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Essay on Human Trafficking

Students are often asked to write an essay on Human Trafficking in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Human Trafficking

Understanding human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a serious global issue. It involves the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain. Victims are often lured with false promises of well-paying jobs or manipulated by people they trust.

Types of Human Trafficking

The main types of human trafficking are forced labor, sex trafficking, and child trafficking. Forced labor involves making people work against their will. Sex trafficking involves forcing victims into sexual exploitation. Child trafficking includes all these forms but involves children.

Preventing Human Trafficking

To prevent human trafficking, we must raise awareness about its reality. Educating people about its signs and consequences can help prevent it. Additionally, supporting victim services is crucial.

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250 Words Essay on Human Trafficking

Human trafficking, a grave violation of human rights, is a complex issue that has plagued societies globally. It is a form of modern-day slavery, where individuals are exploited through force, fraud, or coercion for various purposes such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, or organ trafficking.

The Scale of the Problem

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that human trafficking is the third most profitable crime after drug trafficking and arms smuggling. This illicit trade thrives due to poverty, political instability, armed conflict, and corruption, affecting millions of victims, predominantly women and children.

Measures to Combat Human Trafficking

Addressing human trafficking requires a multi-faceted approach. Legal measures, such as strict laws and penalties, are crucial. The Palermo Protocol, adopted by the UN, provides a framework for criminalizing trafficking, protecting victims, and promoting cooperation among states.

The Role of Education and Awareness

Education and awareness play a pivotal role in combating human trafficking. By informing communities about the tactics used by traffickers and the rights of individuals, we can empower potential victims to protect themselves.

Human trafficking is a pressing issue that demands global attention and action. Through a combination of legal measures, education, and international cooperation, we can work towards eradicating this heinous crime and safeguarding human dignity.

500 Words Essay on Human Trafficking

Introduction to human trafficking.

Human trafficking, a grave violation of human rights, is a contemporary global issue that transcends borders, cultures, and economies. It is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that enslaves nearly 25 million people around the world. This heinous crime involves the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain and is often referred to as ‘modern-day slavery’.

The Mechanics of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking operates on the principles of supply and demand. The demand for cheap labor, sexual services, and certain criminal activities fuels this illicit trade. The supply side, however, is driven by factors such as poverty, lack of education, gender discrimination, armed conflict, and political instability. Traffickers exploit these vulnerabilities to lure victims with false promises of employment, education, or a better life.

Forms of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking manifests in various forms, including forced labor, sex trafficking, child labor, and organ trafficking. Forced labor, also known as involuntary servitude, is the biggest sector of trafficking in the world. Sex trafficking victims are often involved in prostitution, pornography, or sex tourism. Child trafficking, another gruesome form, involves the exploitation of children in labor, soldiering, or sexual slavery. Organ trafficking, a lesser-known form, involves the illegal trade of organs.

Impacts of Human Trafficking

The impacts of human trafficking are devastating and far-reaching. Victims often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats, and even death. Additionally, they often face long-term psychological trauma, disease, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and death. The societal implications include the reinforcement of gender and social inequalities, perpetuation of poverty, and undermining of public health, safety, and security.

Preventing human trafficking requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach. It involves strengthening laws and regulations, enhancing victim identification and protection, promoting awareness and education, and fostering international cooperation. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals all have crucial roles to play in this fight against human trafficking.

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5 Essays On Human Trafficking You Can Access Freely Online

Every country faces specific human rights issues, but human trafficking is a problem for every place on the planet. Wherever there’s poverty, conflict, a lack of education, or political instability, vulnerable people are at risk. Human trafficking is the world’s fastest-growing criminal industry. Sexual exploitation brings in most of the billions of dollars of profit, but forced labor also generates wealth. The universality of human trafficking doesn’t negate the fact that the issue is multi-faceted and as a multitude of root causes . Certain countries are more dangerous than others and certain people groups are more vulnerable. To learn more about specific human trafficking issues and solutions, here are five essays you can read or download for free:

“Human Trafficking and Exploitation: A Global Health Concern”

By: Cathy Zimmerman and Ligia Kiss

While labor migration can be beneficial to workers and employers, it’s also a hotbed for exploitation. In this essay from PLOS, the authors argue that human trafficking and the exploitation of low-wage workers have significant negative health impacts. Because of the magnitude of human trafficking, health concerns constitute a public health problem. Thanks to certain business models that depend on disposable labor, exploitation is allowed to flourish while protections are weakened. The essay states that trafficking initiatives must focus on stopping exploitation within each stage of labor migration. This essay introduces a special collection from PLOS on human trafficking and health. It’s the first medical journal collection on this topic. It includes pieces on child sex trafficking in the United States and the slavery of sea workers in South East Asia. Cathy Zimmerman and Ligia Kiss, the guest editors and authors of the first essay, are from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“Introducing The Slave Next Door”

By: Jen Birks and Alison Gardner

Published in a special issue of the Anti-Trafficking Review on public perceptions and responses to human trafficking, this essay focuses on Great Britain. According to the essay, there’s been a shift in what the public thinks about trafficking based on local reporting and anti-slavery campaigns. British communities are starting to realize how prevalent human trafficking is in their own backyards. The essay takes a closer look at the media and campaigns, how they’re representing cases, and what people are doing with the information. While specific to Britain, it’s a good example of how people can perceive trafficking within their borders.

Jen Birks is an Assistant Professor in media at the Department of Cultural, Media, and visual Studies at the University of Nottingham. Alison Gardner is at the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham with a Nottingham Research Fellowship. She is part of the university’s Rights Lab.

“My Family’s Slave”

By: Alex Tizon

One of The Atlantic’s biggest stories of 2017, this essay tells a personal story of modern slavery. At 18-years old, Lola was given to the writer’s mother and when they moved to the United States, Lola came with them. On the outside, Tizon’s family was, in his words, “a poster family.” The truth was much darker. The essay sparked countless reader responses, including those of people who were once slaves themselves. Reading both the criticism and praise of the essay is just as valuable as the essay itself.

Alex Tizon died at age 57 years old before his essay was published. He had a successful career as a writer and reporter, sharing a Pulitzer Prize while a staff member at The Seattle Times. He also published a 2014 memoir Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self.

“Vietnam’s Human Trafficking Problem Is Too Big To Ignore”

By: Thoi Nguyen

In November 2019, 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a truck container. They were identified as victims of a human trafficking ring. In Nguyen’s article, he explores the facts about the severity of human trafficking in Vietnam. For years, anti-slavery groups have warned the UK about a rise in trafficking, but it took a tragedy for people to start paying attention. Nguyen discusses who is vulnerable to trafficking, how trafficking functions, and Vietnam’s response.

Freelance journalist Thoi Nguyen is a member of Chatham House and a member of Amnesty International UK. In addition to human trafficking, he writes about the economy, finance, and foreign affairs. He’s a specialist in South East Asian geopolitics.

“History Repeats Itself: Some New Faces Behind Sex Trafficking Are More Familiar Than You Think”

By: Mary Graw Leary

This essay highlights how human trafficking isn’t only a criminal enterprise, it’s also an economic one. Leary looks specifically at how businesses that benefit (directly or indirectly) from slavery have always fought against efforts to end it. The essay focuses on government efforts to disrupt online sex trafficking and how companies are working to prevent that from happening. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry, so it makes sense that even legitimate businesses benefit. Knowing what these businesses are is essential to ending trafficking.

Mary Graw Leary is a former federal prosecutor and currently a professor of law at The Catholic University of America. The Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission’s Victim Advocacy Group, she’s an expert in exploitation, missing persons, human trafficking, and technology.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Argumentative essay example: People for sale – the human trafficking debate

Buy argumentative essay human trafficking

It is a well-known fact that human trafficking existed since ancient times. However, this phenomenon continues to exist nowadays and can be rightfully called a form of modern-day slavery. According to the United Nations, more than twenty million people are missing due to human trafficking. While exploitation can take many forms, this form of slavery is usually found in industries that demand cheap human labor, such as hospitality services, the commercial sex industry, or farming.

The debates exist on virtually all aspects of human trafficking, including how prevalent it is and what actually constitutes the phenomenon of trafficking. However, the ways in which this issue and people involved are viewed directly shapes anti-trafficking activities, as well as the success of efforts to combat this problem. 

Argumentative essay human trafficking Thesis statement:

This paper argues that human trafficking is one of the acutest and most challenging problems of modern society, is an assault to human dignity, and as such, it should be abolished. 

Buy argumentative essay

Arguments for, human trafficking: the problem of the world.

Despite the fact that there are many definitions of human trafficking, this phenomenon has been recognized to include the transportation, harboring, recruitment, receipt, or transfer of people by means of the use of force or threat, of abduction or coercion, of deception or fraud, of the position of vulnerability or the abuse of power, and/or of the receiving or giving benefits or payments to achieve the person’s consent who can control another individuals for the sole purpose of exploitation.

At a minimum, exploitation includes sexual exploitation, the exploitation of prostitution of others, slavery, forced labor or service, servitude or the removal of organs. It is usually non-wealthy countries that provide the easiest recruitment for human traffickers, as people are often eager to migrate in search of better employment opportunities.

Traffickers know how to exploit this fact and easily recruit the victims by using their vulnerability. This may suggest that this issue is limited to poor and undeveloped countries or countries in a state of war.

However, human trafficking concerns virtually every region of the world, including Australia, North America, and Western Europe. 

How to write an argumentative essay

Human trafficking is a crime and an assault to human dignity, which impacts the social, biological, and psychological dimensions of the individual involved in trafficking activities. The co-morbidity of various illnesses together with mental conditions that the victims of trafficking suffer from make addressing this issue not only a social, but also a public health imperative.

Though this phenomenon has been on the international agenda for decades, the causes and consequences of the problem are intricately intertwined and no unified solutions are readily available today.  Nevertheless, human trafficking is one of the direst problems of modern society, which makes the human rights communities, non-governmental organizations, the elite, and the media recognize the fact that it is morally wrong and should be criminalized. 

Arguments AGAINST

Human trafficking: a controversial issue.

Despite the various efforts to combat the problem, human trafficking has become the world’s third-largest criminal enterprise and has continued to remain a major area of focus of policymakers, academics, law enforcement agencies, and human rights’ activists. Though the debate about human trafficking is not new and various disciplines and professions have weighed into the debate, there are still a number of controversies around this issue.

As mentioned above, the ways in which victims of trafficking are framed have real consequences. Usually, trafficked individuals are deemed to be “victims” by groups who advocate for them.

However, there is an opinion that a significant disjuncture exists between the lived experiences and self-identification of trafficked individuals and how they are portrayed in government statements and in the mainstream media. According to that opinion, some individuals actively seek criminals to find a way to illegally move into developed countries and some of them even willingly choose to engage in sex activities in order to economically survive. This suggests that anti-trafficking reasoning does not duly represent these people’s experiences in ways that resonated with the people themselves. 

Human trafficking: the need for justice

From the above discussion, one may conclude that human trafficking is one of the biggest controversies of today’s struggle for equality. Needless to say, the existing disparate claims have created disparate solutions to the problem and have led to distinctly different anti-trafficking efforts. Furthermore, the existing controversies have led to the fact that current efforts fail to comprehend and view human trafficking in the broader frame as a problem of poverty, gender-based violence, discrimination, labor, and migration.

By not paying due attention to the differences of trafficked individuals, these controversies homogenize experiences of all those involved in trafficking activities, thus exposing the majority of trafficked victims to more harm and depriving them of access to justice, and undermining the efforts to prosecute traffickers.

It is obvious that it is difficult to heal completely the wounds of the victims of trafficking, help them restore their dignity, ensure justice, and build new lives.

Therefore, current efforts should be more justice-oriented, take the contextual analysis of the problem, and keep the trafficked person at the core of the problem-solving process.

Essay writing made easy

Human trafficking is one of the most controversial problems of the modern time. Various human rights activists, service providers, public health and law enforcement officials, and academic disciplines have studied this phenomenon in depth. Currently, there are disparate claims about the true scope and nature of the problem and the trafficked victims, which gives rise to different solutions to rectify the problem.

Though one can agree that there are individuals who willingly participate in activities usually associated with human trafficking, the reality is most of the trafficked people are victims and must be helped. In this connection, there is a strong need for person-in-environment focus to address these issues. In the end, it is important to value the dignity of the trafficked individuals and combat this problem in such a way that promotes respect and ultimately empowers and brings justice to them.

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Human Trafficking Essay Examples & Topics

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1. Introducción La protección internacional de los derechos humanos y el desarrollo atestiguado en la implementación por varios Estados de las normas internacionales en materia de derechos humanos, ha resaltado la importancia de examinar su situación en diferentes países del mundo. Examinar la situación de los diferentes derechos humanos, así como los problemas concretos que se observan, son, sin lugar a dudas, un medio de sensibilizar relevante para los lectores españoles. También pone de mani ...

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College Essays on Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a devastating issue that has affected millions of people around the world. For students looking to write a college essay on this topic, there are many angles to approach it from. One approach could be to examine the root causes of human trafficking, such as poverty, gender inequality, and lack of education. Another approach could be to explore the impact of human trafficking on victims and their communities, including psychological trauma, physical harm, and the spread of diseases.

To write a successful human trafficking essay, students may want to include real-life examples of cases or interviews with experts in the field. In terms of essay topics, there are many potential directions to take, including analyzing the effectiveness of current anti-trafficking laws, exploring the relationship between human trafficking and other social issues such as forced labor or sexual exploitation, or discussing the role of technology in combatting human trafficking.

As for college essay on human trafficking, applicants could highlight their commitment to fighting this issue and their past experiences working with organizations or communities affected by human trafficking. It is important for applicants to demonstrate their understanding of the complexity and gravity of this issue, as well as their passion and dedication to making a positive impact.

Overall, writing an effective college essay on human trafficking requires careful research, thoughtful analysis, and a deep understanding of the issue. By exploring various human trafficking essay topics at WritingBros, you can write your own perfect essay on this issue.

Organ Donation Ethical Issues in Relation to Human Trafficking

According to code U.S. code 42 presented in the United States Constitution, 'unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation if the transfer affects interstate commerce.' The black market allows people...

