BrenanCurtiss

MeahGall

MichaelaNorth

AshtynSnyder

Mr.Gross

English12B(3)

12May2016

TheNewestFormofSlavery

Awomenistakenoffthestreetandbroughttoawarehouseinaninnercitywheresheis
soldtoapimpforahundredandfiftydollars.Sheisthendruggedandforcedtohavesexwitha
manthatherpimpsellshertoforthreehundreddollarsanhour.Sheisnowpartofahuman
traffickingring,andherlifesheknewbeforeisgoneforever.Humantraffickingneedstobea
topprioritywhenitcomestoallfelonyacts.Womenandchildrenarebeingtakenfromtheir
homesandanywhereinpublictobeforcedintothis.Victimsareseverelyaffectedduetothis
enterprise.Politicianshavesaidthathumantraffickingisbeingcloselywatchedandcovered,
butnotcloseenough.Traffickingisaninhumaneactthatneedstobestruckdownquickly.
Humantraffickingisknownthroughouttheworldastheillegalsellingandenslavement
ofhumans.Themostpopulartypeofslaverywiththiscrimeiswithinthesexindustry,where
pimpsaregrossing$150milliondollarsglobally(ModernSlavery:...).Becauseofthegrowth
oftheseorganizedcrimes,PopeFrancisisnowinsupportofBritainsAntiSlaveryCommission
andhasendorsedthegroup,statingthathumantraffickingisascourgethroughouttheworld

today(1).Thesaddestfactishumansaroundtheworldseemtobeunawareofhowseriousthis
typeofslaveryis.Itisseenasathreat,butnotasaformofslavery.KennethMorrisJr.,a
descendantofFrederickDouglass,thefamousslaveescapeeandpoliticalwriter,commentson
theissueafterreadinganarticleabouthumantraffickinginAmerica:
Ithought,likemanypeoplethiswasbackin2005whenIreadit
thatslaveryhadended.Ihadheardaboutsextraffickinginfarawayplaceslike
SoutheastAsiabutIneverreallyequatedthattosexslavery,Morrissaidduring
arecentphoneinterviewwiththeStatesman.Thatarticleopenedmyeyestothe
factthatwhenyoureallyboilthatbaseelement,theexploitationtodaythrough
sexslavery,itlooksalotlikehistoricslavery(Descendantof).
Humantraffickinghassadlybeenpopularizedtotheworldandisgrowingmoreand
moreeachday,threateningthelivesofallpotentialtargets,wherethemajorityofthesetargets
arewomenandyounggirls.
Womenandchildrenaretakenfromtheirhomesand
anywhereinpublictobeforcedintothistrade.Accordingtothe
statisticsprovidedbytheDepartmentofJusticeinFigure1,fifty
thousandpeoplearebroughtintotheUSfromaroundtheworld,
witheightypercentofthesepeoplebeingwomenandgirls
(20,900,000).AmalClooney,knownbestasthewifeof
GeorgeClooney,isalsoaverywelltodohumanrightslawyer.
InAprilof2016,shespokeinDallasinsupportofthe
organization
NewFriendsNewLife
whichhelpedraiseone

milliondollarstohelpwiththerehabilitationofsextraffickingvictims(AmalClooney).
Amalspokeabouthowtwentysevenmillionpeopleareenslavedthroughouttheworld(1).In
America,thesetypeofcasesareappearingdaily.AnexampleofthishappenedinEllicottCity,
MarylandwithaCaliforniamanthatwasfounddraggingawomanfromavehicle.Hercaptive
wascarryingalargeamountofcash,personalIDsoftwo18yearoldgirls,andabagthat
containedmultiplecellphones,travelinformationandcondoms("CaliforniaMan...").Oneof
thesewomentoldthepolicethathercaptor,CharltonJeanpierre,madeherperformsexactsfor
money.Becauseofhischoices,hewaschargedwithcountsofprostitutionandhuman
trafficking,withisbondbeing$500,000(1).Thisisonesuccessfullyaccusedcriminalofthe
millionsofpimpsandgangsthatareinvolvedinthis.Anotherinvolvestoseverityofthegangs
andpimpsthatworkinhumantrafficking.Avictimenteredanabortionclinicclaiming"IfIdon't
goaheadwithit[theabortion],I'llbedead("PregnantSexTrafficking...")."Theabortionhad
beenarrangedbythegangshewasservingandshewasbeingforcedtodothis.Shelaterhad
gottenawayfromthetraffickingringshewasapartofandexplainedthatshecouldnothave
gottenhelpfromanynursebecauseshewasforcedtoabortthebaby(1).Sonotonlyarewomen
andyounggirlsbeingforcedtoactassexualobjects,butendanylifethatmayresultfromit.
LauraLederer,isaformerSeniorAdvisoronTraffickinginPersonsfortheU.S.Departmentof
StateandfounderofanonprofitorganizationknownasGlobalCenturion("PregnantSex
Trafficking...").Shestudiedthecauseandeffectofsextraffickingandabortionsandfoundthat
55%ofwomentheysurveyedhadhadatleastoneabortionand30%hadmultipleduringtheir
timeoftrafficking(1).Morethanhalfoftheseabortionswerenottheirchoice,withthesewomen
statingthatpressurefromtheirpimpstocontinueinthetradedidnotallowforcarryingababy

