Female Abduction and Trafficking 1

Female Abduction and Trafficking: Literature Review

John Nicholas Thurston
University of Texas at El Paso












Female Abduction and Trafficking 2
Abstract
Human Trafficking is the trade of human beings for the use of sexual slavery, forced labor or
commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others, or for the extraction of organs or
tissues. Abduction and Trafficking is one of the most prominent crimes throughout the world; it
is seen in every continent and in every country, with a majority of the victims being female. This
literature review will discuss ways to prevent and combat trafficking, as well as inform the
reader about the trafficked people. Interviews of officials and government statistical data will
contribute to the research of Female abduction and trafficking.














Female Abduction and Trafficking 3
Female Abduction and Trafficking: Literature Review
Female Abduction and Trafficking is one the most prominent crimes on Earth. It is found
in every country on Earth including the United States of America. Human trafficking is defined
as, the trade of human beings against their own will, as opposed to People Smuggling which
involves a person voluntarily requesting or hiring another individual to covertly transport them
across an international border. Both of which are illegal. Human Trafficking can also be defined
in to two categories; the first is Bonded Labor also known as Debt Bondage. This form of
human trafficking is usually the least known to society, yet is the most widely used method of
enslavement. Victims of bonded labor are thrown in to enslavement as a means of repayment
for a loan or service conducted by a group, usually a gang or mob. The second form of human
trafficking is one that is more widely known, Forced Labor. In this situation, victims are forced
to work against their own free will, under threat of violence or punishment. (Free Our City
2012)
Female Victims experiencing trafficking and abduction are usually forced in to Sexual
slavery, or organ harvesting, mostly for female reproductive organs. Women who are enslaved
today may also be forced to work in sweatshops and agricultural labor. Products that we use
every day were constructed or produced by women and children who were abducted and
enslaved. Products like IPods, coffee, cotton, gold, and diamonds. (McCarthy 2010) Once again,
abduction and trafficking of women, happens throughout the world. In order to prevent and/or
combat these abductions, one must consider the following questions.
1. What kinds of Females are abducted most frequently?
2. What are some ways to avoid abductions?
Female Abduction and Trafficking 4
3. How many reports of mass abductions (abductions by a group or gang) have you seen
in the area?
4. Have you noticed the frequency of abductions to be increasing or decreasing?
The literature review that follows this introduction shall: Provide information about the female
trafficking, the system involved in massive human trafficking, local and federal statistics
involving female trafficking and abduction and ways to combat the ancient practice.

What kinds of Females are abducted most frequently?
In order to combat human trafficking one must first be informed about the type of
things trafficking gangs look for. In certain countries one may be at risk of abduction simply by
living in a certain city or town, where traffickers take people, 80- 90% women, off of the streets.
(Andersson 2005) In figure 1 we see a political map of the world. It illustrates how strict
countries are in terms of female trafficking. Countries that are colored with the darkest shade
of green have the highest prevalence of female trafficking. These countries are classified as a
tier 3 country, (see figure 1) which means that the government is not actively enforcing any
laws to prevent or combat human trafficking. Some of these countries which include Saudi
Arabia, actually have no laws that make human trafficking illegal. Once again a huge majority of
these individuals are women. It is difficult to say just how many women are abducted and/or
trafficked in tier 3 countries; because little record is kept for the millions of individuals
trafficked on the black market. However, experts estimate that India alone, traffics some 20 to
65 million Indian women annually; mostly for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
and forced labor. (Andersson 2005) India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal
Female Abduction and Trafficking 5
and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Indian women are
also trafficked to the Middle East for the same reason. Migrants who migrate willingly every
year to the Middle East and Europe for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers may
also end up part of the human-trafficking industry. In such cases, workers may have been
'recruited' by way of fraudulent recruitment practices that lead them directly into situations of
forced labor. They do this by contacting the future victims with promises of a new, high paying,
or glamorous job in another country. When the person arrives at the destination, the traffickers
will then abduct and sell them in to the human trafficking market. High debts incurred to pay
recruitment fees leave them those victims vulnerable to exploitation by employers in the
destination countries, where some are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude,
including non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, unlawful withholding of passports,
and physical or sexual abuse. (Andersson 2005)
The United States of America is considered a tier 1 country due its major laws and
penalties regarding human trafficking. However, this does not mean that the United States
Female Abduction and Trafficking 6
does not experience a large amount of female trafficking. The U.S. Justice Department
estimates that 17,500 people are trafficked into the country every year, but the true figure
could be higher, because of the large numbers of undocumented immigrants. Those being
trafficked include young children, teenagers, men and women and can be domestic citizens or
foreign nationals. As Sergeant Jamie Esparza explains ...about 85% percent of Americans that
are put in to trafficking are white females, most of which are runaways from low income areas,
who were picked up by a gang or individual about 48 hours after they are reported missing.
Thats why the chances of a missing person being found significantly decreases after 48 hours.
With this information we can assume that white females are most likely to be abducted and
used in human trafficking, especially those who run away from home and/or live in a low
income area.