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Why Is Slavery Wrong Yesterday And Today

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Human Trafficking Not Historical Fact but Nowadays Disease

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Legalization Of Sex Work: Should Prostituion Be Legal

Retail, sale, or exchange of goods for services or objects is one of the oldest professions in history, as is sex work; payment for sexual services. Since sexual needs are one of the main needs of humans it is of no surprise that the sex...

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The Biblical Worldview On The Human Trafficking

Choices to commit a crime, fight against crime, or generate justice for criminal acts are all motivated by our worldview. Incorporating a Christian worldview into the Criminal Justice approach allows you to view behavior and response through the lens of God's expectations. This perspective creates...

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The Issue of Child Sex Trafficking Being a Disorder or Crime

Human trafficking is one of the most severe forms of human rights violation against men, women, and children. It is a market fueled by supply and demand forces. Poverty, corruption, and illiteracy are all baits for trafficking. Forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude...

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The Urgent Need to Become Aware of Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is the action of illegally transporting people from one country to another through the means of force, fraud, deception. Human trafficking is one of the many illegal activities where man controls other people. This type of trafficking usually forms into sex trafficking as...

The Fraud and Deception Behind Human Trafficking

What if someone came into your life and gave you the guarantee of amazing opportunities? This may sound like a great occurrence, but it is quite the opposite once that person enslaves you into human trafficking. Human Trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer,...

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The Modern Ford of Slavery: Human Trafficking

Would are we ignoring 25 million people globally that are being treated as modern day slaves? Young vulnerable women are promised work and a new life but are abducted, transported, abused and enslaved. They are forced into labor, prostitution, and drugs, living in poor living...

Benjamin Banneker's Letter to Thomas Jefferson: Confronting Slavery

In this letter to Thomas Jefferson, Banneker wanted to demonstrate slavery is a thing from the past and, how inhumane it really is. But, I believe his main argument was how, challenging Jefferson's conclusions of pro-slavery as conflicting with the Declaration of Independence. Within the...

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Notes and Letters of Thomas Jefferson Regarding Slavery

Jefferson is a man of unwavering convictions. Through his letters it is clear that he devoted much of his time and political resources to the promotion of his viewpoints on slavery and the mental capacity of black people. In the span of thirty-two years, Jefferson...

Thomas Jefferson’s Contribution to Ending the Slavery

“Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that is justice cannot sleep forever, “written by the great Jefferson Thomas in his Notes on the state of Virginia. Jefferson Thomas was the third American president. He grew up in Virginia....

Bringing More Attention to Sex Trafficing: Make Your Voice Heard

Sex trafficking is a serious and common situation that can happen during any time and any day. People should be able to be more aware of their surroundings and should be more cautious especially when they are alone. Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book...

Soul by Soul: Accurate Account of Slave Trade

Soul by Soul is based on the interstate slave trade (domestic slave trade) that occurred in the nine-tenth century. In the earlier years, it wasn’t recognized as much. Slaveholders called it a “kingdom” for cotton, and they populated the new states of the emerging South-West...

The Issue of Human Trafficking to North Korea

First and foremost, human trafficking expands across the globe to men, women, and children, it doesn’t matter the gender, age or the status of your social class. However; human trafficking affects women the most, in regards to serious foul violations impacting universal human rights that...

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Need to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking

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The Practice of Human Trafficking in India

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The Rehabilitation Of Victims Of Human Trafficking Through Partnership

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Best topics on Human Trafficking

1. Organ Donation Ethical Issues in Relation to Human Trafficking

2. Why Is Slavery Wrong Yesterday And Today

3. Human Trafficking Not Historical Fact but Nowadays Disease

4. Legalization Of Sex Work: Should Prostituion Be Legal

5. The Biblical Worldview On The Human Trafficking

6. The Issue of Child Sex Trafficking Being a Disorder or Crime

7. The Urgent Need to Become Aware of Human Trafficking

8. The Fraud and Deception Behind Human Trafficking

9. The Modern Ford of Slavery: Human Trafficking

10. Benjamin Banneker’s Letter to Thomas Jefferson: Confronting Slavery

11. Notes and Letters of Thomas Jefferson Regarding Slavery

12. Thomas Jefferson’s Contribution to Ending the Slavery

13. Bringing More Attention to Sex Trafficing: Make Your Voice Heard

14. Soul by Soul: Accurate Account of Slave Trade

15. The Issue of Human Trafficking to North Korea

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Human Trafficking Essay Topics, Outline, & Example [2024]

“People for sale” is a phrase that describes exactly what human trafficking is. It also makes for an attention-grabbing title for an essay on this subject. You are going to talk about a severe problem, so it’s crucial to hook the reader from the get-go.

A human trafficking essay is an assignment where you discuss causes, effects, or potential solutions to the problem of modern slavery. A well-written essay can help raise awareness of this complicated issue.

In this article by our custom writing experts, you will find:

• 220 human trafficking essay topics;
• a writing guide;
• an essay sample;
• helpful info on human trafficking.
• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• ❓ What Is Human Trafficking?
• ✍️ Topics for Any Essay Type
• 📝 Essay Outline
• 📑 Essay Sample
• ✏️ Frequent Questions

🔝 Top 10 Human Trafficking Essay Topics

• History of slavery.
• Slavery in literature.
• Human trafficking awareness.
• Modern slavery: legislation.
• Cultural background of traffickers.
• Globalization and human trafficking.
• Human trafficking vs. human rights.
• Modern slavery and kidnapping.
• Human trafficking rates by country.
• Human trafficking effects on the economy.

❓ What Is Human Trafficking?

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime determines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of persons for the purpose of sexual slavery, exploitation, forced labor, organs removal, etc.

According to the recent reports of the Council of Europe,  human trafficking rates have reached epidemic proportions . Millions of people are being trafficked for different reasons, primarily for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children are the primary victims of human trafficking , which makes the problem especially acute.

One of the most worrying factors that directly impact the increase in trafficking rates is the growing number of refugees and migrants. It’s the largest seen since WWII, and it has intensified during the last years.

Types of Human Trafficking

Before you start writing your essay, it’s essential to review the forms of human trafficking. Knowing them will help you see the bigger picture. Here are the most common ones.

Additionally, victims of human smuggling and child trafficking are often involved in various kinds of labor. While sexual exploitation is one of the major reasons for trafficking, it’s not the only one. These are also serious problems that you can focus on in your essay.

According to Polaris Project, there are 25 types of modern slavery . Among them are:

• Manufacturing in sweatshops;
• Agricultural work;
• Food and cleaning services;
• Beauty and massage salons.

Note that each of these practices has unique traits. It means there are specific methods of recruitment and control associated with them. Make sure to take all essential features of human trafficking into account when writing your essay.

The History of Human Trafficking

If we go back in time, we can see that human trafficking has a long history. Here are some of its milestones:

As you now know, human trafficking is inextricably linked to other crimes against human rights. And the eradication of this phenomenon depends on both governments and ordinary citizens.

What Is Being Done to Stop Human Trafficking

In recent decades, a lot has been done to curb slavery. The United Nations General Assembly has established the World Day against Trafficking in Persons on July 30 . It was done to raise awareness of the situation and promote and protect victims’ rights.

One of the essential frameworks used to combat human trafficking is the 3P: prosecution, protection, and prevention .

Sometimes “ partnership ” is added as the fourth P. Since human trafficking became a pandemic, it requires a combined effort of people working together to overcome this problem. You can learn more about the 3P paradigm from this article by the US Department of State .

You may ask, “What can I do?” Here are some ways in which anyone can help fight human trafficking:

• In each country, there is a hotline where you can report on a known case of human trafficking or an attempt at recruiting.
• Be attentive to various kinds of controversial proposals and promises of a better life.
• Try to avoid bad company.

These recommendations may seem simple, but they can help you stay away from danger, spread awareness, and even save lives.

Before you start writing a human trafficking essay, you need to find a compelling topic. Check out the following list of topics and prompts and choose a subject that interests you.

✍️ Human Trafficking Topics for Any Essay Type

Human Trafficking Argumentative Essay Topics

• We should let survivors inform the public about the dangers of trafficking.
• State laws should protect the rights of trafficking survivors.
• Victim behavior is not the reason for the actions of criminals.
• Present medical facts about the ability of humans to survive a trauma.
• What psychological techniques do criminals use to lure victims?
• School is a safe haven for children from disadvantaged families.
• High social status is not a guarantee of protection against traffickers.
• Deception as a tool for controlling victims of modern slavery.
• Family can provide significant support to a victim of human trafficking.
• Physical violence and threats are the chief tools for controlling traffickers.
• Health workers should follow safety rules when rescuing trafficking victims .
• Countries providing financial advantages for anonymous economic activities should be held accountable.
• Psychologists should comply with ethical standards when assisting victims of trafficking.
• Countries with high trafficking rates should develop maps showing hotspots.
• Victims of modern slavery are not to blame: justification from the criminal perspective.
• Whom should we hold responsible for what happens to the victims in captivity?
• Will economic support for vulnerable groups help reduce the level of human trafficking?
• Prolonged captivity reduces the chances of adaptation after release.
• Exercise and physical activity help victims of trafficking to overcome trauma.
• Medication alone is ineffective in combating PTSD among trafficking victims.

Human Trafficking Argumentative Essay Prompts & Tips

• Who is responsible for human trafficking—the government, police, or society? There is no sufficient progress in stopping human trafficking. This is mainly due to the absence of an unequivocal opinion about who is responsible for the situation. Give your own ideas in this essay.
• The need to inform the public about human trafficking. Demonstrate the necessity to convey this information to the masses. You can also suggest ways of doing it.
• Immediate assistance for the victims of modern slavery. Show why it is important to provide psychological aid to rescued victims. What is the role of nurses and community organizations in it?
• Psychological help to victims of human trafficking: group therapy. Group therapy is based on awareness and acceptance of trauma. These actions are the basis of PTSD treatment. Decide whether it’s the optimal solution for victims’ psychological rehabilitation.
• Countries with widespread human trafficking should develop appropriate laws. Legislation changes are a crucial element of an integrated approach. In this essay, provide a list of existing laws and possible new regulations.
• The devastating impact of modern slavery. Describe the disastrous consequences that victims of human trafficking face. Find stories describing their lives in various media. How did they become victims? What happened to them after release from captivity?
• Tightening police measures as a way to stop human trafficking. Women and children are especially vulnerable targets for traffickers. Demonstrate the need to enable the police to protect them better.
• The high rate of trafficking indicates a high crime rate in a country. Determine which countries have the highest human trafficking rates. What are the related crimes observed there? Is there a correlation?
• The use of technology to catch criminals and traffickers. In this essay, discuss technologies that can help officials stop traffickers. For instance, satellite imagery allows identifying places of victims’ detention.
• International financial law is one of the best ways to stop human trafficking. Would the right to disclose anonymous bank accounts help reduce such crimes? What new laws and agreements are required to allow this?

For an argumentative essay, you need to conduct extensive research and present evidence to support your claim (check out our argumentative essay guide to learn more.) Here are the main steps:

Human Trafficking Persuasive Essay Topics

• An anti-trafficking tax will help decrease the modern slavery rates.
• Is preventing new cases of slavery more critical than saving victims?
• Modern slavery is a serious problem that the CIA should address.
• Ignoring human trafficking is the same as neglecting Nazism.
• Forced labor is an economic problem as it is caused by poverty.
• Border control no longer solves the problem of forced labor.
• Should producers of weapons pay an anti-trafficking tax?
• Imprisonment for paying for escort services will stop human trafficking.
• Will stricter gun control laws help stop human trafficking?
• Victims of human trafficking should receive lifetime financial compensation.
• Human trafficking is a national problem that requires coordination of efforts.
• Treatment of human trafficking victims is a responsibility of society as well as psychologists.
• Two-year state-funded hospital treatment will help survivors to cope with the trauma.
• Are social networks a determining factor in the spread of human trafficking?
• Assess gender disparity in using the labor of human trafficking victims.
• Did the political polarization of society lead to an increase in people smuggling?
• Immigration laws are an effective means of combating modern slavery.
• Human traffickers’ family members capable of domestic violence should share responsibility with criminals.
• Civil and human rights protection laws do not sufficiently address human trafficking.
• People smuggling is not a crime from the criminals’ perspective: is this statement true?

Tips & Persuasive Essay Prompts Related to Human Trafficking

• The President must take personal responsibility. The problem of human trafficking is more acute than ever. It requires the immediate intervention of the President and Vice President. For example, they can declare the upcoming year the year of the fight against human trafficking.
• Criminals guilty of human trafficking should be kept in special prisons. The government should create special jails for rapists and human traffickers with a stricter regime. Moreover, we should prevent these criminals from becoming part of society again. Is this proposal fair?
• Trafficking should be punished with life imprisonment . Today, life imprisonment is mainly reserved for murder. Should human trafficking be penalized to the fullest extent?
• Can self-defense lessons help to avoid the risk of being captured by traffickers? Do you agree that schools should introduce a martial arts training system?
• State laws should permit surveillance in regions with high trafficking rates. Debate whether security is more important than the right to anonymity. Should the government allow the police to access people’s data?
• Public organizations that help the survivors should take official responsibility. If non-governmental associations take it, they can receive financial support. It will help them cooperate more effectively with the police. Do you agree?
• The existence of human trafficking in a country: deontology, utilitarianism and egoism. The United States is officially a democracy. However, the human trafficking rates show that America is close to a feudal society. Criminal ties among the upper class also enforce it.
• Fines as a way to motivate social workers and patrol officers to fight human trafficking. Many activists and police officers work in areas with high human trafficking rates. Do you agree that governments should fine them? Would a system of moderate fines motivate them to be more responsible?
• People who cannot pay rent are easy targets for traffickers. The government should prevent homelessness to combat human trafficking. For instance, it can compensate for the rent of vulnerable demographics.
• Homelessness as the main reason for being captured by traffickers. Homelessness deprives a person of protection. States with the highest human trafficking rates should start building shelters for the homeless. The state should provide them with food, clothing, jobs, and education. This way, traffickers won’t capture them into slavery.

