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Ashleigh Smart

English 1010

Ms. Teuscher

27 November 2018

Human Trafficking

“He approached me and told me in so many words, ‘I want you to have sex with this guy

for money,’” Tonya said. “I was very uncomfortable and I kept saying no, I didn’t want to do it.

He kept telling me, ‘If you love me, you’ll do this. It’s just one thing. Just try it.’” Tonya was a

victim of sex trafficking and just like most other victims, she had no clue that this would be the

outcome of a “simple interaction”,”(ICE). Human trafficking is an international issue which has

caused plenty of violations against basic human rights, and has many people attempting to

prevent or end this in anyway possible.

With many countries around the world being in ​poor​ condition or a sad state, they aren’t

well protected when it comes to stopping an issue as huge as human trafficking. Freedom’s

Journey is a website that has included many sources that help people understand what exactly

human trafficking is. They also include answers to many asked questions. When “where are

people being trafficked to” was clicked on it pulled up many charts and statistics about the

locations. It mentioned that “the ​UNODC​ [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime] reports

that trafficking victims tend to flow from ​poor​ areas to wealthier areas, relative to the community

in which they reside,” (Freedom’s Journey). Since many human trafficking victims come from

more poor countries, it points out quite an obvious matter. That matter being that there isn’t

enough protection from the dangers of human trafficking.

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On a website called Human Trafficking Search there are a few statistics about the top five

countries that are contributing to this problem, these countries are mentioned by referencing

another source. It is said that, “​according to the Global Slavery Index, North Korea (4.37%),

Uzbekistan (3.97%), Cambodia (1.64%), India (1.40%), and Qatar (1.35%) have the highest

prevalence – percentage of population – in modern-day slavery,”(​Human Trafficking Search​).

This statistic came from 2017, so it is very recent and updated. These countries all have

something in common…at one point or another they were all very poor. There are countless

other poor countries too, and many of those countries are highly traveled to tourist destinations.

Endless stories have been shared about the dangers and effects of being alone in public places in

these poor and foreign countries. That is why it is always recommended to travel in a group of

people rather than alone. These are statistics showing where people are trafficked from, but there

are other statistics that show where people are being trafficked to.

Once again, on Freedom’s Journey there is a chart included that shows the movement of

trafficking victims.

Movement of Trafficking Victims

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With this chart they included a short statistic that mentions “more than 60 percent of trafficking

victims are moved across borders. However, most victims remain within the same subregion as

their home country, often moving to neighboring countries. And more than a third are trafficked

within their country of origin,”(Freedom’s Journey).

Above not being able to protect the country itself, poor countries are unable to produce

the funds/means to educate the citizens of the country to protect themselves from this issue - as

easily - unlike the United States. When researching what countries are able to provide education

in this matter, a french website came up. The France Diplomatie seems like it is a website that

shares top news stories from france, and along with that has multiple pages to help with travel

plans to france. But on one of their pages it mentions what is being done in their fight against

human trafficking, it states that “​in May 2014, the government adopted a national action plan

against human trafficking with three priorities: the protection of victims, dismantling networks

linked to trafficking, and implementing a fully-fledged public policy on this issue. In accordance

with law n° 2016-444 of 13 April 2016 with seeks to reinforce the fight against the system of

prostitution and to support prostitutes, funds are allocated to help prevent prostitution and to

provide social and professional support to victims of prostitution and of human trafficking for the

purposes of sexual exploitation,”(The France Diplomatie). Although there are many countries

that are not able to provide protection or assistence against this problem, it doesn’t mean that the

US is the only country that can provide these things. Along with that it doesn’t mean that the US

is doing as much as they can either. There is room for improvement throughout the whole world.

One source realized what exactly is being done, “[but that] prevention efforts are few and far

beyond. This is why GISD [Girls Incorporated San Diego] has decided to partner with 3Strands
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Global Foundation to help deliver curriculum that complies with the Human Trafficking

Prevention Education and Training Act (Bill AB-1227),” (GirlsIncSD). By doing this they are

not only helping other countries with prevention methods, but they are educating people on a

topic that needs attention. It is seen that by teaching a curriculum that helps people become

aware of the bad, the people that are being taught will be able to better protect themselves from

bad situations, and help others who are in need of protection too.

Along with assisting in prevention through foundations, most people are highly capable

of providing a change through ways of their own making. One website run by the US

Department of State included a list of 15 different ways to help fight human trafficking. Through

the list there are many ways that incorporate foundations, or clubs, etc... but it also mentions that

“[you can] encourage your local schools to partner with students and include modern slavery in

their curricula. As a parent, educator, or school administrator, be aware of how traffickers target

school-aged children,”(US Department of State). This is just one of many different ways that

people can get involved in their own community to end human trafficking. It also gives a reason

as to why this should be taught in US schools. This evidence shows an example as to why people

should take the responsibility of learning this new topic.