What are some ways to avoid abductions?
There are many simple ways to avoid abductions. Sergeant Esparza is an El Paso police
Officer who unofficially specializes in abductions and kidnappings. Sergeant Jaime Esparza notes
many way in which one may avoid being abducted. Check out babysitters, suspicious people in
the neighborhood and anyone you hire to work in your home. Many states list convicted
sexual predators on special Web sites. You can obtain information at the FBIs Web site or by
calling your local FBI office. Get references of people you want to hire and be sure to check
them out. El Paso officer Esparza goes on to state that making sure your doors and windows
are locked is essential in keeping your family and house secure.
Female Abduction and Trafficking 7
One thing that Officer Esparza made very clear is that education is the number one way
to prevent abduction and possibly trafficking. Teaching children how to make intelligent
decisions is the best way to ensure that they are safe we should warn are children to not fall
for the common lures like needing help finding a lost puppy, or lures of candy. They need to
learn how to see those lures and run away from those people. Previously stated in this review,
is that most American minors that are abducted, are runaways. Teens, especially women, who
have run away from their home could very easily be abducted being that they are alone. With
promises of a place to sleep or a way to obtain money, gang members, pimps, or even a
random individual could lure a victim to an area in which the abductor could take the victim.
The scenario could easily be prevented using simple practices. Dont talk to strangers! said
Officer Esparza I know people hear that all of the time and a lot of people think it is something
that (only) kids should listen to.(but) adults need to follow this instruction as well. Officer
Esparza then went on to say that teens should always let someone know their whereabouts.
Since teens are the one who are abducted the most in the United States it is important for
family or friends to know where they are.
To prevent human trafficking and abductions many people have formed organizations.
In 2002, Derek Ellerman and Katherine Chon founded a non-government organization called
Polaris Project to combat human trafficking. In 2007, Polaris instituted the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) where callers can report tips and receive information on
human trafficking. Polaris' website and hotline informs the public about where cases of
suspected human trafficking have occurred within the United States. The website records calls
on a map. In 2007 the U.S. Senate designated January 11 as a National Day of Human
Female Abduction and Trafficking 8
Trafficking Awareness in an effort to raise consciousness about this global, national and local
issue. In 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, President Barack Obama proclaimed January as National
Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. (Heinrich 2013)

How many reports of mass abductions (abductions by a group or gang) have you seen in the
area?
Many cities in Texas have cases of Human Trafficking. According to the U.S. Department
of Justice, Houston, Texas is one of the nations largest hubs for human trafficking. Houston is
the setting of one the most prominent human and sex trafficking rings in the United States;
there are over 200 active brothels in Houston with two new opening each month. Houston is
home to more strip clubs and illicit spas than Las Vegas; these businesses serve as fronts for sex
trafficking. (Human Trafficking 2012) The main factors that contribute to high levels of
trafficking through Texas and Houston are proximity, demographics, and a large migrant labor
force. Houstons proximity to the Mexican border, I-10, a highway running across country
through Houston, and the port of Houston make it a popular point of entry for international
trafficking. Additionally, the presence of two large airports provides ways in and out of the city.
Houstons huge geographic size and large Hispanic population create optimal conditions for
trafficking because of the ability to blend in with the community. There are large Asian and
Middle Eastern populations that allow traffickers and their victims to blend easily into local
communities. Sex trafficking that occurs in Houston is not limited to taking place in strip clubs,
spas, massage parlors, modeling studios, cantinas, and residential brothels in hotels, motels,
apartments and houses. Labor trafficking found in Houston may be but not limited to
Female Abduction and Trafficking 9
agricultural work, restaurants, nail salons, domestic servitude, peddling, begging, or traveling
sales crew. (Human Trafficking 2012)
Based on a study released by Dallas Women's Foundation, sex trafficking of young girls
is not an isolated phenomenon, but a widespread criminal activity in Texas. The research found
that 740 girls under age 18 were documented being marketed for sex during a 30-day period in
Texas, of whom 712 of these girls were being marketed through Internet classified web sites
and 28 were being marketed through escort services. More information concluded from the
research is that there are more girls being trafficked for sex in Texas during one month than
there are women killed in domestic violence with former or current husbands, intimate
partners or boyfriends in Texas over an entire year.
Officer Esparza explained that El Paso, while it is not an area with very many abductions,
it is a gateway for human traffickers. Being so close to the border of Mexico, Juarez gangs use
the El Paso border as a way to transport enslaved women as well as children to work in the
United States, mostly for use on crops, service industry, and sexual slavery.