A persuasive essay aims to convince the reader to share your opinion. You can do it by citing facts and statistics (check out our persuasive essay guide for more info.) Here’s how to write it:

Human Trafficking Informative Essay Topics

• How do international organizations fight modern slavery?
• Human trafficking in developed African countries.
• Outline the demography of human trafficking in the US .
• How does society stigmatize trafficking survivors?
• Fair trade as a way to combat modern slavery.
• Sex trafficking from a feminist perspective.
• The role of photography in the fight against forced labor.
• Fighting human trafficking on the dark web.
• Media coverage of human trafficking: ethical aspects.
• Review how anyone can help combat human trafficking.
• Association of human trafficking with social insecurity.
• How can medical institutions provide safety to victims of trafficking?
• Review the political and economic effects of human trafficking in the US.
• What lessons can the US learn from the trafficking situation in Eastern Europe?
• Forced labor and higher education in the US: programs for survivors.
• What US laws protect victims of slavery and define criminal activities?
• Review government statistics on forced labor in the US over the last five years.
• Which American states have the highest human trafficking rates?
• Modern slavery in the Arab world: from ancient times to modern days.
• Using technology to combat forced labor: the latest solutions.

Tips & Informative Writing Prompts for Human Trafficking Essays

• Measures that governments can take to reduce human trafficking. Review legal and informative measures to combat modern slavery. You can base this essay on reports from official government agencies.
• Human trafficking: types, symptoms , and effects. For this essay, present the kinds of trafficking according to the official categorization. It includes divisions according to age, gender, and type of forced labor. You can also describe the symptoms commonly found in victims.
• The history of human trafficking: from ancient times to the 21 st century. Start by describing ancient cultures that used forced labor. Alternatively, you may focus on the history of slavery in the US. Include the latest statistics on reported cases of human trafficking.
• Human trafficking and fundamental humanistic values. Outline humanistic values that are violated by forced labor. Back it up with arguments drawn from the works of famous humanists.
• What are the consequences of human trafficking for victims? Describe the trauma that people develop while in captivity. Use reports from national and global organizations. What physiological symptoms are associated with adaptation after release?
• How does the US deal with the problem of reporting on forced labor? Present ways of communicating the risks of human trafficking. Base this essay on government anti-trafficking reports. Include a list of trafficker indicators and other red flags.
• Environments that put a person in danger of becoming a victim of human trafficking. These include unemployment , homelessness, and the absence of immigration status. You can base this essay on data from governmental reports.
• Informing the population as means of reducing human trafficking rates. Does informing people actually reduce the number of potential victims? Review the best informing strategies used by community organizations.
• Why are migrants the most vulnerable population group in terms of human trafficking? In this essay, provide information on migrants’ life circumstances. Mention the aspects that make them the most vulnerable demographic. Examples include unemployment and insecurity before the law. You can also present the most common schemes by which traffickers capture migrants.
• New approaches to mitigating the effects of modern slavery in psychotherapy. Describe what methods therapists use to help slavery victims. You can present a list of optimal practices for restoring the integrity of survivors’ personalities. For this essay on human trafficking, use scientific articles and reports from practicing therapists.

An informative essay should educate the reader on something they didn’t know before. Have a look at this outline:

Topics for an Expository Essay on Human Trafficking

• Assess social adaptation methods for victims of sexual slavery.
• Social adaptation of men who worked for traffickers in captivity.
• Police memo: evidence sufficient to detain a trafficker.
• Describe how to identify a trafficker based on 7 criteria.
• Power of the image: photo reports on human trafficking.
• Anonymous story of a sexual slavery survivor.
• Present a psychological and demographic portrait of a trafficker.
• Describe the conditions of human traffickers’ detention.
• Dealing with trauma in children who have been in labor slavery.
• Human trafficking in the Southern and Northern states.
• How to restore citizenship and documents after release from captivity.
• How can human trafficking survivors get free medical care?
• Who is more effective in stopping human trafficking: government agencies or community organizations?
• Being in captivity during the war, in forced labor, or sexual slavery: psychological consequences.
• Gender differences in human trafficking victims’ labor.
• Modern slavery’s connection to the criminal underworld in the Northern states.
• Enumerate the reasons why homeless people can end up in captivity.
• How many years does adaptation take for human trafficking survivors?
• Explore the modern meaning of the word “slavery.”
• Discuss ways of psychological support for the families of slavery victims.

Modern Day Slavery Writing Prompts & Tips for Expository Essays

• Human trafficking and modern slavery: real stories told by the media. Review several articles about falling into slavery. You can focus on press coverage from the 2010s. The stories of survivors will speak for themselves.
• Non-governmental organizations of the USA assisting victims: the power of community . Present five influential organizations from California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Nevada. Assess the personal contributions of staff. What is the role of local communities?
• How to help a friend if they’ve become a victim of human trafficking. In this essay, list tactics and strategies for assisting forced labor victims. Pay particular attention to compliance with safety regulations.
• What is it like to be a forced labor victim? A more creative task is to describe the situation from the inside. Can victims try to escape and free themselves from slavery? What is the role of psychological pressure from traffickers? How can an ordinary person cope with such a monstrous challenge?
• Prostitution, forced labor, and organ trafficking: a comparison. In addition, describe what forms of modern slavery prevail in different countries.
• Therapy methods in human trafficking survivors. Review what therapy practices are the most suitable for working with the survivors.
• An overview of common human trafficking schemes. These often involve vulnerable demographics, including illegal immigrants and adolescents from underprivileged communities.
• In what conditions do human trafficking victims live? In this paper, explain how life in captivity affects one’s mental health. Determine the connections between trauma and the body’s response to it.
• Ways of integration of human trafficking survivors. Review the best strategies for their adaptation to everyday life. Give examples of social adaptation that include education and employment.
• Human trafficking in the Southern and Border States. Study the situation in Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona. Then, describe how to solve the problem. Don’t forget to emphasize the role of social work with illegal migrants.

An expository essay includes a thesis statement, evidence, and a logical conclusion. You can also use elements of creative writing in your paper (feel free to read our expository essay guide for more info.) Here are the main steps:

Human Trafficking Research Paper Topics

• Survival in an unfamiliar city: is an escape from slavery possible?
• What prevents citizens from recognizing victims of human trafficking?
• Are monthly payments for human trafficking survivors justified?
• Dietary adaptation for malnourished forced labor survivors.
• How do the police investigate slavery markets?
• Economic levers to combat human trafficking: practical approaches.
• Describe global criminal connections that lead to modern slavery.
• Being in captivity leads to psychological trauma inherited by victims’ children.
• The use of figureheads on social media is a successful tactic against traffickers.
• Five app projects that will help avoid becoming a human trafficking victim.
• We should ban goods produced by forced labor worldwide.
• Human trafficking transportation problems as an opportunity to catch criminals.
• Research the use of symbolic language in informing victims of human trafficking.
• Funding for the installation of video surveillance systems to catch traffickers.
• People from what socio-economic background are the most vulnerable to child labour and exploitation?
• How can we combat human trafficking during a pandemic?
• Ethics of business and economic relations as a way to combat slavery.
• Informing vulnerable groups about human trafficking and attracting them to cooperation.
• Coordinated interaction of police departments is the key to success in combating people smuggling.

Human Trafficking Research Paper Prompts & Tips

• Deficiencies in US law determine success or failure in the fight against human trafficking. US legislation on human trafficking includes several rules. International acts and agreements also guide it. Nonetheless, the US laws, especially in the leading states, require urgent revision.
• Human trafficking as modern slavery: history repeating itself. Draw analogies between the trends and schemes from the past and the present. What historical practices can be effective in combating slavery? In particular, this concerns the anti-slavery movement and public awareness.
• Domestic human trafficking in the US shows increasing tendencies. Here, analyze the growth of domestic human trafficking cases. Demonstrate the need to create new approaches to catch criminals.
• Technology companies can stop human trafficking. The luring of victims often occurs on social media. Should social networking companies be penalized for failing to act against criminals?
• Can social media campaigns help protect potential victims? It’s necessary to create a program that will inform users about the dangers of trafficking. This method of targeted communication can be very effective.
• City officials should be ready to engage in the fight against modern slavery. Provide examples of American cities that are actively fighting human trafficking. What approaches and practices can be adopted throughout the US?
• Medical institutions are the main asset in combating human trafficking. More than three-quarters of victims receive medical care while in captivity. Health workers have the legal right to place a patient in a hospital and protect them from contact with criminals. This approach has been successful in many states.
• The police have insufficient funding to combat human trafficking. The police are conducting successful investigations, and there are many cases of solved human trafficking crimes. The state can grant more money to the police to uncover more trafficking schemes. It will allow using more advanced technologies in search of criminals.

• Hotlines should be more accessible to victims of trafficking. Hotlines are highly effective in combating human trafficking. They are easy to find on the Internet, but captive victims rarely have access to the network. How can we improve this situation?
• Families of trafficking victims and their participation in the search. Demonstrate the need to establish a format for families’ closer cooperation with the police. Would it help to conduct police investigations more effectively? Should we allow families to conduct their own investigations?
• The US is responsible for the success of international cooperation against human trafficking.

To write a research paper, you study the available information, analyze it, and make conclusions. Here’s a human trafficking research paper outline:

Causes of Human Trafficking Essay Topics

• Discuss psychological factors of human trafficking.
• What personal reasons make people become traffickers?
• Greed as a major reason for human trafficking.
• What are the major causes of sex trafficking?
• Substantial profit as one of the human trafficking root causes.
• Explore the reasons for forced marriages.
• How does social media promote people trafficking?
• Commercialized sex and its contribution to human trafficking.
• Does authoritarianism promote human trafficking?
• Compare the cases of human trafficking in the United States and Thailand.
• Explore the court cases of traffickers. Does the judicial system cope with its duties?
• Why are weak anti-trafficking policies the primary cause of people’s exploitation?
• Discuss the role of government in human trafficking.
• Investigate the reforms on human trafficking. How effective are these measures?
• Lack of relevant laws leads to more trafficking cases. Do you agree?
• Should legal punishments apply to victims as well as traffickers?
• Why is ethnicity one of the main factors of people trafficking?
• Explore the connection between drug addiction and slavery.
• Violent force and threats as major leverages of traffickers.
• Naivety leads to becoming a victim of traffickers. Provide your arguments.

Causes of Human Trafficking Essay Prompts & Tips

• What are the leading causes of human trafficking? Your essay may start with the definition of people trafficking. Think about social and economic factors. Dig into history to find the reasons. Most importantly, look at this issue from various angles.
• Explore poverty as one of the reasons for human trafficking. How does poverty influence people? Can it force them to behave illegally? What are people ready to do for money?
• Migration: is it a cause or a consequence of human trafficking? Some people are so eager to immigrate to developed countries that they can do anything. They are even ready to sell their children to get money or sell themselves into slavery. At the same time, others become traffickers to move to another country.
• Discuss the connection between human trafficking and education. Think about the following: If a person lacks education, they lack knowledge about their rights. They can be deluded more easily. Following this logic, these individuals can become desired prey for traffickers.
• What is the role of war in human trafficking? Do armed conflicts provoke or prevent the spread of slavery? How do they facilitate the development of this problem? Is smuggling flourishing in countries that are at war? These are excellent questions to start with.
• What are the effects of cheap labor demand? Supply and demand are two pillars of economics. If there were no need for a cheap working force, traffickers wouldn’t exploit people so easily. They force their victims to work almost for free while selling the goods at a high price.
• Investigate institutional racism as a root cause of people trafficking. Who is the most vulnerable social class? Naturally, these are marginalized groups. They lack protection at a constitutional level. That’s why they can become victims of traffickers.
• Cultural and social causes of human trafficking. For some nations, selling children, slavery, smuggling, and bonded labor are commonplace. In some countries, such as Uzbekistan, people are forced to work in the cotton fields by the authorities. If you do research, you will see many similar examples worldwide.
• How do natural disasters facilitate human trafficking? The consequences of some natural disasters force people to migrate and find alternative ways to earn money. Some of them have no other option but to let themselves be exploited. 
• How does the absence of safe migration conditions assist people trafficking?  Many people from developing countries want to move to the United States to achieve their American Dream. Traffickers delude fortune seekers, promising well-paid jobs and help in crossing the border.

Discussing human trafficking in a cause-and-effect essay is an excellent way to investigate this issue in detail. You can learn how to write it from our article on cause-and-effect essays . Here’s a recap:

Solutions to Human Trafficking Essay Topics

• How can employers help stop human trafficking?
• Producing films about slavery : is it a problem solution?
• How can we stop human trafficking by learning the indicators?
• How can people protect themselves from traffickers when going abroad?
• Why should employers stop using cheap labor?
• Compare and contrast solutions to labor and sex trafficking.
• The role of parents and caregivers in preventing forced labor.
• How can civic awareness stop human trafficking?
• What is more important: to persecute traffickers or to protect victims?
• In what ways can attorneys help stop people smuggling? 
• Can creating a reliable online platform for job searching help reduce slavery?
• Educational curriculum : should students be taught how to indicate and prevent human trafficking?
• Investigate the list of goods produced by child exploitation as a form of human trafficking. How does this information influence people’s choices?
• Forewarned is forearmed: discuss the effectiveness of anti-trafficking non-profit websites.
• How can stricter validity checks on job-searching websites solve the issue of modern slavery?
• Can the implementation of severe punishments for human trafficking help to curb the problem?
• Legalization of prostitution as a way of preventing sex trafficking.
• How can timely identification of human trafficking indicators save the lives of the victims?
• Fighting against poverty and unemployment as a means of preventing people smuggling.
• Watching documentaries about modern slavery as a problem solution.