Human trafficking causes many violations against human rights, and completely

disregarded any personal choice that a person has. A foundation called Operation Underground

Railroad, is a group set to provide information on the worldwide epidemic that is human

trafficking, and place survivors on a recovery path. They mentioned reasons as to why victims

choose to stay with their traffickers rather than trying to escape. After listing off multiple other

reasons, they talk about an emotional attachment that the traffickers have convinced the victims
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they have. They go on to conclude it by saying “​human traffickers employ tactics to build trust

and feelings of protection, love, commitment, etc. with victims. They may be the only person

feeding them or assume the role of a boyfriend. This often results in trafficking victims

developing an emotional attachment to their trafficker. Stockholm syndrome is a common

occurrence among those who have been trafficked; the victim feels attachment to the perpetrator

as a coping mechanism to the abuse,”(OUR-Rescue). By convincing the victim that they are

actually being cared for and trying to be helped, it causes the victim to believe that they are being

loved in a completely normal way. This is an example of how a victims personal choice is being

stolen away. By not letting them choose who they love, it confuses them into thinking that being

told who to love and when to love them is the right thing. When in reality everything in your life

should be an own personal choice. Many women who are involved in sex trafficking, not by

choice, end up getting pregnant. When this happens it can be at a very young age. Although in all

actuality that is a major personal choice, and it should be left to them and someone they choose

to be with (who truly loves them) to decide when they are ready. Along with getting pregnant,

the choice of what to do with the baby is taken away, which is very inhumane.

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has an article which includes multiple

stories of girls who have been trafficked. In one of the stories the hard truth comes out about who

trafficks them and the length that is gone to, to get what is wanted. It says, “Tonya spent night

after night in different hotel rooms, with different men, all at the command of someone she once

trusted. She was held against her will, beaten and made to feel like she had no other option at the

time, all by the man she thought she loved,”(ICE). This tragic story of someone’s trafficking

experience gives and awfully true example of how basic human rights are taken. It is the right of
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any person to choose how they are treated, and to be perfectly blunt when they “lose their

innocence” meaning to have sex. But when a person is taken and forced to perform disgusting

acts, especially as a child, that innocence is stolen away. And the person who stole it may never

even blink an eye.

Human trafficking has many people trying to find a solution that will bring us towards

ending this horrible “phenomenon”, or will end it completely. In an article on Human Trafficking

Institute it mentions that ​the root cause of human trafficking is traffickers. They go on to talk

about how that could be possible. To answer that question they say, “when we seek justice in

human trafficking cases, we work against a human adversary. There is a trafficker scheming to

exploit the vulnerable and conceal the crime. Perpetrators deliberately work against the justice

we seek because they profit from the unjust status quo,”(Human Trafficking Institute). By

making this connection, people are able to see what is needed to change in order to make a

difference. There are many foundations that have been created, as mentioned earlier in this

paper, that are striving to make a difference in this global epidemic. Although those pushes for a

change are great, and have made a difference in some cases, the real issue has been pointed out

in this article. Therefore if a change is wanted, then make a change to what you are doing to stop

this issue. Start a new foundation, go out and teach the truth, make your own research to learn

what is real and isn't, hear stories from people who have gone through it themselves, but get the

facts and move and from there. Make A Difference. Human trafficking is an international issue

which has caused plenty of violations against basic human rights, and has many people

attempting to prevent or end this in anyway possible. So find that way and work towards a

change, until that change is found. But strive to do whatever it takes.

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Bibliography

“Advocacy Efforts - Learn How to Advocate.” ​Girls Inc. of San Diego County​,

girlsincsd.org/take-action/advocacy/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8R9CSMty

ZQ6dqxBLCA1t9-c19NRiSADAjf87gZZhE0VHBQ1GNBUfzkaAmkBEALw_wcB.

“15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking.” ​U.S. Department of State,​ U.S. Department

of State, www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/.

“Freedom's Journey.” ​9 Most Influential Women in the History of Social Work - Blog | USC's

Online MSW​, msw.usc.edu/freedoms-journey-understanding-human-trafficking/.

“Human Trafficking Victim Shares Story.” ​ICE​, 2 Nov. 2017,

www.ice.gov/features/human-trafficking-victim-shares-story.

Kane-Hartnett, Liza. “Top Countries for Modern-Day Slavery • Human Trafficking Search.”

Human Trafficking Search​, 2 Jan. 2018,

humantraffickingsearch.org/top-countries-modern-day-slavery/.

Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères. “Fight against Human Trafficking.” ​France

Diplomatie : : Ministère De L'Europe Et Des Affaires Étrangères,​ Apr. 2017,

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/human-rights/fight-against-human-traf

ficking/.

“The Root Cause of Trafficking Is Traffickers.” ​Human Trafficking Institute​, JohnRichmond,31

Jan.2017,www.traffickinginstitute.org/the-root-cause-of-trafficking-is-traffickers/.

“Why Don't Victims of Trafficking Just Run Away?” ​OUR Stories,​ 31 Mar. 2018,

ourrescue.org/blog/dont-victims-trafficking-just-run-away/.
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