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Alexandra Rogers

Jessica Harrell

English II Honors

2/26/18

Human Trafficking

There is a type of slavery going on everywhere around the world, known as human

trafficking. Many innocent lives, adults and even children, are forced into different types of

slavery everyday; sex trafficking, forced labor trafficking, debt bondage trafficking, and so many

more. Each day, these people follow the hair-raising commands of a single person to keep

themselves alive, and possibly even their family and loved ones. “As of Dec. 29, 2017, there are

72 human trafficking cases pending in state courts, the report said” (Davis). Human trafficking is

a widespread epidemic all around the world, but is many times overlooked because the issue is

so foreign to people.

Sexual exploitation is the most common form of trafficking (79%), and is predominantly

women and children. With the 30% participation of states on gender traffickers, women make up

the largest percentage of victims in trafficking (Ragnhild). Reports of human trafficking are also

local, and an example would be Greenville. In 2016, 78 cases were reported in state; 56 were sex

trafficking, 17 labor trafficking, and the last two were a combination of both (Davis). These

statistics show that human trafficking is a complication everywhere, and even some of the

biggest cases are right under our noses. We need awareness to the cause immediately, because it

is just getting worse and worse each day.

Even though human trafficking is something very dangerous, there are certain ways to

avoid the issue. Common ways are to always register with the local U.S. embassy; you always
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keep them updated on what is going on, and if you feel uncomfortable then they will help.

Another way to stay safe is to use a Tassa Tag; they are bright, handmade trade luggage tags that

support to reduce human trafficking (“Safe Foreign Travels: Learn About Human Trafficking”).

One more obvious fact is to just be aware of your surroundings and to not trust unknown figures.

Many people do not even realize they could be a victim of trafficking when in many public

places because they are many times not aware of the issue; awareness needs to be drawn to the

subject so people can take precautionary measures such as the ones listed to say safe.

Many people will disagree with the opinion of spreading awareness to the issue of human

trafficking because they wish to not talk about the dreadful issue. These people are wrong

because the more we talk about it, the more recognition we can give to the subject, which would

most likely lead to changes made to keep citizens safe. If you were aware of how common

trafficking is and what can actually happen to you, do you think you would live the same way

you did before? I can almost guarantee you that the victims of human trafficking are way

conscientious of their surroundings and how they can stay safe. Awareness needs to be spread so

that these innocent people can be more cautious, and hopefully stay protected.

Human trafficking is not a well known issue, so it is often swept under the rug and not

talked about; nevertheless, it is a global problem that needs attention. People of all ages are

kidnapped and forced into some type of labor that is against their will, and it needs to end. The

more that trafficking is recognized, the sooner the drop in victims will occur globally. Human

trafficking is a significant problem everywhere, but if we all work together as a community, we

can bring awareness to the topic and hopefully even make improvement. All people were made

for a purpose on this earth, and being a forced slave to a person is not one of them.
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Works Cited

Davis, Angelia. “Greenville tops South Carolina list for reported human trafficking cases.”

The Greenville News, The Greenville News, 5 Jan. 2018,

www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2018/01/05/human-trafficking-cases-

greenville-sc/1008677001/.
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Staff, NCL. “Safe foreign travels: learn about human trafficking.” National Consumers

League,

www.nclnet.org/safe_foreign_travels_learn_about_human_trafficking_ryzas4qqlcq6mew

xhy69ftzpska.

Ragnhild, Johansen. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Global Report on Trafficking

in Persons, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-

persons.html.