Solutions to Human Trafficking Essay Prompts & Tips

• What are the primary solutions to human trafficking? Think about the following: How can this problem be solved on personal and national levels? It’s crucial to mention self-awareness , education, volunteering, and the role of charity organizations. You may also address the necessity to change the law.
• Human trafficking: an international approach. The issue of modern slavery is a global problem. That’s why it should be dealt with at the international level. The authorities all over the world should unite to fight against people trafficking.
• Compare and contrast the effectiveness of volunteering and adopting new policies. On the one hand, volunteers attract public attention to the issue of human trafficking. On the other hand, we should protect marginalized groups at the constitutional level. Otherwise, human trafficking will remain flourishing in the future.
• Coverage of human trafficking cases in social media. Is it a good idea for the victims to share their stories on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook? How can it help prevent this issue? Could it lead to the stigmatization of these people by others? You can start by brainstorming these ideas.
• Discuss whether fundraising is an effective solution to human trafficking. Ponder on how holding a fundraiser helps bring awareness to the problem of modern slavery. What are some other benefits of fundraising, such as financial assistance?
• Donations help prevent human trafficking. Do you agree? Every person can donate some money, clothes, or even shelter for the victims of human trafficking. Business owners may ensure employment opportunities, giving these people a chance for a better future. Focus on the importance of psychological and legal assistance.
• How does the media help prevent human trafficking? The media attracts people’s attention to the problem. They become more aware and careful. The cases of victims are widely discussed, leading to more fundraising and volunteering .
• Explore the anti-trafficking legislation in the United States. Discuss its strengths and drawbacks. What could be changed or done better? Is it effective? How are the rights of marginalized groups protected? These ideas are only the tip of the iceberg.
• Education opportunities for disadvantaged groups as a way of preventing human trafficking. Should the government provide marginalized people with free education? How can it affect human trafficking? Discuss it in your essay.  
• Why is a boycott an effective way of preventing human trafficking? If others start rejecting the goods produced by the victims of human trafficking, traffickers won’t get such huge profits. Everyone can make their contribution to the fight against this issue.

A problem-solution essay is particularly suitable for discussing modern slavery. Explore the facts and suggest how to stop this inhumane practice. Here’s how to write about problems and their solutions:

If you haven’t found a suitable topic, feel free to use our topic generator .

📝 Human Trafficking Essay Outline

Before you start writing, let’s have a look at some aspects to consider in your college essay on human trafficking. Here’s the basic template:

Human Trafficking Essay Introduction: How to Write

The most important part of an essay introduction is a hook. A perfect attention grabber for a human trafficking paper would demonstrate the seriousness of the problem right away. It, in turn, would make your audience eager to read on.

Have a look at some of the ideas for your essay’s hook:

• Cite statistical data related to the current situation with human trafficking.
• Start with a stirring quote to appeal to readers’ emotions.
• Pose a question related to your essay’s topic. Make the reader want to learn the answer.

Besides the hook, it’s logical to start your essay with some background information. This way, even an unprepared reader will understand your essay’s thesis. Think of what your audience may not know about your topic. It will help you determine what to include in this part of the introduction.

Here are some strategies:

• Tell about the countries and regions with the highest trafficking rates—for example, Thailand, the Philippines, India, South Africa, and Eastern Europe.
• Mention reasons behind this problem: unemployment, social discrimination, political instability, armed conflicts, etc.
• Give a solid definition of human trafficking or its specific type. It’s better to formulate your own one rather than take it from a dictionary.

It’s important to notice that your hook and background information should be relevant to your topic. Make sure these elements help to further the understanding of your essay’s main point.

Human Trafficking Essay Thesis

A thesis statement is your essay’s main point formulated in one sentence. It outlines the paper’s direction and provides an answer to the problem stated in the title. You place it at the end of the introduction.

A good thesis statement for a human trafficking essay usually presents the solution to a problem. However, the thesis’ contents depend on your essay’s type. For example, in an informative essay, you don’t need to prove or suggest anything. Instead, you say what you’re going to explain and how you’ll do it.

Once you’ve written the thesis statement, how do you determine whether it’s strong? Well, one way is to answer the questions from the following checklist.

If your answer to all three questions is “yes,” you can be sure of your thesis’s effectiveness.

Finally, don’t forget that the rest of your essay should support your thesis. If necessary, you can rework your statement to better suit the body paragraphs, or vice versa.

Human Trafficking Essay: Main Body

How do you make your essay on human trafficking credible and persuasive? Naturally, you want to add evidence. Here’s how to incorporate it into your paper:

• It’s better to start collecting your evidence before you start writing. Once you’ve found all the necessary information, it will be easier for you to structure the paragraphs. The point is to focus each section on a single aspect.
• Start each paragraph with a topic sentence. It should present the main idea that you will then support with evidence. Ideally, your audience should be able to follow your logic by reading the topic sentences alone.
• Finally, add your evidence. It can be statistics, facts from scholarly articles, quotes, or even anecdotes. Follow it with your explanation of this information. Say how it relates to the topic and supports your thesis.

Human Trafficking Essay Conclusion: Dos & Don’ts

A strong conclusion is a crucial part of any writing. In this final part, you synthesize your essay in a few sentences while adding a twist to it. If a conclusion is done right, it can leave a lasting impression on your readers.

This dos and don’ts list will help you write a perfect conclusion for a human trafficking essay. Check it out:

Don’t forget to introduce statistics in your essay on human trafficking. It’s available on numerous websites of governmental and non-governmental organizations dealing with the problem. You can find more ideas for your paper in our article about writing a child labor essay.

📑 Human Trafficking Essay Examples

We’ve prepared an outstanding sample essay on human trafficking that you can use as inspiration. You’re welcome to download the PDF file below:

Human trafficking is a global problem. It deprives millions worldwide of their freedom and dignity. Traffickers use various tactics to lure children, men, and women into the trap. For that reason, precaution measures should be taken. It is crucial to educate as many people as possible on the issue to ensure everyone’s safety.

Share your thoughts about human trafficking with us! Why do you think slavery is still in demand? If you were a politician, what would you do to prevent it? Tell us your suggestion in comments below!

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✏️  Human Trafficking Essay FAQ

Human trafficking is a topical issue in society because it’s an inhumane practice that affects millions of people worldwide. Writing on that topic helps understand why it is happening and what can be done about it.

Human trafficking is a very complex phenomenon driven by various economic, social, cultural, and other causes. Factors of a high human trafficking risk are poverty, social instability, exclusion, and lack of education and awareness (e.g., in South Africa.)

Pretty much every fact connected with human trafficking is horrifying. Nearly everything about this phenomenon can be considered a danger. As human trafficking is a form of slavery, it would be naive to presume there are any positive effects whatsoever.

Human trafficking is a serious problem, and you should be able to express your opinion on it. For example, it can be done in the form of an argumentative essay. It is vital to avoid using too many emotionally charged words. Remember to stay objective and provide facts and examples.

🔗 References

• Tips for Organizing an Argumentative Essay: Judith L. Beumer Writing Center
• Human Trafficking Essay: Bartleby
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment: NHS
• Embrace AI, Technology to Beat Human Traffickers: Reuters
• Essay Writing: Purdue University
• What Is Human Trafficking: Anti-Slavery International
• Human Trafficking: Encyclopedia Britannica
• End Human Trafficking: United Way
• Human Trafficking Facts: CRS
• OSCE Resource Police Training Guide: Trafficking in Human Beings: OSCE
• Study on the Economic, Social and Human Costs of Trafficking in Human Beings Within the EU: Europa.eu
• Writing a Research Paper: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Human Trafficking: FBI
• Human Trafficking: Causes and Implications: Research Gate
• Writing a Persuasive Essay: Hamilton College
• Parts of an Informative Essay: Pen and the Pad
• Expository Essay Outline: Columbus City Schools
• Introductions & Conclusions: University of Arizona
• Writing the Introduction: Monash University
• How to Write a Thesis Statement: Indiana University Bloomington
• Writing a Thesis Statement: Piedmont University
• 4 Ways Anyone Can Fight Human Trafficking: The Muse
• What Fuels Human Trafficking?: UNISEF USA
• What Is Human Trafficking?: Homeland Security
• Psychological Tactics Used by Human Traffickers: Psychology Today
• Psychological Coercion in Human Trafficking: An Application of Biderman’s Framework: NIH
• Warning Signs of Human Trafficking: State of Nevada
• Human Trafficking: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Human Trafficking — The Dangers of Human Trafficking

The Dangers of Human Trafficking

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Human Trafficking: Giving a Fresh Perspective Essay

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Human Trafficking is a severe issue in the world in which we live. Many victims of trafficking are at a high risk of physical and sexual abuse and run the risk of homelessness. There are many ways to prevent the ongoing issue from spreading, as well as providing different services to the victims. These crimes can be stopped, and the victims can be helped. One question I find reoccurring is, “Are all victims of human trafficking being dishonest?” Throughout my career and law enforcement, I met the cases in which victims were dishonest, and I wanted to discover why. I believe that when dealing with human trafficking, the professional should remain professional and unbiased in investigating the causes of victims’ dishonesty.

Human Trafficking is more common than people think. They prey on victims through acts of violence and threats and even seek out children. They go after individuals who are vulnerable and who have a history of physical abuse or even sexual abuse. An ethical issue would be communication with the victims of human trafficking. This is because the topic is sensitive, and victims may trigger some questions while addressing the issue. Therefore, it is crucial to comfort a victim during the investigation sessions.

I chose human trafficking as my topic because it is a global concern and many ethical concerns have a key role in the fight against human trafficking. Each organization and branch must do their due diligence in times like these to ensure we all provide a safe harbor for one another. I have taken several courses that drew me nearer to this topic. I just completed a Drugs and Society class that I found to be super informative, and it goes hand in hand with these victims’ daily struggles and lifestyles. Another discipline that I find helpful is the psychology of victims. This helps to communicate with the victims and examine their behavior after and before the human trafficking issues.

Regarding the sources, I am reading Louise Shelley’s book about human trafficking, which assists in analyzing the problem from various perspectives. I also found articles related to ethical issues of human trafficking that may be useful in the ethics discourse. Moreover, the source Youth.gov demonstrates that the problem of human trafficking is real and increasing its scope.

Works Cited

“Do the Right Thing: Ethical Issues and the Fight against Human Trafficking.” OSCE . 2014.

“Human Trafficking: The Problem” Youth.gov , 2019.

Shelley, Louise. Human trafficking: A global perspective . Cambridge University Press, 2010.

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Human Trafficking, Essay Example

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There is much truth in the statement that human trafficking or trafficking in persons (TIP) is a major crime against humanity and should be dealt with accordingly by states and non-state actors. No government in the world currently sees this as even remotely permitted. In fact, human trafficking is listed as a crime against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is therefore considered a heinous act that should be seriously combated. Human trafficking is widely recognized as the second largest criminal activity globally and a fast-growing transnational organized crime aptly addressed in the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementing Protocols.[1] It is this linkage to organized crime that determined part of the international community and international organizations to regard the phenomenon as a security threat. Traditionally, security has been understood as something that states seek to acquire in relation to one another. In this understanding, a state is secure if it can deter or defend itself against any possible attack or any intrusion of its sovereign integrity by another state.[2] Some have argued that nowadays, security threats are no longer just about military confrontation, territorial disputes, and nuclear proliferation. That they also arise from nonmilitary dangers such as climate change, natural disasters, infectious diseases, and transnational crimes. Among these non-traditional security threats, human trafficking looms large, especially in Southeast Asia, where natural disasters and military conflicts lead to displaced people and refugees, who are particularly vulnerable.[3] Human trafficking poses a genuine and direct security threat to states, particularly when coupled with other major offenses such as terrorism. This research analyzes Indonesia’s situation and determines whether human trafficking indeed affects the security of Indonesia, the security of other ASEAN states, or the security of the international community as a whole. The research also determines whether the concrete actions carried out by Indonesia alone or jointly with other parties to fight human trafficking have been conducted for security purposes and whether these actions have had significant impacts on the security state of the region and the world.

Introduction

Human trafficking is a global problem where humans are trapped in exploitation and coercion. Human beings, especially women and children, are commoditized and sold for labor or sexual exploitation. The underlying crisis has roots deeply embedded in the history of humankind and has suffered transformations as the societies and the world evolved. Though it existed even prior than this, the 15 th century is the era that marked the beginning of European slave trade, with Portugal paving the way for other countries such as Spain, The Netherlands, France, and Denmark in trafficking people from Africa to Europe and using them as slaves. It was in the 18 th Century when human trafficking for sexual purposes was first given the name “white slavery”[4]. Trafficking is an illegal and criminal activity that happens under the radar or in the shadowy underworld. An estimated 21 million people are victims of human trafficking[5].

Human trafficking can be traced back to the institution of slavery, which was a legacy in imperialism and colonialism. There exists a relationship between the historic slave trade and present-day human trafficking, which can be dubbed as modern slavery. On January 31 st 1865, when the US Congress passed the 13 th Amendment to the Constitution, by which slavery was formally abolished in the USA[6], the fathers of this powerful political gesture thought it would bring an end to using men, women, and children as objects for personal gain[7]. This, unfortunately, did not happen. Neither in the USA nor any other country has successfully eradicated the modern slavery[8]. Rather, it evolved to modern day slavery that is the form of human trafficking.

As Ambassador At-Large on International Slavery John R. Miller put it in 2006: ‘‘ here we are in the twenty-first century and we’re talking about slavery. Wouldn’t this be a shock to our abolitionist ancestors who thought they finished the job back in the 19th century .’’[9] Despite the legal provisions criminalizing slavery, the illegal human trafficking trade has continued to date in most parts of the world, especially in developing countries. A case example is the rampant cases of human trafficking in the Asia and Pacific regions[10]. Indonesia, for example, has taken long to securitize human trafficking, which has made it register staggering human trafficking statistics.

Human trafficking continues to exist to date, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes disguised as legit activities. The process is now mostly linked with organized crime and the means and methods used to commit the offense are becoming more and more complex. Citing Warnath, Alexis A. Aronowitz observed that “ trafficking of women and children is not a new problem, it has occurred throughout history. What is new is the growing involvement of organized crime and increasing sophistication of its methods.” [11] In Indonesia’s case study, for example, statistics for human trafficking are extremely high. The paper seeks to investigate the effects of late implementation of anti-human trafficking laws in Indonesia on its security and the ASEAN region. The lax enforcement of anti-trafficking laws and policies have been the cause of the slowed progress of combating crime in the region.

