Human Trafficking: Social Issues

Human trafficking is one of the wildest forms of slavery in modern-day society. Simply stated, it is a form of slavery where people make economic gain from exploiting and controlling others. In its worst manifestation, human trafficking occurs when unsuspecting victims pay to be illegally shipped into another country, which they perhaps perceive as having more opportunities, only to find themselves in the hands of unscrupulous traffickers, who force them into involuntary labor, prostitution, and other life-threatening forms of servitude.

Regardless of what they are forced to do to repay their debt(s) to the traffickers, victims of human trafficking share one thing in common -- the loss of freedom. Statistics According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 20.9 million victims are trafficked annually across the globe, a majority of whom are women and young girls (Polaris, 2015). Almost a quarter of these victims (5.5 million) are children below the age of eighteen (Polaris, 2015). In the U.S.

alone, approximately 100,000 children are believed to be victims of sex trade; and although there still are discrepancies in the national estimates of human trafficking victims, the State of Texas leads in human trafficking cases, with the Dallas-Fort Worth area accounting for almost 15% of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Worryingly, internal trafficking (trafficking within the U.S.) is gaining prominence, and it is estimated that approximately 200,000 American children are at risk of being trafficked into sex trade within the U.S. (Chisolm-Straker, n.d.).

Most trafficking victims come from vulnerable populations, including the poor, displaced persons, oppressed groups, and migrants (Chisolm-Straker, n.d.). Well, owing to the nature of the human trafficking business, we may not have an accurate estimate of the actual number of victims trafficked into the country each year, but one thing is certain -- the numbers are sufficiently high to qualify this as a national concern. Types of Human Trafficking There are different types of human trafficking, based on the specific reason for which the victim was imported.

The main ones include: Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation: women are more vulnerable to this form of trafficking than men (Interpol, 2015). Victims are coerced, using false promises of a better life, into leaving their homes, and are then enslaved for purposes of sex under inhumane living conditions, with the proceeds of their engagement in forced sexual activity going directly to their traffickers (Interpol, 2015). Forced Labor Trafficking: in this form of trafficking, victims are brought into their destination country, and forced to engage in labor-intensive jobs at a degrading pay (Interpol, 2015).

Such victims will often be paid far less than what is regarded as the standard compensation for the jobs they perform. Trafficking for Body Organs: this form of trafficking is less common than the other two types. Victims are trafficked solely for their organs, particularly kidneys (Interpol, 2015). In other words, traffickers bring in unsuspecting victims with the aim of extracting their organs and selling the same to make a profit (Interpol, 2015).

There is concern that this form of trafficking may be on the rise in coming years as the Baby Boomer population ages and the incidence of diabetes rises (Interpol, 2015). The Impact of Human Trafficking The impact of human trafficking can be studied under two sub-areas -- the social impact, and the economic impact From a social perspective, human trafficking strips innocent victims of both their freedom and sense of humanity. Victims are beaten, mistreated, and held under inhumane conditions for years.

Minors particularly face an extremely high risk of trauma, owing to their inability to withstand pressure. Trafficking for sex trade is even more dangerous as it increases the spread of HIV / AIDS, and this goes on to affect the community, and increase the government's expenditure.