(1).Thisprovesthatwomenareconstantlybeingusedduringtheirtimeoftraffickingandwillbe
useduntilseenasunfitornotuptoapimpsstandardwhenbeingusedforsex.
Thevictimsareseverelyaffectedbecauseoftheirforcedinvolvementinthis
enterprise.Theimpactthatittakesonthevictimsinvolvedisalargeone.Accordingtothe
HumanTraffickingSearch,theimpactisthis:
Giventhattraffickingisbasedontheexploitationofindividuals,all
victimsoftraffickingmaybesubjecttophysical,psychological,andsocial
impacts.Victimsoftraffickingoftenexperienceharshphysicalimpactsdueto
excessiveworkortheuseofforcebytraffickers.Inaddition,victimsmaybe
exposedtoserioushealthrisks,suchasHIV/AIDS,aswellasseriousmental
healthrisks.Anxiety,insecurity,fear,andtraumaareallproductsoftrafficking.
SeveralstudiesindicatehighlevelsofPostTraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD)in
formertraffickedpersons.Traffickingcanalsoleadtocognitiveimpairment,
memoryloss,depression,andevensuicide(Impact).
Notonlydohealthrisksplayaroleinthevictimslivesbutalsoapsychologicaloneas
well.Survivorsofhumantraffickingincidentsoftenwalkawaywithanincreasedriskinmental
healthissuesthattheywillmostlikelyneverrecoverfrom.Reportsindicatethatthevictimsof
sextraffickingareatahigherriskofnotonlyphysicalinjuriesbutpsychologicalissuesaswell.
Minorsthatarevictimsofhumantraffickingaremoresusceptibletotheproblemsthatdevelop
fromthistypeofabuse.NitaBelles,authorofInOurBackyard,workeddirectlywithdomestic
violencevictimsinherpreviousjobandstated,Isawsomeprettyhorrificdomesticviolence
cases,butnothingcomparedtowhatIveseeninhumantrafficking,Bellessaid.Theimpact

traffickinghasonvictimsismorehorrificthansomeonecanpossiblyunderstand.(Weaver).For
thevictimsofthishorrificenterprise,itisnotaneasysocialandpsychologicaltransitiontomake
accordingtoBelles.Thevictim'srecoverytimeislonganddifficultone,butoftentimesthe
peoplethatexperiencethistraumaarewellontheirwaytonormallivesaftertheirrecovery.
Politicianshavesaidthathumantraffickingisbeingcloselyregulated,butthelawsthey
passsayotherwise.TheUnitedStateshasaguestworkerprograminplacethatstatesForeign
laborcertificationprogramspermitU.S.employerstohireforeignworkersonatemporaryor
permanentbasistofilljobsessentialtotheU.S.economy.Certificationmaybeobtainedincases
whereitcanbedemonstratedthatthereareinsufficientqualifiedU.S.workersavailableand
willingtoperformtheworkatwagesthatmeetorexceedthe
prevailingwage
paidforthat
occupationintheareaofintendedemployment
(Guestworker).Thispolicywasmadebyourown
governmentanditgivestraffickersaneasywayto
bringpeopleintothecountrytoworkinhorrible
conditionsforlittletonopay.CongressinMarchof
2015washoldingbackabillthatwouldhavecreateda
fundforvictimsofhumantraffickingbecauseofan
abortionprovisioninthebillwhichatonepointhad
overwhelmingsupportfromCongress
(STEINHAUER).OurownCongresscannotpassabillto
helpvictimsoftheseatrocitiesbecauseofcompletelyunpoliticalreasons.Figure2showsthetop
20placeswherehumantraffickingtakesplaceinAmerica.Thisalsocorrelateswiththetopcities

whereguestworkervisasarehandedout(Guestworker),thismeansthatthepimpsareusingthe
guestworkerprogramtogetgirlsandotherworkersintothecountrytoworkinhorrible
conditions.
Traffickingisaninhumaneact,andbecausemoreofthesecrimesarehappening,more
awarenessisbeingspread.TheresaFloresauthorofSlaveAcrosstheStreet,andsextrade
survivor,foundedanonprofitorganizationcalledS.O.A.P.,orSaveOurAdolescentsfrom
Prostitution.ItsmissionisTorescuevictimsbeingtraffickedathotels,toprovidevictimsa
numbertocallforhelp,toeducatemotelsandhotelsonthesignsoftrafficking,andtomobilize
volunteersonahumantraffickingoutreach(S.O.A.P.).WhatFloresandherteamaredoingis
wrappingbarsofsoapinredlabelsthatgivetheNationalHumanTraffickingHotline(1(888)
3737888).TheythentravelacrosstheUStoholdoutreachesduringlargeevents.S.O.A.P.
partnerswithlocalorganizationstodistributemillionsofbarsofsoapandresourcestohighrisk
motels(S.O.A.P.).Nowthathumantraffickingisgettingtheattentionofthemediaandpublic
thatitsodesperatelyneeds,lawsarealsostartingtocomeintoeffect.TheRhodeIslandGeneral
AssemblyhaspassedanewHouseResolutionH7424inthebeginningofMay2016that
pavesthewayfortheformationofaspeciallegislativecommissiontomakeacomprehensive
studyofallmattersrelatingtosextraffickingintheStateofRhodeIsland(StateofRhode).
Eventhoughtheawarenessofthisisbeingspreadbecauseoftheincreaseinthiscrime,the
importancetostoptheseheinouscrimeshasspreadthroughouttheworld.Humantraffickingcan
bestoppedifpeoplehavethepatiencetopursuethoseinvolvedandlawsareactedout,notjust
made.

TraffickingisnotjustanissueinAmerica,butaroundtheworld.Theproblemisthat
legislationinAmericaisjuststartingtotakehold.Thosebeingtakenfromtheirhomesareforced
intosextradesandevenusedaspersonalslaves.Allofthesecanleadtodiseaseandevendeath,
nottomentiontheemotionaltollittakesoneachvictim.Becausethelegislationisjustbecoming
moreseriousnow,Americastillhasalongwaytogowhenitcomestohumantraffickingandthe
severityitentails.

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