The gross violation of fundamental human rights is also tantamount to a security concern on multiple grounds. Mostly, people are trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced marriage, organ harvesting, or as child soldiers in conflict areas. It implies that the perpetrators use force and result in breaking human rights[12]. On the other hand, the provisions for the international laws regarding human trafficking trace form the fact that countries converge in fighting a common issue or crime[13]. Figures from the International Labor Organization (ILO) show that there is an ever-growing tendency in the number victims, with an estimated 40.3 million people in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage, at any given time in 2016[14]. Moreover one in four victims of modern slavery is a minor. But, because of its clandestine nature and the hidden economies in which trafficked victims are forced to work, accurate statistics on the magnitude of the problem are elusive, and the available ones are notoriously unreliable[15]. These figures have exorbitantly grown due to inconsistencies and inefficiencies in the enforcement of international human trafficking laws[16].

Therefore, the question to be thought of is whether slavery will be wiped out as the world civilization becomes more civilized. Legally, slavery will end, since no country in the world supports the practice of slavery. In Indonesia, for instance, slavery was abolished in the year 1860 in accordance with the article 169 Indische Staatsregeling. [17] International Community still finds acts of slavery in the modern society. Some of the contemporary forms of slavery , as highlighted by the United Nations’ Office of The High Commisioner of Human Rights include child trafficking, child prostitution, child pornography, child workers’ exploitation, sexual mutilation on young girls, child involvement in armed conflict, human organ’s trafficking, exploitation for prostitution, apartheid, and colonialism[18].

Definitions

A universal definition for the term trafficking was not reached until recently, on 15 November 2000, during the UN’s ratification of the GA resolution 55/25 – the Palermo Protocol. The resolution develops a protocol aimed at preventing, suppressing, and punishing trafficking offenses, especially those involving women and children[19]. Before the universal ratification of the heinous activity, respective states defined human trafficking in their perspectives and developed laws and regulations to combat it autonomously. Consequently, there were over 300 different views and laws against trafficking across the world, which were not effective. [20]

The Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as:

[…] the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal, manipulation or implantation of organs; [21]

The UN’s universal definition has been replicated by other conventions such as the Council of Europe Trafficking Convention, Article 4. The convention has also included the aspect of trafficking in the form of forced labor or services (2011 Trafficking Directive, Article 2), which was a response to the ‘Operation Golf’ that led to the identification of children being trafficked for forced criminality. These instruments, which contain the trafficking definition(s), form the international legal anti-trafficking regime and establish the obligations which are placed upon states which are subject to their provisions.[22]

Therefore, human trafficking requires three components:

• A deliberate action that is aimed at recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or reception of persons;
• The action is perpetrated through the means of threats or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim); and
• Its sole purpose is exploitation of the victims, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or similar practices, and the removal of organs.[23]

In consideration of the three components, it is imperative to consider human trafficking as a process as opposed to being a single offense. The process encompasses three stages, namely, recruitment, transportation to the desired location, and exploitation for labor or sex. More importantly, it is imperative to consider the criminal network that facilitates the trade, which is often linked to other criminal activities such as money laundering, smuggling of weapons, and sale of drugs[24].

The Stand of the International Community on Human Trafficking

The international community views human trafficking as a security issue that threatens the tenets of the rule of law and the observance of human rights. The international community began its efforts to eradicate human trafficking from the beginning of the 20 th century. Concerned by the proliferation of the phenomenon, the European leaders went on and signed the International Agreement for the suppression of the “White Slave Traffic”[25] in May 1904. However, the initial efforts targeted the problem of prostitution since it was the most prevalent form of human trafficking at the time. The treaty was ratified by several states such as the USA, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Portugal, and Germany, which placed the world at a better position to address the problem. In 1949, the UN consolidated the provisions of the treaty through the adoption of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others[26].

As the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recalls in Fact Sheet No. 14 from July 1991 “ International concern with slavery and its suppression is the theme of many treaties, declarations, and conventions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first of three modern conventions directly related to the issue is the Slavery Convention of 1926, drawn up by the League of Nation s.”[27] For UN’s case, the mandate of enforcing anti-trafficking standards is carried out by the ILO (International Labor Organization), IOM (International Organization of Migration), and UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) among others agencies.[28]

The current legal international framework comprises many instruments that are designed and tailored to fight human trafficking. Among the most important ones include[29];

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
• Convention on the Rights of the Child and its relevant Optional Protocol;
• Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
• United Nations Protocol to Suppress, Prevent and Punish Trafficking in Persons especially Women and Children supplementing the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;
• SAARC Convention on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution
• ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

Has The International Community Been Effective In Combating Human Trafficking?

Although the international community has been up to speed on the development of standards for preventing and punishing human trafficking, its influence had not been felt. It is only in the last two decades that it has been seen at the forefront of fighting human trafficking. CdeBaca analyzed the successes and failures of the international community efforts to combat human trafficking[30]. Although the international community has made remarkable strides in eradicating human trafficking, legal gaps and divisions that exist between the international and domestic legal regimes have been the major factor contributing to the failures. There exists no legal pillar that is shared by states and the international community on their respective responsibilities on human trafficking[31]. Worse off, the issues of prevention, protection, and prosecution on human trafficking have been dealt with in isolation. More importantly, the emphasis of policies of combating human trafficking has been the pursuit of the perpetrators, which leaves the international community with limited resources to assist the victims[32]. The focus or responsibility of the trafficking measures has been on criminal justice while neglecting an important aspect of social service for the victims. On this basis, the international community has not achieved a responsive legal approach with respective states to tackle human trafficking.

Human Trafficking in the ASEAN Region

The ASEAN region is the epicenter of human trafficking where over 85% of human trafficking victims in the Pacific and East Asia were trafficked within the ASEAN region[33]. According to UN statistics, over 25% of human trafficking victims came from ASEAN countries[34]. In this region, people are trafficked for the purposes of selling organs, forced marriages, forced begging, the sale of children, sexual exploitation, and recruitment as soldiers, and forced labor. Thus, the region has a high prevalence of human trafficking. The international community is concerned about the regions inability to tame the problem that is a serious violation of human rights.

The establishment of legal frameworks to end human trafficking is key to the promotion of the rule of law[35]. Under the international human rights law, nations are obligated to abolish human trafficking in the spirit of promoting the rule of law. As previously noted, the majority of the states have endeavored to eradicate trafficking, but little success has been achieved. It is imperative to point out that human trafficking is a heinous act that is organized in criminal networks and it requires concerted efforts to eradicate. In the most recent ranking by the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA),[36] no country in the ASEAN region was ranked in Tier 1 in the trafficking in person report. They were ranked as Tier 2 for not fully meeting the TVPAs guidelines and minimum standards but were acknowledged for making significant efforts to comply. TVPA carries out regular reviews of the countries that have met the stipulated minimum standards for addressing prevention, suppression, and punishment of human trafficking. The ranking measures the government’s efforts to meet the requirements of the Palermo Protocol.

In this spirit of concerted efforts, the ASEAN region vowed in 1976 to promote regional cooperation and collaboration to address transnational crimes[37]. Since then, the organization has taken important steps towards increased awareness of the fact that all the transnational crimes should be articulated as threats to the security of the region and of each State party. To this extent, many initiatives have been carried out jointly under the umbrella of the organization and with support from the main UN bodies.

While the ACTIP shows commitment to intensifying the joint efforts to counter human trafficking, as other authors have observed[38], the act falls short of addressing some important features and shows that the ASEAN States are not totally prepared to genuinely tackle the phenomenon. There has been no progress in the region because member countries have different priorities and perspectives on trafficking. In particular, there are no strict rules or regulations in the regional framework to be adopted at the domestic level[39]. Worse off, some of the states have not ratified the ASEAN convention adequately. The instrument is complemented by a Plan of Action[40] and is getting very much in line with the standards indicated by the UN and the recommendations made by important actors like the United States, especially against the backdrop of the “3Ps” notion- prosecution, protection, and prevention in the anti-trafficking efforts. The ratification has enabled the region to securitize the problem of human trafficking and has sought cooperation from the international, regional, and state actors. However, state actors have been slow in securitizing the problem of human trafficking[41].The first tangible act towards this happened in 2004 when ASEAN recognized the ‘immorality and inhumanity’ of human trafficking by a declaration which called for regional anti-trafficking cooperation and establishment of a network to this sense. By 2010 and 2011, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing methods of collaboration by two joint statements, eventually leading to the leaders of ASEAN signing the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP)[42] in November 2015.

Human Trafficking in Indonesia

Indonesia is infamously known for being a source and destination of human trafficking in the world. The country also serves as a transit point for human trafficking. The disparity between the international and domestic laws have been the major cause of Indonesia’s late policy implementation on human trafficking. However, the case of the over 800 abandoned human trafficking camps implies that the perpetrators are wary of the impending intervention by the local and international authorities[43]. As it is the case, in many instances, human trafficking illustrates the link between migration outflow from impoverished regions and subsequent exploitation of the migrant by those involved in the trafficking process. Many trafficking situations will begin on a consensual footing. Consequently, the role of ‘push’ factors, such as economic hardship, in the global trade in human beings should not be underestimated, as trafficking is contextual and frequently takes place against a backdrop of poverty and lack of opportunity in the origin state.[44]It has several pull and push factors that make the trade to thrive.

Indonesia’s case is characteristic of weak government, lax law enforcement, and inconsistent domestic laws with international laws on trafficking[45]. These have been the core reasons that have exacerbated human trafficking in Indonesia. The inadequacy of state laws to combat human trafficking has made the issue a great concern and a focal point for national and international policy formulation. Although Indonesia has shown increased efforts and capacity to investigate, prosecute, and convict human traffickers, it does not fully meet the minimum requirements that are necessary for the eradication of trafficking. Significant efforts have been made but its late ratification policy with the UN and ASEAN conventions has been a major drawback in the fight against trafficking[46].

After a long wait, the Indonesian government ratified the ASEAN convention that stipulates standards against human trafficking of persons, especially women and children. The ratification was actualized through the passage of the provisions in Law No.12 of 2017. The ratification expanded the government’s authority to prosecute offenders for illegal recruitment. More importantly, it established a legal framework for the Indonesian law enforcers to cooperate and collaborate with the ASEAN countries in eradicating human trafficking.[47] Data from the ILO shows that Indonesia has ratified all the eight Fundamental Convention, two of the four Governance Conventions and only 10 out of the 177 Technical Conventions the organization has put in place[48].

Indonesia’s case has been blatant failure to align its domestic laws with the international laws on human trafficking. On this basis, the country has only been paying lip service to the war against human trafficking[49]. The country has been in the process of ratifying international conventions and harmonizing its domestic laws for the longest time without actualizing them[50]. Indonesia has been slow in instituting policies that address human trafficking. Clearly, the government has made some strides, though minimal, to criminalize human trafficking locally and internationally. It has partnered with other governments such as Australia and international community agencies such as Interpol to provide legal reviews and to track human trafficking. Also, it has involved training on transnational investigative cooperation. Indonesia has established cooperation with UNICEF in a bid to protect minors from abuse and exploitation. However, the efforts have not yielded fruits because it has continually experienced an upsurge of trafficking cases. There has been no systematic effort to remedy weak governance and lax law enforcement on human trafficking. This has been worsened by the presence of corrupt officials who work closely with the criminal gangs. The collusion has made the trade thrive, which has made it impossible for the country to find a lasting solution.

Why Indonesia Has High Cases Of Human Trafficking?

Historically, Indonesia has been more of a sending state than a receiving one, even though, to a much lesser extent, cases of people trafficked to Indonesia or who transit the country exist nonetheless. It is estimated that 1.9 million of the 4.5 million Indonesians working abroad—many of whom are women—are undocumented or have overstayed their visas, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking[51]. The example of Indonesia reveals that human trafficking is indeed a security issue particularly on grounds failure of the policy to adequately control the problem and the fact that multiple security agencies, led by the attorney general, have come together to find lasting solutions.[52] The figures could be even higher than this, as per the clandestine nature of the crime and because the victims, in fear of reprisals from the authorities or the offenders, tend to avoid interaction with government or other entities that advocate for their rights.

Besides inconsistencies between the domestic and international laws on human trafficking, Indonesia has other factors that make it prone to the problem. Push factors or essentially the reasons why people decide to leave their home country:

• Inadequate employment opportunities, combined with poor living conditions, a lack of basic education and poor health services.
• Political and economic insecurity, which may be caused by mismanagement, nepotism or political corruption, conflict, environmental disaster, or structural adjustment policies resulting in the rising cost of living, in higher unemployment. and a lack of public services
• Discrimination (ethnic, gender, or caste) excluding certain persons from the employment sector; and
• Dissolution of the family, which may compel the remaining family member(s) to migrate or send children away to work and help support the family.

The pull factors, or the powerful mirage of a better life, have been identified as:

• Increased ease of travel (cheaper and faster travel opportunities, easier access to passports);
• Higher salaries and standard of living in larger cities and countries abroad (greater possibilities for acquiring new skills and education, increased job opportunity, and mobility);
• Established migration routes and ethnic, national communities in destination countries;
• An active demand for migrant workers in destination countries combined with the existence of recruitment agencies and persons willing to facilitate jobs and travel; and
• High expectations of opportunities in other countries boosted by global media and Internet access, and stories of returning migrants or those whose families have profited from the remittances.

Security Issues Emanating from Indonesia’s Late Implementation Policy

The scourge of human trafficking and the belated response by the Indonesian government has been a threat to international peace and security. Being a transnational crime, crime affects national, regional, and international security. International laws provide for the regulation of the critical human right violation activity as well as the prosecution of the culprits[53]. The involvement of multiple players in the legal and justice systems makes a difference regarding the possibilities of finding lasting solutions. The involvement of the international community is a primary requirement given that human trafficking involves multiple states. As such, the underlying policies to control the issue will need to be modified along the legal provision of individual states.

In the case of Indonesia, it has been shown that the country has deliberately slowed its pace in ratifying the conventions to be at par with other countries in the fight against human trafficking. The country is a threat to the efforts made to combat human trafficking because it provides a haven for human traffickers. This has caused tension between the country and its ASEAN neighbors such as Malaysia[54][55] who perceive it as complicit to human trafficking. The corrupt officials in the country have created a haven where traffickers carry out the illegal trade without interference from the law enforcement agencies. It is clear that the massive efforts made by the ASEAN region cannot be fruitful because the member countries are not united in this fight[56]. The member countries have different priorities.

