Sex Trafficking

Human Trafficking: A Growing Threat for All Undocumented Migrant Workers. Human trafficking, despite the growing global awareness, has generated an international response that is fractured and disjointed. The issue of human trafficking in the current global world is a very tragic reality. Despite a growing global awareness of this issue there still appears to be a fractured and disjointed international response regarding how to effectively deal with the problem.

Although many countries have adopted interventions to limit the increasing cases of human trafficking, the prevalence of the crime is still high accompanied with few risks and high profits. Historical analysis of the vice shows that its origin dates back to two hundred years ago when the slave trade started between different communities and exchange of sex for favors that were considered contrary to the humanity.

Reliable statistics of human trafficking across the globe are limited, but the number of people affected by the act is postulated to be reaching epidemic proportions across the globe. For instance, statistical information released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC ) showed that the trafficking of human beings occurred in 127 states across the world and people were at least exploited in a total of 137.

While there have been numerous initiatives to eradicate the vice, the challenges that impede the ability of the chosen strategies to yield the desired outcomes are immense. Comment by Rudy: I'd delete this phrase- it's redundant Comment by Rudy: This isn't cited in the reference section and there is no year of publication here II. Factors Bearing: Human or Sex Trafficking The motives contributing to the high rates of human or sex trafficking in the current contemporary society are diverse.

The fact that human trafficking exists in different forms such as forcing the victims into prostitution, slavery, and debt bondage translates to the varied nature of the contributing factors to human trafficking. The unique factors and challenges involved include the following:following: Lack of awareness among the vulnerable groups is a challenge for many the institutions involved in combating human trafficking. Lack of awareness among the local populations of the adverse outcomes of human trafficking increases their risk of involvement in sex trafficking.

Marginalized ethnic minorities, indigenous communities, undocumented immigrants, and poor people with disabilities experience the effects of human trafficking. Undocumented migrant workers are often reluctant to seeking the required support, thereby, worsening severity of the matter. The lack of credible evidence on the local prevalence rate of sex or human trafficking contributes to the increasing rate and the difficulties of curbing the issue. Violation of human rights among other factors play a role in contributing to the increasing rates of human trafficking.

As can be surmised from the previous factors there is a lack of understanding regarding human trafficking that be remedied by supplying information to affected parties. Gathering, updating, and exchanging information regarding human trafficking can be an important component in interventions designed to reduce it and educating potential victims. III. Discussion First it may be useful to explain what differentiates the activity of human smuggling from human trafficking nd human sex trafficking. Aronowitz (2009) and Macias Konstantopoulos et al. (2013) described four major differences between the two: 1.

Smuggled individuals always travel voluntarily, whereas people who are trafficked can either begin their trip voluntarily or may have been coerced or kidnapped. 2. People who are trafficked are used and exploited over a longer period than smuggled individuals. 3. There is interaction or mutual assistance between the trafficked person and organized crime. 4. People who have been trafficked are eligible for further criminal networking (e.g., enrollment in criminal enterprises for criminal purposes).

Human trafficking research is vital in ensuring adequate assistance, protection, and prevention of trafficked persons, as well as the criminals' prosecution. The ongoing research is critical in key areas like on the trafficked persons' characteristics and conditions of vulnerability. The techniques focus on the scope of problems of trafficked persons and the monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the rehabilitation and prevention efforts aimed at fostering the effectiveness of funded programs (Shelley, 2010).

The conclusion is that the acknowledgement of the challenges that face anti-trafficking efforts today, there are abundant recommendations presented to Governments through regional, international and specialized advocacy organizations and agencies. Concerted efforts are necessary for helping nations reach and identify agreements on constitutes of good practice and ensuring that initiatives of anti-trafficking are useful. It is a practical approach to ensuring the appropriateness in the application of funds allocated to stop human trafficking (Grubb & Bennett, 2012).

Based on the available research there are some well-established facts regarding the victims of human trafficking (Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006; Macias Konstantopoulos, et al., 2013; U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2005): 1. Trafficking of humans is the second largest form of criminal activity worldwide. 2. The mean cost of a human trafficking victim around the world is about $90. 3. The estimate of the number of human trafficking victims (slaves) worldwide is about 27 million. 4. Approximately half of the victims of human trafficking are under 18 years of age. 5.

The mean age of female trafficking victims is between 12 and 14. 6. Human trafficking involves several forms of exploitation: Prostitution Involuntary servitude or slavery Pornography Debt bondage 7. Estimates vary, but it appears that most victims are sexually exploited in some manner (nearly 80%) and the rest are involved in some form of labor exploitation. 8. Greater than two-thirds of females and children trafficking victims experience added abuse from their "masters," abuse drugs or alcohol, and have mental health issues. 9.

