Richardson 1

Kortney Richardson
Mrs. Rybicka
English 102
26 April 2013
Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery
Everyone is familiar with slavery and is aware that it still exists in many countries
today. But, how many of us are aware that it happens in the United States today? This
comes as a surprising fact to many people. Most people think slavery is a thing of the
past, but slavery is unfortunately still alive and well today. There are approximately thirty
million trafficked slaves living in our world today, and about 15,000-18,000 victims
trafficked into the United States each year. Also, the United States is one of the top places
for trafficked victims. Todays form of modern day slavery is known as human
trafficking. Human trafficking is an issue that affects all parts of the world, and one of the
major groups affected are children. It is important that we become aware, informed, and
educated about this issue. By doing so we will be better able to take action and try to stop
this horrible disaster.
Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery that happens locally and
internationally. About 15,000-18000 people are trafficked into the United States each
year. But, immigrants are not the only victims of human trafficking. United States
citizens are also victims of this horrible disaster. Women and children make up the
majority of people who become victims of human trafficking. It is estimated that each
year about 100,000 children are trafficked in the United States (Walts, 2-8) Human
trafficking is a form of slavery where victims work under the control of there trafficker

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with little to no pay. Victims are sexually exploited and forced to perform either labor or
sex services. Slavery is a type of relationship in which a trafficker controls his victim
through threats and violence. Because of this type of control, victims are no longer free
(Burroughs and Powell 20).
There are two main forms of human trafficking, labor trafficking and sex
trafficking. Any form of a sexual or labor service is considered trafficking if any form of
violence of force is used to control the victim. Sex trafficking occurs when a victim is
obtained through the use of force, violence, or fraud to perform some form of a sex act.
Most of the time, the victim of this type of trafficking is a person who is under eighteen
years old (Shared Hope). There are many different means which sex trafficking can be
done. One example is fake massage parlors. These parlors claim to provide a legal service
when they are actually providing illegal services. Women normally live on the site and
are forced to perform commercial sex acts. These businesses try to control theses women
making them believe they have no choice but to comply. Traffickers achieve this control
by the use of force, threat of being deported, and with false promises such as a better job.
Their quota is normally about six to ten men a day (Polaris Project). Another example of
a mean with which sex trafficking can be done is through the Internet. The Internet is
actually the number one platform that is used by traffickers in the United States for the
obtaining of victims for sex. There are a lot of sites online that advertise people who are
basically selling themselves for sex (Polaris Project). Another example is through the
use of residential brothels. A brothel is a place where people go to participate in any form
of a sexual act. The quota that these women and girls have to complete each day is an
outrageous number. In a standard twelve-hour day, they could serve up to a total of forty-

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eight men. That is about four men per hour! The site for residential brothels in normally
in some type of home and the victims are typically immigrants from Latin America. One
interesting fact about the use of residential brothels is that the majority of brothels only
serve Latino men. The main people of interest for these types of traffickers are women
who are having financial troubles. These women are recruited by traffickers who pretend
to be their boyfriends or who give them a false indication of a better job in the United
States (Polaris Project). A fourth example is through street prostitution. With street
prostitution, the victim is under the control of a pimp. Through physical abuse and
threats, the victims are forced to perform sex acts out on the streets. Prostitutes have a
nightly quota, roughly between $500-$1000, that the have to meet. This nightly quota is
normally all given to the pimp. Streets prostitutes are typically citizens of the United
States and can be minors as young as twelve years old. On average these street prostitutes
will serve anywhere between one and fifteen men a day (Polaris Project). Another
example is through strip clubs. Now, everyone is familiar with strip clubs, but what
classifies this as human trafficking is when the victim is forced into this type of work
against their will. Victims in strip clubs can either be performing labor or sex services.
Traffickers control the victims with the threat of harm upon the failure to pay them the
money they are owed or with the treat of being deported. Victims of this type of
trafficking tend to typically be women (Polaris Project). The second form of human
trafficking is labor trafficking. Labor trafficking occurs when a victim is obtained through
the use of force or coercion for the purpose of performing some form of labor services.
The victim is normally subject to involuntary servitude and debt bondage (Shared Hope).