Human trafficking opens the region to other forms of transnational organized criminal activities such as drug trafficking, terrorism, money-laundering, and smuggling. As a result of rampant organized crimes, insecurity and instability are fostered in the ASEAN region[57]. Worse off, the insecurity and instability spill off to other regions, which threatens international peace, stability, and security. Terrorist groups, who are notorious in this trade, benefit from the proceeds of human trafficking. There exists a linkage between human trafficking and terrorism that pose a security threat to the region[58]. Terrorist groups are the primary beneficiaries of child trafficking. They prefer children because they are easy to manipulate and control, which makes them obey orders without question. Therefore, Indonesia’s case has enabled child trafficking that has benefited terror groups in the region[59]. Fighting human trafficking eliminates all forms of organized crimes that finance terrorism and develop the capacity to perpetrate terror activities in the region and across the world. Indonesia’s late policy has impeded the fight against organized crimes both regionally and internationally. Also, it has been a drawback to counter-terrorism strategies by the regional and international community. It is evident that Indonesia’s inability or unwillingness to tackle human trafficking has made the region ideal for other organized crimes that are insecurity and instability threats.

Discrimination and inequalities are the basis under which human trafficking takes place. Inequalities create minority groups that are vulnerable to discrimination. Traffickers potentially target the minorities, whether ethnic, racial or religious. Being a minority group is potential for the vulnerability of human trafficking. The security and peace of the minority groups of people are at risk due to potential vulnerability to human trafficking. Equally, sexual and gender-based violence happens within the perception of minority existence[60]. The exploitation of minorities is used to advance military, ideological, or political goals. Indonesia’s tolerance for human trafficking puts minorities at risk. Inequality and discrimination are the tools used by traffickers to identify potential victims. Thus, human trafficking in Indonesia has contributed to other social vices of discrimination and sexual violence, which have the potential of fostering instability and insecurity and exacerbating conflicts. Trafficking in Indonesia has drifted the region and the world towards discrimination and inequalities.

Traffickers also target victims who are predisposed to natural disasters and conflict areas[61]. These are easy targets to lure into the trade. The case of the ASEAN region portrays a linkage between human trafficking, civil unrest, and conflicts[62]. Civil unrest and conflict increase the vulnerability of the affected populations. Additionally, the link between human trafficking, sexual violence, and terrorism in conflict areas is a threat to international peace and security. Human trafficking has not only undermined human dignity but has also undermined the values of humanity. Areas stricken by disasters and conflicts form the core breeding grounds for human traffickers. The beneficiaries of human trafficking orchestrate conflicts to cause instability and insecurity, which are necessary ingredients for the illegal trade to take place[63]. Also, terrorists benefit more when countries are in chaos and turmoil. The absence of the rule of law in such areas makes it easy to carry out the trade. However, this cannot be possible if there are no ready markets for trafficking victims. Indonesia provides a ready market and a transit point for human trafficking.

Also, Indonesia’s late policy on human trafficking has enabled illegal immigration, which is against the international immigration standards[64]. Article 11 of the Palermo Protocol expects states to enforce strict border control measures to detect, deter, or prevent human trafficking[65]. This requirement not only addresses the issue of human trafficking, but also helps states to deal with other organized crimes, as argued before. Indonesia has exposed itself and the region to other organized crimes for failing to implement strict border control regulations. Unregulated migration exposes the country and the region to infectious diseases. This aids in the international spread of diseases because screening is not done. This poses a transnational health threat due to illegal migrations. It is evident that trafficking intersects with public health issues, especially in communicable diseases[66].

Discussion & Analysis

Human trafficking is a threat to the whole society and undermines society’s health, safety, and freedoms. It poses a serious threat to national and regional security. Human trafficking meets the criteria used on the process of securitizing social problems[67]. The illegal trade is a threat to peace and security. Therefore, human trafficking is not only a moral issue but also a security issue that abets other forms of crime. Trafficking in persons and security were shown to have a linkage where insecurity is high in areas that are not stringent on anti-trafficking laws. It is imperative to note that Indonesia’s high rate of human trafficking is a result of porous borders coupled with a weak legal regime is a recipe for insecurity and instability[68]. The repercussions of trafficking such as smuggling of weapons and narcotics cause disturbance to the international peace.

When terrorism and human trafficking connect, they reign dangers and dilemmas for national and regional security. As alluded earlier, the connection between terrorism and trafficking exposes vulnerable populations to potential subjugation to sex or labor exploitation. Both are transnational crimes that work in cahoots or support each. Besides the financial gains that terrorist groups gain from trafficking, human traffickers benefit from the state of unrest and chaos that is good for the illegal trade[69]. The resolution 2388 that was reached in 2017 made a finding that human trafficking was used as means of raising funds by terrorist groups[70]. The dilemma faced by countries is to handle trafficking victims who are also perpetrators of terrorism. Trafficking for terrorism purposes is a drawback to counter-terrorism efforts. In Indonesia’s case, poor border control regulations and lax enforcement of anti-trafficking has been counterproductive to the gains made by the ASEAN countries in combating illegal migration and terrorism. This indirectly supports conflicts in other areas because human traffickers have a safe place to transport persons via Indonesia.

The alarming human trafficking statistics in Indonesia raises security concerns for the country, the region, and the international community. Although the analysis of the legal response in the last 20 years leads to the argument that Indonesia is on the right path to becoming genuinely willing to fight human trafficking in and outside its borders, it has continually posed security threats to itself and the ASEAN countries. For example, human trafficking has contributed to high cases of smuggling and irregular migration issues in the region[71]. The blurring legal distinctions between the domestic and international human trafficking laws worsen the situation for the region. This implies that Indonesia is not on the same front with other ASEAN countries in combating trafficking and illegal migration. For this reason, the region is incapacitated to realize the mission of eradicating because Indonesia is not strict in enforcing anti-trafficking laws. Additional efforts should be undertaken by the Government, especially regarding the adjustment of the 2007 law and providing increased protection for children and women, and ratifying technical conventions with the ILO[72].

It is not in the best interest for Indonesia to continue lagging in the implementation of the ratified policies because it predisposes the region to more security threats than it predisposes itself. The issue of organized crime is a transnational issue that touches every country in the world. This extends to terrorism, targeting of minorities, and perpetuation of conflicts to cause instability and insecurity. Human trafficking provides a gateway to other vices in the society that exacerbate regional and international peace and stability. As such, Indonesia has been a gateway to other security issues that could have been addressed through the ratification of the Palermo Protocol[73].

The overall impacts of human trafficking and illegal migration is a threat to Indonesia’s national security and the ASEAN region[74]. Thousands of victims continue to risk their lives unnecessarily as they try to reap the benefits promised by traffickers. This has enabled unscrupulous persons and cartels to perpetrate organized crime within Indonesia’s boundaries. It is considered an international security issue because it is a risk to the protection of human rights and observance of the rule of law. Worse off, it endangers human security, especially women and children who are easy targets for traffickers. Indonesia is a “source, destination, and transit point” for trafficking[75]. In this case, the country makes it difficult for other countries to eradicate trafficking successfully.

Indonesia’s late implementation of anti-trafficking laws can be viewed as a deliberate effort to abet human trafficking. This affirms the earlier claim that the ASEAN countries were divided into priority and perception to eradicate trafficking[76]. However, the corrupt officials in Indonesia have also increased the rate of human trafficking because it counters the efforts made to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking. Having acknowledged that the problem poses security threats to the regional and international communities, it is imperative for Indonesia to increase its cooperation and collaboration to eradicate the rampant cases of trafficking.

It is evident that weak government, lax law enforcement, and inconsistent domestic laws with international laws on trafficking have been the core reasons that have exacerbated human trafficking in Indonesia[77]. These inadequacies were making the Indonesian government fail in its quest to fight human trafficking. This a major threat to international and regional peace and security. The inconsistencies between Indonesian domestic laws with international laws on human trafficking has incapacitated the country to contain human trafficking, which has made it spill into the neighboring countries. The example of its poor bilateral relations with Malaysia is a result of its porous borders that have impeded Malaysia’s fight against trafficking and illegal migrations[78]. Consequently, Indonesia has been named the epicenter of human trafficking in the ASEAN region[79]. The Indonesian government is ranked as a Tier 2 country because it does not satisfy the TVPA in its efforts to meet the minimum stipulate requirements for compliance.

Future Possibilities  

While it may be impossible to relate with the plight of the human trafficking victims, treating persons as commodities or property for sale in immoral and inhumane and poses a security threat to the existence of humans. It is expected that inconsistencies in laws and regulations will continue to make the difference regarding the increase cases of trafficking in the ASEAN region. States should adopt legislations and treaties that can lift the inconsistencies and promote seamless anti-trafficking laws at the domestic and international level. Continued trafficking is a security threat for people within Indonesia and in other countries. Indonesia has been playing the role of making trafficking aggravate to an international level, which raises security issues and concerns at the international level.

Considering the situation in Indonesia, the country should align its domestic laws and policies to international standards. This would enable the country to deal with offenders more firmly by criminally prosecuting and punishing offenders with the aid of regional cooperation. As the country deals with corrupt officials internally, it should work collaboratively with other countries to expand the net for prosecution and punishment. Efforts to have proactive measures to identify potential traffickers would go a long way in reducing the vulnerability of targeted victims.

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[1] Roza Pati, “Human Trafficking: An Issue of Human and National Security, 4 U,” Miami Nat’l Security & Armed Conflict Law Review , no. 29 (2014): 12.

[2] Gillian Wylie, “Securing States or Securing People? Human Trafficking and Security Dilemmas,”  Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review  95, no. 377 (2006): 11.

[3] ( Imf.org , 2019) <https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2018/09/pdf/human-trafficking-in-southeast-asia-caballero.pdf> accessed 15 March 2019.

[4] Roza Pati, “Human Trafficking: An Issue of Human and National Security, 4 U,” 11

[5] Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labor and forced marriage International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, 2017.

[6] ‘Our Documents – 13Th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)’ ( Ourdocuments.gov , 2019)

[7] Gillian Wylie, “Securing States or Securing People? Human Trafficking and Security Dilemmas,” 13

[8] “America’s Original Sin: Slavery Never Ended, It Just Evolved.”

[9] Miller, J. R. ‘‘On-the-Record Briefing by Ambassador John R. Miller, Ambassador-

at-Large on International Slavery, on Release of the Sixth Annual Trafficking in

Person Report,” U. S. Department of State (2006).

[10] ‘Asia and The Pacific | Global Slavery Index’ ( Global Slavery Index , 2019)

[11] Alexis A Aronowitz,  Human Trafficking, Human Misery  (Praeger 2009).

[12] Bastick, Megan, and Karin Grimm.  Security sector responses to trafficking in human beings . Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), 2007.

[13] King, L., 2008. International law and human trafficking. Topical Research Digest: Human Rights and Human Trafficking , pp.88-90.

[14] Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labour and forced marriage International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, 2017, Available at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf [Accessed 24 Jan. 2019].

[15] Alexis A Aronowitz,  Human Trafficking, Human Misery  (Praeger 2009).

[16] Bassiouni, “Addressing international human trafficking in women and children for commercial sexual exploitation in the 21st century,” p.421.

[17] Asia and The Pacific | Global Slavery Index’ ( Global Slavery Index , 2019)

[18] UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),  Fact Sheet No. 14, Contemporary Forms of Slavery , July 1991, No. 14, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4794773b0.html [accessed 28 January 2019]

[19] ‘OHCHR | Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons’ ( Ohchr.org , 2019) <https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/protocoltraffickinginpersons.aspx> accessed 21 January 2019.

[20] ( Duo.uio.no , 2019) <https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/53911/Final-Master.pdf?sequence=5> accessed 26 January 2019.

[21] Ibid 5, Art. 3

[22] King, L., 2008. International law and human trafficking. Topical Research Digest: Human Rights and Human Trafficking , pp.88-90.

[23] Ibid. 4

[25] (Treaties.un.org, 2019)

[26] ‘UNTC’ ( Treaties.un.org , 2019) <https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=VII-8&chapter=7&clang=_en> accessed 24 January 2019

[27] UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),  Fact Sheet No. 14, Contemporary Forms of Slavery , July 1991, No. 14, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4794773b0.html [accessed 28 January 2019]

[28] Diana.teixeira. “FAQs.” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Accessed March 11, 2019. <https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/faqs.html> accessed on 11 March 2019.

[29] King, L., 2008. “International law and human trafficking,” pp.88-90.

[30] CdeBaca, L., 2011. Successes and Failures in International Human Trafficking Law.  Mich. J. Int’l L. ,  33 , p.37.

[31] ( Asean.org , 2019)

[32] Farhana, F., 2018. Responsive Legal Approach to Law of Human Trafficking in Indonesia. Journal of Social Studies Education Research , 9 (1), pp.214-227.

[33] ( Publications.iom.int , 2019)

[34] “ASEAN: Epicentre of Human Trafficking.” The ASEAN Post. Last modified July 31, 2018.<https://theaseanpost.com/article/asean-epicentre-human-trafficking>accessed on 10 March 2019.

[35] King, L., 2008. International law and human trafficking. Topical Research Digest: Human Rights and Human Trafficking , pp.88-90.

[36] ‘OHCHR | Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons’ ( Ohchr.org , 2019) <https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/protocoltraffickinginpersons.aspx> accessed 21 January 2019.

[37] Ralf Emmers, ‘The Securitization of Transnational Crime in ASEAN’ (2002) 39 <https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/rsis-pubs/WP39.pdf> accessed 27 January 2019.

[38] ‘Tackling Human Trafficking In ASEAN’ ( International Relations , 2019) <http://ir.bellschool.anu.edu.au/news-events/stories/5149/tackling-human-trafficking-asean> accessed 30 January 2019.

[39] ‘Ratifications Of ILO Conventions: Ratifications for Indonesia’ ( Ilo.org , 2019) <https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11200:0::NO:11200:P11200_COUNTRY_ID:102938> accessed 27 January 2019

[40] ( Asean.org , 2019) <https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/APA-FINAL.pdf> accessed 29 January 2019.

[41] Rizal Sukma, ‘The Securitization of Human Trafficking in Indonesia’ ( Rsis.edu.sg , 2019) <https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/rsis-pubs/WP162.pdf> accessed 27 January 2019.