Women trafficked for sexual exploitation purposes display significantly higher rates of HIV, other STDs, TB, and severe reproductive system damage. 10. It appears that most these victims will not seek help because of the perception that they will be deported, charged with a crime, or that their traffickers will harm either them or their relatives. 11. There is only one shelter in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs of trafficking victims, and it currently only houses a total of seven to nine victims. 12.

Research has indicated that Canada is both transit point and a destination point for human trafficking (especially Vancouver, Canada). Inadequately trained and corrupt police officers are complicit in the sex trafficking syndicates and active violence against sexual workers (such as sex-trafficked victims; Grubb & Bennett. 2012). The agendas of anti-trafficking across different groups are major causes of conflict. For the mobility of sex workers and exercising their rights, sex workers join organizations and unions seeking to eliminate trafficking by them.

However, the law enforcement agencies have policies of eliminating trafficking and prosecuting traffickers as their work infringes on the rights and agency of the sex workers. Such unions oppose police interference and intervention where police efforts seek to bring minor girls from brothels. They insist that the actions by police officers adverse impacts on sex workers (non-trafficked). This is realized as police officers within places of corruption and violence are situated within their respective operations (Lee, 2013).

Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation. Comment by Rudy: As opposed to adding more references (I already added several) I tried to use the ref's you already had that would be consistent with the information in cases where you are asked for a citation Critics insist that while sex trafficking formulates violent and economic crime; it solicits for law enforcement's intervention and prevention of violence against the victims (Grubb & Bennett, 2012).

The Global Initiative focuses on the principle that human trafficking is a fundamental crime with excessive atrocity and magnitude. Governments cannot eliminate it on their employees because the global problem needs global and multi-stakeholder strategies to build on the national efforts across the world. It also paves way for implementation of the strategy where stakeholders require coordination efforts towards increasing awareness and knowledge, providing technical assistance, promoting effective responses (rights-based) and building capacity of non-state and state stakeholders (; U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2005).

The idea is to foster joint action partnerships for through ensuring all people take responsibility in the efforts. The encouragement and facilitation of coordination and cooperation promote the creation of synergies among anti-trafficking activities of international organizations global agencies and subsequent stakeholders in developing cost-effective and efficient, good practices and tools (Macias Konstantopoulos, et al., 2013). Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation.

Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation. Comment by Chris seaton: Efficient; The victims of human trafficking experience significant trauma impacts due to the repeated instances of relationship intimacy trauma across long durations. It contains elements of gang rape, forced prostitution, domestic violence, or sexual abuse. Complex trauma includes multifaceted depression conditions and anxiety, substance abuse, dissociation, self-hatred, somatic and medical concerns, self-destructive behaviors, re-victimization, and despair (Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006).

Psychology researchers add that even though there are similarities with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, the complex trauma trends are expensive across diagnosis based on the prolonged trauma effects (DuPont, 2009). Psychological assessments show that chronic stress and depression experienced by the human trafficking victims' compromise their immune systems. Studies arise that chronic stressors (such as trauma and loss) suppress humoral and cellular immunity. Such victims contract HIV / AIDS and STDs.

Perpetrators continually use substance abuse to exercise control over the victims leading to compromised health and self-destructive behavior which as long-term sources of physical harm (Hardy, Compton, & McPhatter, 2013.; Zhang et al., 2014). Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation. Victims often report treatment relating to torture where they are forced to submit into issues against their will (Kara, 2013).

Children have higher vulnerabilities to the psychological and developmental consequences associated with trafficking as they are of relatively younger ages. For purposes of gaining complete control on children, traffickers destroy their mental and physical health through persistent emotional and physical abuse. The victims undergo severe trauma daily that leads to devastation of the healthy development through biological integrity, self-concept, cognitive functioning, and self-worth (Gallagher, 2010).

Children growing up in environments of constant exploitation often show over-sexualized behavior, antisocial disposition, aggression, self-harm, distrust of adults, substance abuse, dissociative disorders, attention deficit disorders, and complex trauma. The Stockholm syndrome is one of the common problems affecting girls during trafficking and it hinders them from seeking escape or moving forward to advance their subjective perception of the world through psychological recovery programs (Hardy, Compton & McPhatter, 2013). Comment by Robert Diemer: There is no factor that addresses this -only address the factors.

