Psychological Effects Of Human Trafficking Essay

Almost 300,000 people every year are forced into the sex trafficking trade system. Most of all the people forced into the trade system are girls between the age of 12-18. These people are being imprisoned for usage of their body, for the joy of others with the highest price.

Theresa Flores’s “The Slave Across the Street,” is a personal anecdote whose main purpose is to make Americans aware of the reality of human trafficking being in the U.S. and in our neighborhoods. The book shows how even in seemingly good life situations, traffickers are able to pick out and victimize those that are vulnerable. This does not only happen in third world countries, or in inner city, low income housing. Human trafficking is apparent throughout the U.S., in all levels of socio-economic classes. By Flores telling her story, she achieves the purpose in showing a different side of human trafficking that most people do not realize it has.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the entire world and is considered modern day slavery. Almost 80% of trafficking is through sexual exploitation, which means that it primarily affects women and girls (UNODC, 2009). Victims are often tricked into the business through promise of work or a better life and sometimes just randomly stolen right from their homes. However, this is not just an issue overseas. Michigan is listed as the state with the second highest rates of human trafficking.

Furthermore, exploited individuals may be subjected to a wide range of trauma- specific counseling that is aimed at helping victims rebuild their self-esteem, regain empowerment and reconnection with themselves and society. Health care professionals also states that victims must be offered very sensitive outreach with allows them to gain helpful access to mental health services, safe houses and other helpful tools that will assist them in developing their reforming skills to get back in touch with themselves again (Ross, Dimitrova, Howard, Dewey, Zimmerman & Oram, 2015). Most survivors do regain their psychological well-being and heal physically with the assistance and access to much needed resources or assistance from for victims.

Human trafficking produces billions of dollars in profit every year, it is right behind drug trafficking as the most lucrative form of crime throughout the world. (DHS website). Victims of human trafficking rarely come forward due to the threats of murder, threats of killing their loved ones/friends, as well as having nowhere else to go because they have been ostracized from their own family and their “pimp” is their family. Another issue of why victims do not come forward is that they are afraid of law enforcement so they may go to jail, etc. (DHS website)

This picture is a lot more than a poetic protest on media. It is the reality. In the 21st century, the average cost of a human is $90 globally. It’s sad but true; here in this world, people are forced into being slaves for a $150 billion criminal industry, a form of modern slavery: Human Trafficking. It’s a horrendous crime against humanity, that is not legal anywhere but happens everywhere. The media is an indispensable vehicle through visualizing the problem, educating and mobilizing people and building a hope for us to come together and end this crime forever.

The United States abolished slavery in 1865, the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction" (The United States Constitution). We never thought that over one-hundred years later there would be a new form of slavery that has affected so many people around the globe. Human trafficking is another name for modern-day slavery, where the victims involved are forced, coerced and deceived into labor and sexual exploitation. Most human trafficking victims are forced into the trade by the false promises made regarding job opportunities. Many women from third world countries are lured into this trade with the bait of false marriages or false jobs. Many of the victims are forced with violence or indirectly with psychological blackmail into the sex trade. Human trafficking is the worst form of abuse that can be inflicted on an individual. A trafficked human being suffers from mental, and physical abuse, leaving them with lifelong mental illnesses.

Majority of victims globally are girls and women, most of them are trafficked for the end goal of sexual exploitation. Traffickers mainly target females because they are excessively influenced by discrimination and poverty, elements that obstruct their approach to educational, employment opportunities and other resources.

Human trafficking is one of the largest and most prevalent issues that affects all walks of life both domestically and internationally. Human trafficking is not only a horrendous crime but a major human rights violation, impacting public health. “Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery” . Human trafficking is the taking of a person with the intent to exploit them through, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery/servitude, or the removal of organs.

Human trafficking today is a global phenomenon, affecting men, women and children in over 130 countries of the world. Trafficking is a crime against individuals. As such, the consequences are most directly felt by trafficked persons. As well documented, trafficking activities contravene fundamental human rights, denying people basic and broadly accepted individual freedoms. Trafficking also has broad economic, social and cultural consequences.

The world has gone through a lot of major events in the past. However, there is still darkness in the background that people are ignoring. Human trafficking needs to be talked about more. The lost souls of the people that who were taken, are still roaming. They deserve their justice. All around the world human trafficking exists and there needs to be a stop to it. Human Trafficking is a national problem because current laws are ineffective and therefore action needs to be taken to reduce the problem.

Human trafficking, or trafficking in persons (TIP) or modern day slavery, is a heinous and widespread crime occurring around the world in nearly every society. Most people often thought slavery was part of the past; however, human slavery is part of our current society and has been an on-going issue around the world. Human trafficking is a type of slavery that involves forced or bonded labour, sexual servitude, child labour, or involuntary servitude all over the world. It is important to note that sex trafficking contributes to more than half of human trafficking and most of these victims are women and young girls. This modern day slavery can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime (Ton, 2012).This literature review of documents and reports

We are living in a world where one person has an absolute power over another. The groundless trade of human beings in today’s world shows a deteriorated state of affairs which confirms that the greatest moral challenge facing the globe today is human trafficking. It refers to illegal sale or trade of people for sexual abuse or forced labor through coercion or abducting people.

Many people did not know or notice about this social problem because it can simply happens anywhere and everywhere.

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything”-Albert Einstein