[42] ( Asean.org , 2019) <https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/ACTIP.pdf> accessed 29 January 2019.

[43] “ASEAN: Epicentre of Human Trafficking.” The ASEAN Post. Last modified July 31, 2018.<https://theaseanpost.com/article/asean-epicentre-human-trafficking>accessed on 10 March 2019.

[45] Bakar, Rosita; Firdaus Abu; Tarfik, 2016. Weak Child Protection Law in Act Combating Crime of Trafficking in Person in Indonesia. JL Pol’y & Globalization , 51 , p.1

[46] ‘Tackling Human Trafficking in ASEAN’ ( International Relations , 2019) <http://ir.bellschool.anu.edu.au/news-events/stories/5149/tackling-human-trafficking-asean> accessed 30 January 2019

[47] Ibid 23

[48] ‘Ratifications Of ILO Conventions: Ratifications For Indonesia’ ( Ilo.org , 2019) <https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11200:0::NO:11200:P11200_COUNTRY_ID:102938> accessed 27 January 2019.

[49] Bakar, Rosita; Firdaus Abu; Tarfik, 2016. Weak Child Protection Law in Act Combating Crime of Trafficking in Person in Indonesia. JL Pol’y & Globalization , 51 , p.1

[50] Farhana, F., 2018. Responsive Legal Approach to Law of Human Trafficking in Indonesia. Journal of Social Studies Education Research , 9 (1), pp.214-227.

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[61] Dutta, Mondira. “Natural disaster and vulnerability to trafficking of women and girls in India.”  European Scientific Journal, ESJ 13, no. 12 (2017).

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Human Trafficking

1 exploring the complexities of human trafficking networks and victim dynamics.

Dynamics of Human Trafficking and Exploitation The below-referenced article is a substantial research project on human trafficking. The study revealed some facts about the problem and the lack of specific statistics because of the largely secretive nature of the problem with an in-depth analysis of the individual, criminal, network, and structural factors that influence trafficking […]

2 The Complex Reality of Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia

Battling Complex Human Trafficking Threats When it comes to security, it no longer revolves around traditional threats such as military confrontations or territorial disputes. The present world’s threats arise from modern, non-traditional threats such as natural disasters and transnational crimes. In the case of transnational crimes, human trafficking is seemed to be one of the […]

3 Exploring the Complexities of Human Trafficking

The Complex Dynamics of Labor Trafficking Victimization Labor trafficking involves the victimization of people through involuntary labor (De Vries & Farrell, 2018, p. 630). It is considered a form of human trafficking under U.S. Federal law, codified in the Victims of Trafficking Violence Act (TVPA) of 2000, as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining […]

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4 The Dual Role of Technology in Combating and Facilitating Human Trafficking

Introduction Did you know sex trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world? Many of us are blind to the fact that sex trafficking goes on in our society every day, and many of us have little knowledge of what sex trafficking and human trafficking are. Sex trafficking is the illegal business […]

5 Human Trafficking: Risk Factors and Ethical Responsibilities

Introduction The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS, n.d.) defines human trafficking as “modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act” (p.1). Millions of people are said to suffer from being in forced labor. (Zimmerman and Kiss, 2017, p. 1) It is […]

6 Addressing the Urgent Need to Combat Human Trafficking

Introduction Human trafficking is when someone is forced into sexual behaviors. Human trafficking is known as “white slavery.” Human trafficking should be prohibited in the world, and traffickers should serve a reasonable time in jail. No one should ever get used for sex against their own will if they don’t feel comfortable doing it. It […]

7 Human Trafficking: A Growing Epidemic and the Urgent Need for Awareness

Introduction Human trafficking is the new age version of slavery. It involves forcefully taking a person using fraud, lies, and coercion to get some work (labor) or sexual activity in return. Human trafficking does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, male, female, thin, fat, old, or young. There is no concern about one’s religion, income, or […]

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What Is Human Trafficking? A Review Essay

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Free Human Trafficking Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Trafficking , Slavery , Human , Crime , Prostitution , Discrimination , Victims , Victimology

Words: 1100

Published: 03/08/2023

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Introduction

Human trafficking is the trade of persons, usually for sexual exploitation and slavery, for forced labor or for commercial use for the financial gain of the trafficker (UNIDC, 2011). Almost every country in the world is affected by this crime. The most common form of human trafficking is the sexual exploitation of women. The other forms are forced labor and slavery-like servitude and organ removal. Almost 8 out of 10 of the victims of human trafficking are women and children sold as sex slaves (UNODC, 2016). Human trafficking can be conducted by an individual with a few victims, or by an organized crime group transporting their victims across geographical boundaries to more affluent countries where the demand for these workers is great. The income generated by human traffickers around the world is estimated to be around $8 – 9 billion dollars annually (UNODC, 2016). The thesis of this short paper is that human trafficking remains prevalent because of poverty and the presence of civil unrest or oppression in the areas where the victims come from. The succeeding portions of this paper will explore in full these reasons.

Poverty and the lack of opportunity is perhaps the greatest reason why human trafficking still occurs today. People who are poor and desperate decided to seek better economic opportunities, and they are commonly found in the areas or regions. The main origins of the victims of human trafficking are Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. These nations have substantial populations living below their respective poverty lines. The destinations are the more affluent regions of the world such as North America and Western Europe. The victims, in their fervent desire to obtain better economic opportunities for themselves and their families, escape their difficult lives, and thus are exploited by the traffickers. In many areas where the victims come from, the traffickers woo their victims with false promises of wealth. It is these individuals who live and suffer in poverty that are preyed upon by the traffickers. The victims can either be sold to new traffickers, or end up in circumstances where they become sex slaves, or are forced to work in horrible conditions with little or no pay (Wright, 2015). One report of Danish authorities apprehending a couple who were common-law partners recruiting women from Eastern Europe and forcing them into prostitution in Denmark. In Australia, several women from various points in Southeast Asia were brought into that country and forced into prostitution. The women were allegedly recruited to be domestic workers in Australia, but were immediately brought to brothels in Australia whose owners were contacts of the human trafficker (Vijeyrasa, 2016). In some instances, civil unrest exacerbates the problem of poverty such that individuals become victims of trafficking. The long periods of civil unrest in Colombia have resulted in a substantial number of displaced citizens. The desperation of being displaced has led many to become victims of exploitation and trafficking. Many rebel and guerilla groups attract children and minors to join their ranks with the promise of the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. One will find the presence of numerous children and minors as soldiers in Iraq and Colombia (Hepburn and Simon, 2013). Increases in trafficking rates in Iraq were noted with the increased activity of ISIS. Iraqi refugees in Syria were at the most risk for forced sex labor, forced child begging and exploited labor (Human Trafficking Center, 2016). There are instances wherein poverty and civil unrest create desperate situations for people such that they become willing victims of exploitation and trafficking. They desire to leave their current environs and circumstances, and thus readily agree to any covenant with a trafficker who makes empty promises. They simply wish to leave their current locations in order to escape the difficult social, economic and political situation they find themselves in.

The problem of human trafficking affects many countries around the world. Some countries are destinations, while others are the origins. More often than not, the victims of trafficking are unaware of their fates and are forced to work as sex slaves or as exploited laborers, or as child beggars in places that are far away from their homes. These victims are separated from the families, and sometimes they themselves have been sold to the human traffickers by their own relatives. Poverty is cited as the main reason for trafficking. Without anything to eat, people are willing to agree to just about anything in order to earn a living. Those also who find themselves living in places where there is political instability, civil unrest or conflict are also oftentimes exploited by the traffickers. The situation becomes very difficult because it is common for victims to be impoverished and trapped in civil unrest such that they are desperate and cling to whatever is offered to them in order to escape their current situation. Countries should be vigilant and must arrest the traffickers while allowing the victims to lead new lives in the countries they have found themselves to be in. The fight against poverty and putting an end to civil unrest and conflict will go a long way in making human trafficking a thing of the past. In addition to these steps, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating those responsible for these criminal acts will help deter others from committing the same crimes.

Hepburn, S. and Simon, R. (2013). Human Trafficking Around the World: Hidden in Plain Sight. NY: Columbia University Press. Human Trafficking Center. (2016). ISIS: One of Many Contributors to Trafficking in Syria and Iraq. Retrieved from: http://humantraffickingcenter.org/posts-by-htc-associates/isis-one-many-contributors-trafficking-syria-iraq/ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2011). UNODC on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling. Retrieved 05 April 2016 from: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2016). UNODC Report on Human Trafficking Exposes Modern Form of Slavery. Retrieved from: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html Vijeyrasa, R. (2016). Sex, Slavery and the Trafficked Woman: Myths and Misconceptions about Trafficking and its Victims. NY: Routledge. Wright, E. (2015). Poverty and Its Contribution to Human Trafficking. Retrieved from: http://borgenproject.org/poverty-contribution-human-trafficking/

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Essay on Human Trafficking

Question one: human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a global crime that impacts practically every nation (Europol, 2005) and has been linked to multinational criminal enterprises, minor criminal organizations, and criminal groups, employment and migration law breaches, and corrupt government (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2006). Generally, human trafficking was most often characterized as the trade in women and children for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or other unethical objectives (Davy, 2015). Recent definitions of trafficking have expanded beyond sexual abuse to include those forms of violence, fraud, or compulsion. Additionally, it is often said that people do not have to be carried across global or other borders for trafficking to occur. In 2000, the world community settled on a concept of human trafficking, which is included in Article 3 of the United Nations Protocol to Prohibit, Repress, and Combat Human trafficking, Particularly Women and Children (Smith & Smith, 2011). While seeking to understand the concept of trafficking, the main aim in this paper is to give special attention to sex trafficking in the United States.

Human trafficking has been one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises of our generation. The International Labor Organization estimates that around 21 million individuals were victims of trafficking in 2012. (ILO, 2013). Trafficking is the fastest growing global criminal sector and the ranks second and most lucrative after the drug business; analysts predict that it will surpass narcotics and weapons transportation in ten years (Hodge, 2008). Often referred to as modern slavery, it is distinguished from human smuggling by the fact that it entails cruelty and lack of liberty. Additionally, human trafficking involves the exchange of labor, the coercion of victims into prostitution, and the collection of crucial organs (Butler, 2015). Women and kids are proportionally the most trafficked in the United States. Hispanic girls and women, in particular, are the victims of sex trafficking throughout Central and Latin American borders (Hodge, 2008). The majority of victims are then abused via sexual exploitation. Indeed, commercialized sex and human trafficking are inextricably linked since females are transported in the path of sexual demand.

Numerous factors contribute to a person to become a victim of trafficking. Various factors, including poverty, a lack of knowledge, and even a decline in literacy, might render persons vulnerable to human trafficking. Both nationally and internationally governments have struggled to combat human trafficking. Medical practitioners contribute to ongoing education about human trafficking consciousness. Education is critical for the public in order to avoid being victims and to limit the occurrence of human trafficking.

People can be trafficked both domestically and abroad. They are more frequently sent inadvertently to other nations as a result of being offered false sense of hope. The two most common forced behaviors are difficult work and sexual advances. Additionally, they are exposed to live in deplorable circumstances. Numerous instances of human smuggling are difficult to identify, and the majority go unreported.

Human trafficking is a significant form of corruption, generating an estimated ten million dollars every year. There are several degrees of this crime, but it is critical to distinguish people trafficking from human smuggling. Once a person is transported over the border, smuggling begins. To make human smuggling operate, two parties must be engaged and agree on the parameters of the human exchange. Once an agreement transaction has been completed, no additional communication is required until the following transaction. According to Wheaton, Schauer& Galli (2010), “trafficking victims have not consented to or accepted to the futures envisioned for them by traffickers.”

The trafficking in persons sector is dominated by gangs and rich people. Partnership with fraudulent authorities is often used to fabricate fake papers and engage in other unlawful conduct. Men, women, and youngsters may all be victims of human trafficking. Whenever somebody engages in human trafficking, they seek for, transfer, and assault victims.

Sex Trafficking in the US

Sex trafficking is a worldwide issue that has a direct effect on the United States. There seem to be three basic strategies to avoid it. The first is to recognize the indicators, the second is to raise awareness, and the third is to take action by getting more active. According to Deshpande & Nour (2013), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime defines human and sex slavery is any kind of recruitment that includes transporting, abducting, or deceiving a person. Abuse and exploitation and bonded labor are two of the most typical goals of sex trafficking. Sexual exploitation occurs when males pay for underage sex and early adulthood. Forced labor is the means by which they may profit from these young girls and women lured to be trafficked. Americans are major victims of human trafficking. Sex trafficking is on the rise in the twenty-first century. According to Women’s Funding Network (2005), when people seem to think of sexual exploitation, they generally think of women and children being taken beyond borders, but seldom of individuals being kidnapped and coerced into sexual services here in the United States. Sex trafficking is a kind of human abuse that violates victims’ human rights. Human rights are our equal rights regardless of our ethnicity, sex, religion, or location of residence (United States Human Rights, 2017).

The United States is among the top 10 hotspots for human trafficking and is a regular location for perpetrators from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. There are 12.3 million subjects to forced labor globally, and it generates $44.3 billion U.S. dollars. 43% of involuntary sexual exploitation occurs in the workplace, and 98 percent of those captives are females (Hepburn & Simon 2010). The causes for exploitation are more complicated than one would believe; monetarily, sex trafficking is a market driven enterprise in the viewpoint of criminals and purchasers, and the hurdles victims confront are equally complex (Copley, 2014). Trafficking in human beings in all its manifestations is a type of social oppression and a violation of human rights that matches the Social Work Code of Ethics and needs to be on the social care industry’s radar.

Sex trafficking reports keep rising alarmingly in all regions of the nation, affecting Americans of every color, gender, age, and financial status. Researchers and law enforcement officers are battling this subterranean illicit enterprise’s internet expansion. Nonetheless, traffickers’ strategies continue to adapt in order to entice, influence, and coerce an alarming group of young girls into selling their bodies in order to fulfill the rising demand for commercial sex.