-- remove Scholars identify that the human trafficking concept is both misleading and murky (Aronowitz, 2009). It is argued that even as hEven though human trafficking is perceived to be a monolithic crime, it is an element of illegal migration involving different actions. Some amount to criminal or abusive while others are legal and involve the individual's consent. It meansThis means that not everything perceived to be coercive or abusive is interpreted as such by immigrants. For example, would-be migrants seek assistance from intermediaries selling documents, information, and services.

While the travelers are not able to afford these components outright, they are plunged into debts. The debts indeed form harsh conditions and are incurred voluntarily (DuPont, 2009). The current approaches' critics against trafficking mention that plenty of violence and exploitation illegal migrants face are precisely derived from the illegalities of their migration and work and not because of the evils of trafficking networks. The entire trafficking discourse is detrimental to the migrants' interests as it takes away their agency rights and depoliticizes migration debates (Choo & Rebovich, 2014).

Comment by Chris seaton: I would take out "It is argued" Comment by Chris seaton: This means not It means A number of issues can lead to a lack of awareness regarding the prevalence of human trafficking at the international, national, and local levels. The 'Save the Children' Non-Governmental organization states that the issue is mired through confusion and controversy as prostitution is categorized as a violation of fundamental human rights for both minors and adult women.

From the historical trafficking and prostitution conflation, the legal and traditional understanding has an overwhelming concept of effort as well as interventions for anti-trafficking groups as concentrated within trafficking of prostitution (Aronowitz, 2009). Critics of non-governmental organizations (NGO's) also claim that most NGO's non-governmental organizations (NGO's) with interests in expressing anti-sex trafficking policies employ 'politics of pity.' This promotes the ideology that trafficked victims are wholly forced into sex work, experience similar physical suffering degrees, and guiltless (Aronowitz, 2009).

The strategies to gain pity include a denunciation (attribution of all suffering and violence to the perpetrator) and sentiment (exclusive depiction of the women suffering). NGOs' utilize of images derived from unidentifiable females who suffer physically to display scenarios of sex trafficking as related concepts. Critics illustrate that not all victims of trafficking are abducted, repeatedly raped, and physically abused (Huisman & Kleemans, 2014).

While it is true that not all victims are abused, such a portrayal can muddy the waters regarding the actual facts known about human trafficking victims (e.g., over two-thirds of human trafficking are abused, so while all are certainly not abused the majority of them do suffer abuse at the hands of human traffickers and their eventual masters; see, Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006; U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2005).

Comment by Robert Diemer: What factor does this address? Comment by Rudy: I think this comment is off- it clearly addresses the violation of human rights and lack of awareness factors, but clarified now Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation.

Comment by Robert Diemer: Critics of what? Comment by Robert Diemer: What factor is this addressing? I could not tell The majority of victims of human trafficking tend to be from marginalized groups in a society (Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006; U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2005). Human traffickers set their prey on individuals with high levels of poverty, isolation, and weakness. Issues of economic vulnerability, social exclusion, and disempowerment result from practices and policies marginalizing entire groupings of people. In the end, they become particularly vulnerable to trafficking activities.

Natural disasters, political and conflict turmoil are major causes of weakened social protection prospects. Individuals become highly vulnerable to trafficking due to the conditions in which their countries present to them (Shelley, 2010). The opportunity allure and relentless demand for cheaper products coupled with the expectations of dependable incomes drive more people into situations of potential danger where they face risks of exploitation (Gallagher, 2010).

The Vienna Forum, a discussion held and discussed within the construct of the United Nations, examines the existing definitions and practices regarding the human trafficking prevention through focusing on decreasing levels of vulnerability to broaden strategic impacts of the dominant prevention efforts in an attempt to further protect groups particularly vulnerable to human trafficking ((Jackson, 2010). Comment by Robert Diemer: What factor is this addressing…only address the factors.

Comment by Rudy: Fixed in previous sentence Comment by Robert Diemer: Who said? This is a statement of fact and all statements of fact must have an in-text citation. Comment by Robert Diemer: What factor is this addressing…only address the factors. Comment by Rudy: Fixed The social and human trafficking consequences are rather compelling. The impacts on the society and individuals are rather unacceptable and destructive ranging from torture and physical abuse of victims leading to emotional and psychological trauma to political and economic consequences of unabated crime (Farrell, 2011).

The Forum explores the human trafficking impacts on livelihoods of the communities and respective individuals. The features of interest include the violence experienced, adverse health effects, social stigmatization, as well as possibilities of re-victimization. Even as smuggling necessitates travel, human trafficking does not (Gallagher, 2010). There is a lack of awareness regarding the groups that are vulnerable too being victims of human trafficking with regards to the abusive nature of this situation.

The terminology itself may foster this lack of awareness and may actually lead to confusion regarding exactly what "human trafficking".