Have you noticed the frequency of Trafficking to be increasing or decreasing?
The recent national attention on human trafficking is both welcome and needed on an
issue with a modern legal infrastructure that is only about 13 years old. Anti-trafficking efforts
began in the United States in earnest with the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (TVPA). It modernized the involuntary servitude and peonage statutes originating
from the Thirteenth Amendment that had been limited by the Supreme Court. It also created
new offenses for forced labor, sex trafficking, and document withholding, which is a common
Female Abduction and Trafficking 10
tool used by traffickers to control their victims. The TVPA also made sentencing commensurate
with other serious crimes, ranging from 20 years to life. Finally, the legislation included
protections for trafficking victims. These protections included critical funding for services to
victims after human trafficking and temporary immigration status so that foreign national
victimsprimary witnesses for the prosecutionwould no longer be deported; remaining
present in the United States means an increased likelihood of a successful prosecution. In
addition, the law offered foreign-trafficking victims eligibility for public benefits, otherwise
unavailable to many immigrants.
With legal improvements in the United States, trafficking has decreased substantially. A
report published by Polaris Project, the organization that was previously referenced , in regards
to the global fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery, rated and placed all 50
states plus the District of Columbia in one of four tiers based on the human trafficking laws in
the state. The image below shows the rankings of each state in 2011. Twenty one states are
considered tier 1 meaning that those states have extensive laws preventing human trafficking
(green). In contrast, there are 4 states that have very little laws in place to combat human
trafficking (Red).
In 2004, only four states had human trafficking laws. But in 2012, 49 states plus District
of Columbia have some type of human trafficking laws. In fact, over the past year, 28 states, or
55% of the states, have passed new human trafficking laws. After enacting a comprehensive
human trafficking law in November 2011, Massachusetts moved from the bottom tier in 2011
to the top tier in 2012, and earned the 'most improved' distinction.(Polaris) With these new
Female Abduction and Trafficking 11
laws in place it is assumed that human trafficking has decreased since 2012.

Beyond the criminal statutes, state laws vary in other respects as well. Some create a
statewide task force to examine the issue within the state. Some establish a statewide
coordination effort of state agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Others commission a
study for statewide recommendations and action. A few mandate training through state law
enforcement training academies. Though much attention focuses on the enactment of these
state laws, their implementation provides a much better barometer of anti-trafficking progress
in the states. According to the U.S. Department of State, 3,969 human traffickers were
convicted in 2011; the United States accounted for 151 of those 3,969 convictions at the federal
level. The United States does not yet count state convictions, though the Department of State
also indicated that the number of convictions under state-trafficking laws in 2011 was in the
dozens. (Heinrich)

Female Abduction and Trafficking 12
Conclusion
Human Trafficking is still a major business throughout the world. It has affected millions
of lives, and will continue to do so. Even with human trafficking being at its most abundant in
human history, governments and private organizations are seeking to eradicate it through
legislative action, and education. Trafficking is a business and like a business, it has a system
with which it operates, an individual may disrupt its system simply by being educated. For now
human trafficking is prominent, but with new ways of transferring information, the traffickers
system of abduction may become a thing of the past.














Female Abduction and Trafficking 13
References

Andersson, Hilary. (February 11, 2005) Programs | From Our Own Correspondent | Born to
be a slave in Niger. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-03-08.
Free Our City.(, March 17, 2012).Free our City From http://freeourcity.org/
Heinrich, Kelly. (April, 14 2014)."The State of State Human-Trafficking Laws." The Judge's
Journal. American Bar Association, n.d. Web.
<http://www.americanbar.org/publications/judges_journal/2013/winter/the_state_of_
state_humantraficking_laws&.html>.
HumanTrafficking.org | News & Updates: Houston, Texas Major Hub for Human Trafficking."
(2012, March 17.)HumanTrafficking.org
McCarthy, Ryan (2010, December 18). "13 Products Most Likely to Be Made By Child or Forced
Labor" Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 April, 2014.
Rescue & Restore Coalition.(February 22, 2012) "Texas Facts on Huma Traffickin." from
TTexasimpact.org/UMVV/HumanTraffickFactSheet.doc. Web
State Ratings . (2012). Photograph. n.p. Web. 14 Apr 2014.
<http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/policy-advocacy/national-policy/state-
ratings-on-human-trafficking-laws>.




Female Abduction and Trafficking 14