sex Traffickers, “Children who have been trafficked have reported feelings of shame,

guilt, and low self esteem… Those trafficked in the sex industry are susceptible to contracting

STDs… typically suffer from effects to their social and education development,” (Zywiec).

Children, once taken advantage of, can never get their innocence back. They will be forced to

work for the industry for part of their lives, others for their whole lives. But once they are in the

business, a part of them dies. Children end up traumatized for life, and at times they have trouble

learning or interacting with the people around them. If the media shares this information with the

public, it can encourage adults into taking more action to end human trafficking. Adults in

communities can then ask for more laws that secure the safety of these children.

With the high rates of human trafficking globally, it might seem as if there are not

enough laws to regulate the crime. However, human trafficking is illegal in nearly every country

in the world. Unfortunately, greed and corruption allow for the underground crime to prevail.

Based on the Protect Act Fact Sheet, “The PROTECT Act comprehensively strengthens law

enforcement's ability to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and punish violent crimes committed

against children,” (Department of Justice). This shows that the government and justice system
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have instigated laws that help and protect children against human trafficking. To add on, it shows

that law enforcement is capable in keeping communities a safe environment for women and

children. In the 2013 Analysis of Human Trafficking Laws, it states, “The Polaris Project also

recommends special training for law enforcement to identify and respond to human trafficking

commissions and the establishment of a hotline to respond to reports of trafficking,” (Polaris

Project). This displays the fact that law enforcement has special training to spot human

trafficking. Furthermore, it shows that law enforcement is making an effort in serving and

protecting their districts and their nation, as well as other countries. These are important to know

so that people understand that there are, in fact, laws and regulations regarding the issue of

human trafficking. Additionally, if the media further briefs the public about this, maybe certain

individuals can aid in creating stricter laws that will enable children and women to be safer in

their neighborhoods. However, nothing will change unless the people do something about this

horrendous crime.

Since there are laws regarding human trafficking, the only action left to do now is to

follow through with it. According to Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A

Review of Literature, “... to take all appropriate national, bilateral, and international measures to

develop laws, policies, programmes, and practices to ensure the effective implementation of

international instruments for preventing and combating the trafficking and sales of children for

any purpose or in any form,” (ASPE). This helps instigate the need to take action, and to

basically ensure that laws and programs regarding human trafficking are effective, and it is only

effective when people start taking more action in preventing and combating human trafficking.

The statement is also saying that not taking action will not solve anything, and everything will

remain the same. It is a call to encourage the public to support the cause to stop the crime.
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According to Federal Government Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking, “The following federal

government agencies are implementing programs to protect and assist victims of human

trafficking and to capture and prosecute their traffickers,” (Office on Trafficking in Persons).

There are, indeed, programs that help victims in specific ways; programs that give victims what

they need specifically and individually. Programs such as these enable victims to move on with

their lives. By having much help, victims may not forget about what happened to them, but it can

help them heal in the long run. They are given the chance to recover and perhaps start their life

over. Nevertheless, possible victims would not be in a situation such as this had they known the

truth about this crime.

Various articles, such as “What’s Being Done to Stop Human Trafficking?”, have

concluded that educating the public and the society in general about human trafficking will help

prevent and stop it. Since it is very influential, the media plays a huge role in helping with

educating and informing the public. UN.GIFT suggests that “The media plays an indispensable

role in educating people about the many manifestations of global human trafficking, presenting

the problem in human terms,” (UNODC). This determines what the media could do. It could

show human trafficking in a way that many people understand. It also proves that the media

should be given the task to present the issue of human trafficking to the general public so that

society can finally see that it is, in fact, a real problem. More importantly, the media will shed a

light on this underground crime. UN.GIFT signifies “... yet media coverage is weak in many

parts of the world. Some news media outlets aren’t aware of the trafficking phenomenon,”

(UNODC). If the media is oblivious of this horrendous crime, then so is the rest of the world. It

just goes on to prove how big of an influence the media is. On the other hand, this statement also

reveals that human trafficking is not being taken as seriously as it should have been. Once the
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media familiarizes itself with the issue of the underground crime, it can then notify the public.

This can then cause the human trafficking rates to lower, and to maybe eventually stop. Although

the media in the United States has not mentioned human trafficking much, the country has done

a much better job handling the crime compared to other countries.

Human trafficking is a crime that happens in almost every part of the world. An estimated

161 countries are affected by the crime (Polaris Project). Although this is the case, it is more

prominent in poorer countries. In those countries, children are sold by family members. Young

women follow their mothers’ footsteps and sell their bodies to provide even a small amount of

money to their starving families. Girls are promised better jobs in the city, but end up being

trafficked instead. Others are forcibly kidnapped and forced into the business.

