Many young people dream of a better life. They hope to find better opportunities that will provide them a strong future. However, they could never imagine that their hopes and dreams could be shattered by a horrendous problem called human trafficking. Each year victims are lured, forced against their will, and sold into the black market of human trafficking. Human trafficking, the modern day equivalent of slavery, must be recognized as such by all communities if this transnational crime is to be stopped.
Human trafficking is not a localized issue. “There may be a few instances of trafficking within the community but it is largely a borderless crime transgressing the boundaries of police stations, districts, states, countries, and regions” …show more content…
The first profile of a victim is when a person is offered employment under false pretenses. “The traffickers exploits the poverty and hope of vulnerable individual, enticing them with the opportunity to improve their lives (“Victim Profile”). The second profile involves the recruitment and abduction of a victim who is transferred to an unknown destination where they are exploited. This type of victim is often isolated, coerced, threatened, beaten, and restrained (“Victim Profile”)
Knowing the key indicators of human trafficking is a key step to helping victims. One common indicator of labor and sex trafficking share is the work and living conditions. The victims are not free to come and go as they please. They may live in a location with bars on the windows, high security, or opaque windows (“Polaris Project”).
Another common indicator is the victim’s mental and physical health. The victim may be fearful, anxious submissive, and unusually fearful of law enforcement. They may appear malnourished and show signs of physical and sexual abuse, physical restraint, or …show more content…
These organizations provide funding to help protect and support victims so that they can recover from their physical and psychological scars (“UNODC”).
Increasing public awareness is one way to address the problem of cultural differences and is an important piece of anti-trafficking prevention strategies. This type of campaigns target those who are most at risk, those who contribute wittingly or unwittingly to the demand such as public and private employers (“state.gov”).
The feasibility of government solutions has faced several challenges. The effectiveness of laws is still being debated. Despite the challenges, efforts to enforce and raise awareness about the laws have shown an impact. Since 2008, the number of victims identified has more than doubled and the number of prosecutions has tripled (“State.gov”)
Human trafficking must be stopped. The victims need to be protected and given the chance to have a better life. As laws are enforced and traffickers are brought to justice, this crime against human rights will become less of a problem
Human trafficking is not a localized issue. “There may be a few instances of trafficking within the community but it is largely a borderless crime transgressing the boundaries of police stations, districts, states, countries, and regions” …show more content…
The first profile of a victim is when a person is offered employment under false pretenses. “The traffickers exploits the poverty and hope of vulnerable individual, enticing them with the opportunity to improve their lives (“Victim Profile”). The second profile involves the recruitment and abduction of a victim who is transferred to an unknown destination where they are exploited. This type of victim is often isolated, coerced, threatened, beaten, and restrained (“Victim Profile”)
Knowing the key indicators of human trafficking is a key step to helping victims. One common indicator of labor and sex trafficking share is the work and living conditions. The victims are not free to come and go as they please. They may live in a location with bars on the windows, high security, or opaque windows (“Polaris Project”).
Another common indicator is the victim’s mental and physical health. The victim may be fearful, anxious submissive, and unusually fearful of law enforcement. They may appear malnourished and show signs of physical and sexual abuse, physical restraint, or …show more content…
These organizations provide funding to help protect and support victims so that they can recover from their physical and psychological scars (“UNODC”).
Increasing public awareness is one way to address the problem of cultural differences and is an important piece of anti-trafficking prevention strategies. This type of campaigns target those who are most at risk, those who contribute wittingly or unwittingly to the demand such as public and private employers (“state.gov”).
The feasibility of government solutions has faced several challenges. The effectiveness of laws is still being debated. Despite the challenges, efforts to enforce and raise awareness about the laws have shown an impact. Since 2008, the number of victims identified has more than doubled and the number of prosecutions has tripled (“State.gov”)
Human trafficking must be stopped. The victims need to be protected and given the chance to have a better life. As laws are enforced and traffickers are brought to justice, this crime against human rights will become less of a problem