Human trafficking has been a constant problem since the dawn of civilized societies. What was once called slavery became indentured servitude and has evolved into what is now called human trafficking or trafficking in persons (TIP). Though the name has been changed the end result remains the same. People are misled or kidnapped and forced into performing acts against their will. Even though it has been an issue for centuries, and nearly all countries have recently made slavery illegal, the practice continues and even flourishes. In fact it is one of the fastest growing international crimes with an estimated $32 billion annual profit (Aaronson, 2013) and over 20 million victims worldwide (The White House, 2012). Traffickers commonly get
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One of the many problems inherent to human trafficking is law enforcement’s difficulty identifying victims. It is hard for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) to identify victims without a prior investigation that reveals TIP. Many of the victims refuse to come forward or cooperate with law enforcement for fear of reprisal from the Government and …show more content…
The key wording is the use of force, fraud, or coercion. These things can come in the form of physical violence or verbal abuse such as threats. Also of note is that the TVPA is not limited to “sex-trafficking” but any form of forced labor or indentured servitude, including child labor. More importantly is that TVPA says nothing about a victim having to cross borders in order to be considered trafficked. A common mistake is believing that someone must cross into a new state or country before they meet the requirements of trafficking law. Human trafficking also differs from human smuggling. The main difference being that when someone is smuggled into the country the relationship with the smuggler generally ends once they are across the border or reach a specified destination, the transportation was the only service provided. However, trafficked individuals remain in the custody of their captors until they are freed by law enforcement; they escape, or are killed by their captor, or die from other causes. It is important to realize that while, in
One of the many problems inherent to human trafficking is law enforcement’s difficulty identifying victims. It is hard for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) to identify victims without a prior investigation that reveals TIP. Many of the victims refuse to come forward or cooperate with law enforcement for fear of reprisal from the Government and …show more content…
The key wording is the use of force, fraud, or coercion. These things can come in the form of physical violence or verbal abuse such as threats. Also of note is that the TVPA is not limited to “sex-trafficking” but any form of forced labor or indentured servitude, including child labor. More importantly is that TVPA says nothing about a victim having to cross borders in order to be considered trafficked. A common mistake is believing that someone must cross into a new state or country before they meet the requirements of trafficking law. Human trafficking also differs from human smuggling. The main difference being that when someone is smuggled into the country the relationship with the smuggler generally ends once they are across the border or reach a specified destination, the transportation was the only service provided. However, trafficked individuals remain in the custody of their captors until they are freed by law enforcement; they escape, or are killed by their captor, or die from other causes. It is important to realize that while, in