According to Free International, there is an estimated amount of 300,000 children in the

United States that are at risk of being sexually exploited, which is surprisingly a lower amount

compared to Pakistan with 1.2 million children being exploited. However, both the United States

and Pakistan have combated harder against human trafficking in the past decade (CNN). Based

on The Muse, the United States authorized The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in

2000. It was repeatedly changed in 2003, 2005, 2008; each reauthorization of this act contained

better and more positive changes. In addition, the Muse also stated that this past year, a new bill

was presented to congress to reauthorize the TVPA. This new and improved version holds the

“government contractors accountable for using foreign labor recruiters that use exploited labor,

helps law enforcement prevent and prosecute sex tourism, and creates a grant-making program to

prevent trafficking in a humanitarian crisis,” (The Muse). Massachusetts also created a Human

Trafficking Task Force which was established in order to strengthen protections for victims of

trafficking (The Muse). Similarly, the Pakistan government has also passed bills and laws that
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concern the safety and well being of trafficking victims. According to Dawn, the Pakistan

government “announced an ordinance in 2002 for the Prevention and Control of Human

Trafficking (PACHTO).” The ordinance stated that if prosecuted for this crime, the perpetrator

will have 7 - 14 years imprisonment. In addition, there is Criminal Procedure Code 1898, which

apply to the “selling and purchasing of human beings as slaves, forced labor, or about the use of

someone for prostitution,” (Dawn). The United States and Pakistan have improved their way of

handling the issue of human trafficking. Other nations around the world are also starting to take

more action to prevent, and one day end, human trafficking. It is valiant to put an end to such a

heinous crime because it abuses unalienable human rights.

Human trafficking is a crime that affects human rights, like any other crime. It takes

away something as basic as freedom. “Vulnerable individuals being coerced into a lifestyle they

did not want and who are being forced to stay and work without pay,” (Free International).

Victims of this crime have had their lives taken away from them forcibly. And if they manage to

escape this business, they are forever traumatized. The victims cannot get their childhoods back,

their past. They no longer have friends, family, or a community that allows them to feel safe in.

Victims are forever cautious of their surroundings, and they realize that life will never go back

the way it used to be. It is important for people to be informed of this crime as to save potential

victims in the United States, and around the globe.

Human trafficking affects everyone, especially women and children. It is an issue that is

primarily caused by poverty, low income communities, and high unemployment rates. This

demonstrates that safer and healthier communities have good education and high employment

rates. Furthermore, traffickers can be anyone from a person’s neighborhood. Traffickers range

from small time solo operators to business leaders that operate globally. Children are the easier
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targets for these perpetrators, considering they are young, innocent, and vulnerable. Lawmakers

have actually made laws and programs that help out children, women, and other victims of

human trafficking. These programs help them in a way that helps them move on with their lives.

To further protect potential victims, the media should show the public about the importance of

being safe from trafficking in the United States, as well as all over the world.

Works Cited Page

"15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department

of State, n.d. Web.

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/

Clawson, Heather J., Nicole Dutch, Lisa Goldblatt Grace, and Amy Solomon. "Human

Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A Review of the Literature." ASPE. N.p., 21 Aug.

2016. Web.

https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/human-trafficking-and-within-united-states-review-literature
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"Facts on Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery | Soroptimist." Soroptimist – Women's

Organization – Volunteer Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web.

http://www.soroptimist.org/trafficking/faq.html

"Fact Sheet PROTECT Act." #266: 04-30-03 FACT SHEET PROTECT ACT. N.p., 30 Apr.

2003. Web.

https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2003/April/03_ag_266.htm

Goldberg, Michelle. "Slavery Still Exists in America." The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast

Company, 13 June 2010. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/06/14/human-trafficking-

report-ranks-us-world-countries.html

"Human Trafficking in Pakistan." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1251033

"Human Trafficking: Preventing, Protecting, Prosecuting." United Methodist Women. United

Methodist Women, n.d. Web.

http://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/ht/packet

"Human Smuggling in Pakistan." Dawn. N.p., 16 Feb. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

https://www.dawn.com/news/866596/human-smuggling-in-pakistan

Jolley, Mary Ann. "'Sold Like Cows and Goats': India's Slave Brides." News from Al Jazeera. Al

Jazeera, 14 Nov. 2016. Web.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/11/cows-goats-india-slave-brides-

161114084933017.html

"Root Causes of Human Trafficking." U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking. Sisters

Against Trafficking, n.d. Web.

http://www.ipjc.org/links/USCSAHT%20-%20H T%20and%20Root%20Causes%20module.pdf
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Siria.gastelum. "Trafficking of Children." Trafficking of Children. N.p., n.d. Web.

Siria.gastelum. "How the Media Reports on Human Trafficking." UN.GIFT.HUB Global

Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. N.p., 2017. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/how-the-media-reports-on-human-

trafficking.html

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/trafficking-of-children.html

"The Traffickers." National Human Trafficking Hotline. Polaris, 26 May 2014. Web.

http://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-trafficking/human-trafficking/traffickers

"Trafficking Facts." Teens Against Trafficking. N.p., n.d.

http://ngpteensagainsttrafficking.weebly.com/trafficking-facts.html

"What's Being Done to Stop Human Trafficking?" Free Career Advice. N.p., 01 Feb. 2013. Web.

https://www.themuse.com/advice/whats-being-done-to-stop-human-trafficking