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Everywhere you go there is human trafficking. It does not matter who you are or
where you live, because human trafficking can happen anywhere to anyone. As
unfortunate as it is, no place is immune to this type of modern day slavery. Human
trafficking also happens in the United States. As surprising as it may be, it can happen to
United States citizens as well (Burroughs and Powell 18). The largest group of people to
become victims of human trafficking is women and children. But, children make up the
smallest group of victims to be identified (Walts 2-8). Most people are forced into human
trafficking and do not do it willingly. They may be brought from a different country and
forced into a lifestyle of labor or sexual services. There are, however, people who will
subject themselves to human trafficking willingly. Immigrants will sometimes do this in
search of better economic opportunities in another country (Smith 271-286).
When human trafficking involves a child under the age of eighteen, it is
considered domestic minor sex trafficking. Domestic minor sex trafficking is when a
minor is forced to form some form of a sex act like prostitution or pornography (Shared
Hope). A good definition of what child trafficking is exactly is as follows: the
recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a child for labor or
services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; [it] also includes obtaining a child
for or benefiting financially from the commercial sex act of a child (Walts 2-8). Now,
according to Shared Hope International, domestic minor sex trafficking is the
commercial sexual abuse of children through buying, selling, or trading their sexual
services (Kotrla 181-187). Because children are so vulnerable, it makes them easy
targets for being taken advantage of and used for trafficking. They are easy to control
through threats and violence and are therefore forced to stay in this horrible industry

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(Polaris Project). Now, child trafficking just like any other form of trafficking can
happen anywhere in world; it happen within a state, within a country, or across borders
(Walts 2-8). Domestic minor sex trafficking only exists because there is a demand for
them. As sad as that is, if there were not a demand for it, then it would not exist. But, in
order for something like this to exist there needs to be a tolerance for it in that country. In
a country like America where prostitution and pimps are glamourized, it just encourages
the increase in the number of children who fall into human trafficking (Kotrla 181-187).
Child trafficking can include both labor and sexual services and can include work in
factories, restaurants, agriculture, exotic dancing, or prostitution. Oftentimes the
trafficker may be someone that the child knows, but it can however also be a complete
stranger. The usual way for traffickers to get a child to perform these types of services is
by controlling them through sexual abuse (Walts 2-8).
It can be very challenging to identify child victims of human trafficking. Child
victims are not always considered to be victims. Child victims are more likely to be
charged as a juvenile prostitute rather than as a victim. However, under the TVPA,
Trafficking Victims Protection Act, they are treated as victims and are also given certain
protections (Walts 2-8). One reason child victims are hard to identify is because of the
lack of research. There is research on sex trafficking, but not enough on labor trafficking.
Also, because of this lack of research, we do not have enough evidence to help identify
these children and respond to their needs (Walts 2-8). Another reason child victims are
hard to identify is because they do not identify themselves. Because victims and their
families are often threatened, this leaves the victim with no choice but to be quiet for they
fear they would get hurt if they did not. Also, they may experience symptoms of a

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disorder known as Stockholm Syndrome. Also known as Trauma-bonding, this disorder
occurs when the victim feels like they need to protect their trafficker, so they do not come
forth and talk about the way they have been treated (Walts 2-8). Despite all these
challenges, child victims are entitled to certain rights like safety, privacy, information
about their case, and compensation for damages, just to name a few. Therefore, it is
important that these child victims get the appropriate help they need (Walts 2-8).
Protection does not equal prosecution. Traffickers [do not] need to be charged or
convicted for a victim to receive appropriate protection or services (Walts 2-8). Even
though it may be hard to come forth, it is important that a child does so in order to protect
and maybe even try to prevent it from happening to someone else (Walts 2-8).
It is our jobs as Americans, to help people who are still living in slavery today in
the United States. There are many ways we can get involved in helping stop human
trafficking. You do not need to travel across seas to help stop human trafficking. You can
help right in your own community. The first thing you need to do in order to help stop
human trafficking is to get educated. Knowing exactly what human trafficking is and
knowing the facts about it will help you to be more able to get involved. Once you are
educated, it is time to educate others. It is important that others are educated as well so
that they can also get involved in helping stop human trafficking. Another way to get
involved is to donate to organizations that are researching or helping those affected by
human trafficking. Another way to get involved, and probably the most important way, is
to pray because with God all things are possible!
Human trafficking is a horrible disaster that affects every part of the world. It is a
form of modern day slavery that uses force and violence to control its victims. If we all

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come together and get educated on the issue there is no stopping what we will be able to
do. Being educated will help in the effort to stop human trafficking and modern day
slavery once and for all.

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Works Cited
Burroughs, Dillon, and Charles Powell. Not In My Town: Exposing and Ending Human
Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery. Birmingham: New Hope Publishers, 2011.
N. pag. Print.
Kotrla, Kimberly. "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States." Social Work
55.2 (2010): 181-87. Web. 26 Apr. 2013
Shared Hope . Shared Hope International , n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
Smith, Heather. "Sex Trafficking: Trends, Challenges, and the Limitations of
International Law." Human Rights Review 12.3 (2011): 271-86. Web. 26
Apr.

2013.

Polaris Project . Polaris Project , 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.

Walts, Katherine K. "An Introduction to Child Trafficking in the United States."
Children's Rights Litigation 14.2 (2012): 2-8. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.