Shattered Dreams: Sex Trafficking in America  is a showcase film that is the first of its kind to examine the significant psychosocial challenges that captives of sex trafficking endure on a regular schedule at the mercy of pimps and consumers. The extraordinarily complicated nature of this sort of modern-day enslavement is illuminated via first-hand, tragic testimony of assault from 3 victims of the underground sex trade. Detailed interviews with prominent specialists from throughout the nation provide more light on the industry’s motivations, uncovering alarming facts about the culture in which people dwell and the widespread beliefs that enable sex trafficking to flourish. Despite survivors’ immense pain, the video demonstrates how there is no hope for future life after already being trafficked. While there is greater awareness in cities like as San Diego, the video demonstrates how far off we are as a nation in addressing this problem on a national scale.

Bill Wisneski of Palomar College Television wrote and performed “Shattered Dreams: Sex Trafficking in America” during the last year. The 54-minute video — which had its local debut Thursday afternoon at the San Marcos community college campus — tells another often narrative of what has grown into a $810 million clandestine economy in San Diego County through the eyes of three professional sex workers. San Diego County is one of the top 13 sex exploitation hotspots in the country. The majority of victims are adolescent females born in the United States who are persuaded into sex trafficking by gang members as early as 12 years of age, but primarily between the ages of 14 and 16. Some individuals have been sexually abused as children or originate from unstable households, making them more susceptible to grooming. Once cut off from their family and completely reliant on their brothel owners, these girls are sexually involved with ten to fifteen men every night in order to achieve sales targets or face the penalties.

Marjorie Saylor, one of the ladies portrayed in the video, worked as a sex prostitute for 8 years prior to actually fleeing her pimp. She characterized her existence in the documentary as gloomy, miserable, and hazardous. When one client, nude and drugged up, refused his pushy tactics, she got violent. “He said that he could murder me and no one would notice. ‘I paid for two hours of your time. ‘You are my property,’ “In the film, Saylor remembered.

A mare reader can ask the question of what is the essence of making a film about the dark underworld of sex trafficking. Our culture has only recently started to accept survivor narratives of gender-based violence and to modify attitudes toward humanitarian concerns such as sex slavery. After afflicting mankind for centuries, the anti-sex slavery campaign is gaining steam, inspiring more debates than it has ever been as we come to terms with the epidemic’s staggering size.

The purpose of this documentary  Shattered Dreams  was to enlighten mostly on sheer complexity of sex trafficking with the aim of eliminating widespread misunderstandings. What we have long regarded as the world’s “oldest profession” is really a distressing crime taking place in broad view, continually vilified and misconstrued. With an average recruiting age of 12 to 17, the young are being recruited at unprecedented rates, as kidnappers easily attract them online using means such as social networking sites. Experts believe that huge number of teenage girls are trafficked for sex in the United States each year, with many contracting STDs, falling to overdoses, developing PTSD, committing suicide, or even dying.

Personal accounts of abuse continue to expand from perpetrators of sex trafficking, illuminating the debilitating impact of trauma and the psychological shackles that ensnare victims. However, how can society resolve this dilemma without resolving the problem is actually underlying excessive need for sex? Despite greater awareness in recent years, there are shockingly few resources available to give answers, and many incidents remain unreported. Shattered Dreams empowers survivors by enabling audiences to see experience how teenage women become victims of human trafficking, with the intention of preventing following generations from succumbing to this heinous crime.

Cinematic Techniques

Within the documentary, various cinematic techniques have been utilized. These techniques have helped the audience understand the action and connect deeply with through techniques such as the panning shot, which has been utilized in the film. Panning shots are the vertical counterparts of tilt shots. They may be used merely to display the environment, but one can obtain genuinely excellent effects by maintaining smooth and precise panning, which is particularly important when there is action and a properly constructed final frame involved. Bear in mind that such motions must be well executed to seem extremely natural and practically imperceptible in order to avoid detracting from the plot.

Additionally, mid shots have been greatly used within the film. By providing both the performer and their settings equal screen time, a medium shot emphasizes both. The cinematographer employs a medium shot to convey information about the person’s face and sentiments while also telling the viewer about what is happening in the environment around them. Generally, it is preferable to make the public feel as though they are a part of the narrative. In an action thriller, for instance, the viewers empathize with the protagonist, and thrilling moments pump their energy.

Extreme close-up shots have also been used within the film sparingly. Extreme close-up shots are utilized infrequently and are reserved for instances when the emotional power of a scenario has to be increased. This may be accomplished by focusing intensely on the subject’s face, or perhaps only on the eyes or perhaps even the gestures. It works equally well for things, such as ticking hour hand or brushwork. Whereas these images are mostly devoid of context, they are excellent for creating the atmosphere or infusing the scene with tension and intimacy. Within the film, on the fifteenth minute, the characters eyes are shown to indicate a plan cooking in their brain on how they are planning to deceive the young girl into agreeing to their demands which come inform of opportunities. Through the scene, this technique has been utilized a great deal (16:23) to bring in the tension and enable the viewers connect with the characters and the scenes.

Question Three: The influence which American culture may have on Sex trafficking in the United States and assess the extent of the problem today

Numerous researchers argue that culture is a significant driving force to human and sex trafficking that has been disregarded. While bad economic situations provide the impetus for seeking better employment possibilities, the choice to move from one’s home and, in many instances, one’s family is certainly influenced by a plethora of variables, most of which are cultural in nature. When people contemplate migrating in quest of a better quality of life, they are inclined to examine how the relocation will be received by their society. Are self-improvement choices acknowledged? Is it OK to abandon one’s society and potentially renounce customs? Culture and values are likely to have an impact not just whether a person contemplates migrating, but if a person takes action and leaves his or her community in quest of a better quality of life. According to Goldschmidt (2006, p. 181), “culture should be the primary emphasis for explaining individual behaviors in society and for characterizing economic events,” while Guiso et al. (2006) claim that societal theories may help in understanding economic results. Additionally, Granato et al. (1996, p. 607) argue that “that is not an either/or situation: cultural and economic forces interact.” These findings imply that culture has a major influence on a person’s financial decision, and that neglecting its impact provides an inaccurate view of economic results.

From the article by Kristen published in August 5 2021, various actions that have evolved and turned into a way of life have continued to accelerate culture as being a push factor in promoting sexual trafficking. Within the United States, the current culture is a huge factor. There are various social norms and beliefs that contribute to the increase of modern-day slavery. This includes absent fathers. Today, one in every four children in the United States is nurtured without a father. Children growing up without both parents are much more likely to face a variety of psychological, behavioral, intellectual, and social difficulties. To put it another way, 71% dropping out of high school, 85% of teenagers in jail, and 90% of fugitive youngsters are fatherless. 70% of expectant adolescent girls have an absent father (Kristen, 2021). Even toddlers who do not live with the both biological parents have a 40-fold increased risk of sexual assault. Girls, in particular, require their father. Recent research indicates that ladies who grow up with an attentive father build better loving relationships, are much more prosperous, and have reduced incidence of depression as individuals. More significantly, as highlighted in the New York Daily News, girls who have a dedicated father are better equipped to “refuse inappropriate sexual approaches and psychological coercion in their interactions.” This should include human trafficking. Numerous sexual exploitation situations start with a partner who earns the victim’s confidence before coercing her into doing “favors” for their pals. Additionally, kids without dads may seek masculine validation from other sources, including a random guy contacting them on Instagram or perhaps an older gentleman complimenting them they are beautiful, one can picture the men’s true motivations.

Secondly, the prevalence of porn in the pop culture has increasingly promoted sex trafficking among individuals. Pornography is one way that children and women are exploited in the real world for the sake of sex. Real children and women, as well as some males, are hired out to be used in commercial sex to create visual pornography, which accounts for the majority of the industry’s goods. These persons then are transferred and marketed in the resultant materials for a purchaser’s sexual usage. Obscenity laws, which are the conventional legal solution to the problem, are completely unconcerned with these facts (Kotrla, 2010). Their key concern is the decency of what is being said and displayed. What is criminal about indecency has nothing to do with the damage done on real persons to create the materials or since they are utilized.

Porn is regarded as a kind of sexual liberation and harmless amusement in contemporary culture; however, it is hard to separate porn from sex slavery. Conversely, it fuels the requirements of human trafficking. Many of the films depict victims of human trafficking, and that there is no key to understanding whether movies have their permission. Furthermore, Americans are among the leading producers and users of child porn. “Pornography is currently driving culture of rape, embedding the mischaracterization of sexual abuse directly into the cultural consciousness,” argues Jonathon Van Maren in his book The Culture War. Today, approximately 80 percent of porn incorporates violence or aggressiveness (Kotrla, 2010). “Boys were taught that they should never strike girls, but now the society is encouraging them it’s absolutely a turn-on,” Van Maren adds. In this case, it can be said that porn culture has normalized abuse (Kotrla, 2010). From the article by Kristel, Pornography is also influencing young boys as little as eleven to become predators. Medical personnel are witnessing a systemic problem of child sex abuse, and many of the juvenile offenders admit to having to act out what they have seen on television.

Pornography, in my opinion, is a supply-driven industry. Its until they see it that men desire it. They want to utilize it more and more as they use it. The apathy and dependency so thoroughly chronicled in its user places pimps in charge of their libido. (One waits for them to be offended.) Even though it increases their authority, it severely restricts their independence.) Pornography can be attributed like to drinking saline water. It appears to be genuine but is not; the more one drinks, the thirstier they grow. Pornography generates demand for both itself and sex trafficking.

Pornography was the third-most prevalent type of sex trafficking, after female escorts and illicit spa enterprises, according to instances documented to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. When someone is fooled, misled, or compelled into producing porn, that is considered sex trafficking. For instance, if a porn actress arrives on set only to realize that the performance is far more violent or nasty than they had been informed, and their agency warns to terminate the actor’s other engagements if they do not take that route, it’s considered sex trafficking. Some data shows that tolerance to sexual abuse via porn viewing might lead to a greater readiness to pay for sex. As more and more customers buy sex, the market for persons getting trafficked commercial sex rises. Researchers studying persons who battle with undesired porn addictions have discovered a growing inclination to carry out explicitly the activities shown in pornographic content, such as visiting massage parlors (Herrington & McEachern, 2018). In other words, customers who watch porn at homes are frequently the same people who abuse actual people, equipped with porn photos to demonstrate the victim they’re abusing what they would like to do (Herrington & McEachern, 2018).

Additionally, the social media culture within America and globally has been on the rise over the past century. Online sex trafficking has grown dramatically in the last twenty years and is now on the increase much more as a result of the worldwide epidemic. Russ Tuttle, the director of the “Stop Trafficking Project,” previously has spoken about the difficulties and motivations why several individuals, particularly children, are becoming victims of internet abuse. He stated that even the most hazardous susceptibility for younger generations would be when they say and think, “I’m a lonely child.” Being isolated from peers and schools, as occurred during COVID-19, may have far-reaching implications.

Furthermore, sexually exploited victims account for the greater part of captives across all kinds of trafficking. The advancement of technology has opened a new arena for criminal organizations to sexually assault their victims. Technology serves a variety of objectives around the globe and in contemporary culture: connectivity, monitoring, financial services, and cooperation. While they are not illicit aims or even of themselves, a trafficker’s use of technology is often unlawful and exploitative in character. Traffickers employ notepads, computers, and cellphones since they are portable, compact, and easy to use; they perform various activities; and they may aid persons in eluding law police detection.

Consequently, technologies have aided in the online sex trafficking. Websites that support human trafficking are becoming more commonplace as the world becomes more digital. Some criminals have adapted their techniques for use in internet by exploiting new technologies and online platforms to promote, enroll, and control individuals in cyberspace. On a daily basis, human traffickers use the internet to sell their bogus services to unsuspecting customers. By using the anonymity of internet forums and public information, sex traffickers are able to target their victims. Webcams and webcasts have made it possible for new kinds of abuse to be perpetrated without the victim having to be transported and transferred, which has changed traditional forms of exploitation. With the assistance of the internet, drug dealers have adapted their methodologies to more efficaciously identify particular victims, either by assertively ‘hunting’ the many they perceive to be susceptible to abuse or by complacently ‘fishing’ for possible victims by placing online advertisements and expecting the potential victims to reply. Traffickers may quickly obtain access to a larger pool of consumers, especially sex purchasers, via the web. Online technologies are rapidly being used by traffickers to market the services that come from their captives’ exploitation. Advertisements targeting individuals comprise those who are on classified listing websites such as Backpage347 and related websites, as well as those on social networking sites and services (apps).

Online sex abuse is described as “the real or alleged misuse of a vulnerable position, authority, or confidence for sexual reasons, particularly, but still not restricted to, benefitting economically, culturally, or ideologically from some other person’s sexual exploitation.” This indicates that abuse and exploitation occur when someone tries to manipulate or pushes another individual to perform anything sexual. Forcing anybody to do anything sexual, extorting someone else into giving naked or explicit pictures and videos, or doing sexual actions through a webcam are all examples of this. It makes no difference if there is a barrier between the criminal and the victims. It is a continual cycle of mental and behavioral abuse when victims frequently believe they are really being harassed and abused repetitively because their photographs or videos are being viewed on the dark web on a regular basis. Online sexual assault and harassment are also criminal, regardless of whether the victim is conversing with somebody else older or somebody their possess age.

The most popular means of trafficking is social media. It’s been dubbed the “digital hunting field” by some. Predators nowadays have quick access to thousands and thousands of youngsters in their immediate vicinity. They have the ability to locate, manage, and approach the females personally. They can extort a female after trying to coerce her to submit them obscene images by threatening to release the pictures on social media. Furthermore, too much predatory material is unreported or uncensored.

From the analysis, Human trafficking appears to be on the rise, while traffickers continually adapt new mechanisms and techniques to keep up with the changing world. It is clear that within the United States human trafficking is the most rampant, where there are various contributory factors to this activity. Primarily, human trafficking can be linked to factors such as poverty, and poor economic standards. It has been evidenced that the greater number of trafficked individuals are out on the run for better quality of their lives. This highly explains why culture within the United States and other states globally has highly promoted human trafficking which mostly results to sex trafficking and exploitation.

Also, the porn culture has been explained to highly contribute to sex trafficking. Pornographic content contributes to sexual abuse, and also leads to a demand of sexual content within the society. Researchers studying persons who battle with undesired porn addictions have discovered a growing inclination to carry out explicitly the activities shown in pornographic content, such as visiting massage parlors.

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