Human Trafficking | Teen Ink

Human Trafficking

June 6, 2012
By Kaylie Darling BRONZE, Salisbury Center New York, New York
Kaylie Darling BRONZE, Salisbury Center New York, New York
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Prevention of human trafficking is a daily occurrence; people are trying to fight it everyday. It can affect anybody, it could even be any of your family members, and all it takes is walking down the road or going on a trip. Human trafficking has increased dramatically in time, it is happening more often. It happens so much because people go on vacation or cross the borders look for new jobs and once they are across they are targets, there are sick people all around the world. Human trafficking has become the second biggest and second fastest growing criminal industry in the world; children are among half of 2,515 people who are being trafficked (Baldas, Tresa). There are many people who are aware of this problem and are doing everything they can from helping the victims or punishing the pimps. Most people that are aware of the problem think that it is only happening across our borders and we can’t do anything about it, but theses people are wrong because it is happening everywhere (Holder, Eric).

There are many groups and organizations all around the world that are trying to help fight against human trafficking. An organization called Thomas Reuters Foundation created the Trust Law, this law asked for 213 gender experts from five continents to rank countries and see what the six most dangerous crimes are human trafficking was one out of the top six rated crimes. This vote showed that discrimination that isn’t headlined is as dangerous as bombs, bullets, stoning and systematic rape (Anderson, Lisa). President Barack Obama is also trying to help human trafficking. He made January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (Baldas, Tresa). In 2000 there was a law created by the United States called the anti-trafficking law, this was called the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (Lederer, Edith). The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) help to protect humans and trafficking that is occurring over seas. They also protect victims and help rebuild their lives in the United States with Federal and State support. They also prosecute traffickers that are of persons under stiff Federal penalties. Another program that has helped Human Trafficking is the Department of Home Security (DHS). Combating human Trafficking and protecting victims of trafficking is what is most important to the DHS members. They have trained officers, prioritized the identification of traffickers and their victims, and coordinated enforcement action against traffickers. DHS helps to prevent Human Trafficking by domestic and international public awareness campaigns. They provide protection by providing rescue and emergency assistance to help the victims of trafficking. DHS enforces prosecution because they are active in conducting Human Trafficking investigations and support domestically and abroad prosecutions. They also show partnership because there is not one person who can help human trafficking; the DHS has more than 90 federal, state and local entities. A service called the United States Citizenship and immigration Services (USCIS) has developed materials regarding immigration assistance for victims of human trafficking. The United States immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provides victims with important immigration information, including eligibility and request guidelines. Another act to help trafficking is the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), this produces informational posters and tear cards for potential victims of human trafficking. The tear cards are designed to connect victims to a crisis support center and are currently available in 14 different languages. The cards and posters are publically available at all of the 330 ports of entry and Border Patrol Station and Checkpoints. They later created things called shoe cards for distribution to potential victims of human trafficking; these cards are designed to break into smaller cards for discreet portability and are available in eight different languages. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) is in the process of finalizing the development of a new computer based training course for their employees to increase the awareness of Human Trafficking issues and to provide information about the signs and indicators of human trafficking (Trafficking victims Protection Reauthorization Act). These are some of the many programs and acts that are trying to help human trafficking, they are doing all they can do and are improving their resources everyday. More people should wake up and realize how much this is happening in the world today and do what they can to help it. It is very important to know about human trafficking and how serious it is and how easily it can happen everyone should be aware of this and take action.

Human Trafficking can happen to anyone men, women and children. The crime rate has increased dramatically in the past years, is the second fastest growing crime in the world today. Afghanistan is said to be the most dangerous Country for women to be in. Violence, dismal healthcare and poverty are what make it dangerous for women to survive in Afghanistan. It is not only these reasons that make it dangerous, Nato airstrikes and cultural practices also make it hard for women to survive in Afghanistan. Women that try to or do men’s work by being policewomen or news broadcaster are often intimidated or brutally killed. It is also very dangerous when women can not access healthcare because her healthcare isn’t prioritized (Anderson, Lisa). It can happen to anybody men, women or children, it doesn’t matter who you are or what gender you might be, you can still be trafficked at anytime of your life. People will cross the borders looking for a better life or searching for better jobs, but once they are across they are targets and there is no way out. Once they are captured they are sold into slavery or forced into any form of labor bondage, and that’s how they spend the rest of their lives. Instead of helping women, they are taking away women’s rights and restricting their freedom of movement so they can’t cross the birders anymore (ProQuest Staff). It is very dangerous for anybody to be traveling the world and crossing borders without knowing anything about human trafficking or about how easy it can happen. Human Trafficking has become the second biggest and second fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and children are among half of 2,515 people. Most of the people who are trafficked are afraid to speak out because they are afraid they will capture again (Baldas, Tresa). Human Trafficking needs to come to an end because now women are loosing their rights because they have to be worried about being trafficked, it is ridiculous.

Even though there are many people who are aware of this problem, most of them thing it is happening across our borders and out of our reach. There is a major problem with people thinking this because it is happening everywhere; the victims are hiding in plain sight. Over 40% of all human trafficking investigations were for sexual trafficking of a child; more than 80% of them were identified as United States citizens. Human Trafficking is not just a global problem but it is a national crisis that everybody should be aware of (Holder, Eric).

Human Trafficking has turned into a major world crisis and needs to be known about. Something needs to happen around the whole world so that human trafficking can end, what that might be nobody knows. People are doing everything their power to try to help, and they are upgrading everyday. Even though there is a lot of programs already helping human trafficking, there needs to be a lot more, there can never be enough. People just need to be aware of the problem so they know what they can do to prevent it from growing and happening to their families. If there were more people who helped and understand human trafficking then it wouldn’t be the second biggest and fastest growing crime rate in the world. “You can only sell a drug once, but you can sell a human being over and over”.













Work Cited

Anderson, Lisa. “Afghanistan Is Most Dangerous Country for Women.” Reuters Media.
15 Jun. 2011: n.p SIRS Issues Researchers. Web. 08 May 2012.
Baldas, Tresa. “Human Trafficking Growing Almost As Fast As Drug Trade, Officials

Say.” Detroit Free Press. 22 Jan 2012: A.1. SIRS Issues Researchers. Web.08

May 2012.
Holder, Eric. “Attorney General Holder on Human Trafficking.” Humanrights.gov. 24

Apr 2012: n.p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 08 May 2012.

Lederer, Edith M. “UN: 2.4 Million Human Trafficking Victims.” Lansing State Journal.


03 Apr 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 08 May 2012

ProQuest Staff. “At Issue: Human Trafficking.” ProQuest LLC. 2012: n. pag. SIRS

Issues Researcher, Web. 08 May 2012.

“Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act: Renewing the…” U.S. Dept. of

Defense. 14 Sep 2011: n.p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 08 May 2012



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