I have lived the majority of my life ignorantly believing that slavery had more or less ended with the Civil War. Many Americans may share similar beliefs. Unfortunately, that is not the case as the threat of slavery and human trafficking continues to haunt towns throughout America and throughout the world. In these modern times, more individuals are being forced into servitude than ever before (Bryfonski 14). The different types and the various contributing factors of human trafficking and modern day slavery cause it to be a global as well as a national crisis; however, this crisis is being combated with laws along with government and private programs designed to prevent human trafficking, alleviate the victims, bring justice to the traffickers,
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Though this definition accurately describes what qualifies as human trafficking, it fails to manifest the massive repercussions slavery has left on this world. Human beings are being compelled into physical and sexual deeds without their consent all across the world. In fact, human trafficking has been reported in one hundred sixty-one of the one hundred ninety-six that exist worldwide (Bryfonski 14-15), and continues to expand as it is the second largest and the fastest growing criminal activity in the world (“Human Trafficking 101”). Although it is easy to view these statistics as inconsequential facts that have little to no impact on the average citizen, the reality is, every human being is affected by modern-day slavery whether on a personal, local or national level.
Slavery has the ability to affect massive amounts of people because there is more than one type of human trafficking. As is stated in the government’s definition of human trafficking, there are two major types of trafficking: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Sex trafficking is when an individual engages in a commercial sex act as a result of force, threat or coercion. Though the individual may have initially …show more content…
This slavery is usually endured without any payment though some may work towards paying off a debt and others may earn miniscule wages (“Trafficking in Persons Report” 30-31). A Forever 21 factory worker from Los Angeles, California related her struggle with the unfair wages she earned while a slave of labor trafficking. She told Bloomberg BusinessWeek for every vest she made, which would sell for nearly fourteen dollars, she would receive twelve cents. In order for her to make a minimum wage of eight dollars per hour, she would have to make sixty- seven vests an hour, an impossible task (Schulz). Forever 21 is not the only “big-name” company that has taken advantage of labor trafficking. To date, the U. S. Department of Labor has identified one hundred thirty-six products from seventy- four countries that were made through the efforts of forced labor in some way (“Labor Trafficking”). These companies and their customers continue to bolster the demand for slavery. They are, in part, to blame for the massive amounts of slaves being taken captive to fill this
Though this definition accurately describes what qualifies as human trafficking, it fails to manifest the massive repercussions slavery has left on this world. Human beings are being compelled into physical and sexual deeds without their consent all across the world. In fact, human trafficking has been reported in one hundred sixty-one of the one hundred ninety-six that exist worldwide (Bryfonski 14-15), and continues to expand as it is the second largest and the fastest growing criminal activity in the world (“Human Trafficking 101”). Although it is easy to view these statistics as inconsequential facts that have little to no impact on the average citizen, the reality is, every human being is affected by modern-day slavery whether on a personal, local or national level.
Slavery has the ability to affect massive amounts of people because there is more than one type of human trafficking. As is stated in the government’s definition of human trafficking, there are two major types of trafficking: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Sex trafficking is when an individual engages in a commercial sex act as a result of force, threat or coercion. Though the individual may have initially …show more content…
This slavery is usually endured without any payment though some may work towards paying off a debt and others may earn miniscule wages (“Trafficking in Persons Report” 30-31). A Forever 21 factory worker from Los Angeles, California related her struggle with the unfair wages she earned while a slave of labor trafficking. She told Bloomberg BusinessWeek for every vest she made, which would sell for nearly fourteen dollars, she would receive twelve cents. In order for her to make a minimum wage of eight dollars per hour, she would have to make sixty- seven vests an hour, an impossible task (Schulz). Forever 21 is not the only “big-name” company that has taken advantage of labor trafficking. To date, the U. S. Department of Labor has identified one hundred thirty-six products from seventy- four countries that were made through the efforts of forced labor in some way (“Labor Trafficking”). These companies and their customers continue to bolster the demand for slavery. They are, in part, to blame for the massive amounts of slaves being taken captive to fill this