1

Running Header: HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human Trafficking In The United States

Duneshka Cruz

Mr. Rients

Marco Island Academy

 2
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Abstract

Slavery was said to have ended in 1865. However, modern-day slavery is nowhere near over.

Human trafficking is a serious global issue. Millions are victimized annually. People of all ages

are being trafficked to different parts of the world, mainly the United States. This study was

made to show the public the level of cruelty that these human beings are going through. This

research has five main goals: (a) define and clarify the different types of trafficking of persons

happening in the United States; (b) describe in detail sexual exploitation and forced labor in the

United States; (c) describe the living conditions of the victims while waiting to be sold; (d)

explain how a victim can be identified; and, (e) inform what is being done and what can be done

to stop this inhumanity. The exploitation of people is and should be seen as unacceptable

everywhere by everyone.

Key Words: Modern-day slavery, human trafficking, trafficking in persons, exploitation, United

States
 3
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human Trafficking in the United States

Twenty-seven million people are in modern-day slavery across the world today. Modern-

day slavery is also known as human trafficking. It involves the illegal transportation by force or

deception for the purpose of labor, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit

financially (Steverson). It is the fastest growing means by which people are enslaved, the fastest

growing international crime, and one of the largest sources of income for organized crime

(United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). Human trafficking is a widespread problem that

has received increased media and national attention. However, there has been partial studies done

on the trafficking being done in the United States (US). Women, children, and men are trafficked

to the US from every known region. Victims are usually as young as seven to seventy-five years

old (Trafficked: Slavery in America). Exploitation of people from a different race, sexual

orientation, ethnicity, or gender is deplorable. It is time to eliminate the idea that human

trafficking only occurred in past eras or distant countries.

Types of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is usually just thought of as sexual exploitation of women and

children. Even though that is the common form of human trafficking, there are four different

types of trafficking of persons. They are: trafficking for forced labor, trafficking in women for

sexual exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism (CSEC), and

trafficking in organs. Each of these types of human trafficking are an issue around the world

including the United States and consist of different requirements for the victims.
 4
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Trafficking for forced labor comes primarily from developing countries (Types of

Human Trafficking). There are two forms of labor trafficking which are bonded labor (debt

bondage) and forced labor. Debt bondage is identified as a practice similar to slavery but not

actual slavery. Its similar because it involves a debt that cannot be paid off in a reasonable

amount of time. The employer/enforcer who engages in this criminal practice exaggeratedly

inflates the amount of debt, often by adding excessive interest, deducting little or nothing from

the debt and increasing the amount of time the so- called debtor must work. Forced labor means

all work or service which is demanded from any person under the menace of any penalty and for

which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily. A menace of penalty includes threats

of physical violence against a worker or relatives, physical confinement and denial of rights

(Jordan). Both forced labor and debt bondage were common in Ancient Greece, Egypt, Ancient

Rome, colonial history of America, and Asia. The only one to abolish this in Greece was Athens

under the debt reform legislation of Solon. It was prohibited under the 1956 UN Supplemental

convention on the Abolition of Slavery in the United States (Steverson).

Victims of forced labor and debt bondage are recruited and trafficked using deception and

coercion. They find themselves held in conditions of slavery in a variety of jobs. Men, women,

and children are engaged in agriculture and fishing, construction work, domestic servitude,

manufacturing, prostitution and sexual exploitation, and market trading (Types of Human

Trafficking).

Trafficking in women for sexual exploitation affects every region in the world. Women

and children have been victims of sex trafficking for thousands of years. It finally became a

political issue in the early 1900s. The first movement against it was launched in England by

Josephine Butler from 1828 to 1906 (Hughes). In 1902, an international agreement for the
 5
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

suppression of the White Slave Traffic was drafted. It was made to prevent the procuration of

women and girls for immoral purposed abroad. This then led the US to pass the Mann Act of

1910 which forbids the transporting of a person across the state or international lines for

prostitution or other immoral purposes (Women and Global Human Rights).

Women and children sexually exploited are lured by promises of decent employment into

leaving their houses and traveling to what they consider will be a better life. They are provided

with false travel documents and an organized network used to transport them to their destination,

where they will be forced into sexual slavery and held in inhumane conditions and constant fear

(Types of Human Trafficking).

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), or Child Sex Tourism, is the sexual

abuse of a minor in exchange for cash or other compensation, given either directly to the child or

to a third party (Understanding Child Sex Tourism). Its when pedophiles seeking to avoid

severe punishment in the US have taken trips to countries such as Asia, Africa, and Central and

South America where prostituted children are plentiful and sexual abuse laws are lenient. The

history of Sexual tourism dates back when soldiers needed places to relax and recreate after long

walks and trajectories in camps. When the military started developing into seas, such as trade

trips, the cities changed into busy roads with places of entertainment for sailors and dealers. The

boom of tourism industry within the country has created employment and business opportunities

for the local people. This has attracted children to seek out opportunities for employment in the

tourist areas. These children are those who are most risky for sexual exploitation ("World

Tourism Organization"). The lucrative business of the child sex industry has contributed to

increase high mobility of labor trafficking in children for sexual purpose.

 6
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The fourth type of human trafficking is trafficking in organs. The crime occurs in three

categories. Firstly, there are traffickers forcing or deceiving the victims into giving up an organ.

There are also the cases where victims formally or informally agree to sell an organ and are

cheated because they are not paid for the organ or are paid less than the promised price. The last

category is when vulnerable persons are treated for an ailment, which may or may not exist. The

organs are then removed without the victims knowledge. Commonly traded organs are kidneys,

livers, and the like. In 1968, the United States implemented the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of

1968, which gave individuals the right to donate their organs after their death. The US also

enacted the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984, which established a national online registry

for organ donors and prohibited the buying or selling of organs in the U.S. Numerous other

countries have passed laws aimed at ending illegal organ trade such as India, South Africa, and

China (Trafficking for Organ Trade).

It is estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 people, primarily women and children, are trafficked

to the US annually (United States of America). The focus on this paper will be on forced labor

and sex trafficking.

Forced Labor in the United States

The United States is one of only ten destinations- on a list of 139- that the United Nations

(UN) Office on Drugs and Crime sets as having a very high reported incidence of human

trafficking (Cullen-DuPont). In 2013, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline,

operated by Polaris, received reports of 929 labor trafficking cases inside the United States.

US citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, and children can be victims of forced labor.

Common types of forced labor in the United States are those of which people are forced to work
 7
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

in homes as domestic servants, farm workers are persuaded by violence, or factory workers are

held in inhumane working conditions; they are often lured by the promise of a good job in

America. Victims from a foreign country often hear about a job opportunity from someone they

know in their home country. They then meet with a recruiter that promises them a unique

opportunity at a better life for both themselves and their families. The victims are then pressured

by the recruiter to quickly sign the contracts without understanding it and pay a high recruitment

fee. Studies have shown that nearly half the victims pay the fee. The average fee was $6,150, but

in some cases, the fee ran as high as $25,000. Once the victims received their visa, it was tied to

their job. Thats when debt bondage comes into play. Traffickers then are able to use their debt

and immigration status to force them to stay (Sahadi).

In 2012, the New York Times released an article about Walmart suspending one of its

seafood suppliers in Louisiana due to suspected violation of workplace standards. Workers said

the company forced them to work 16- to 24-hour days, 80-hour weeks, at illegally low rates.

Sometimes they were even locked up in the plant, peeling crawfish until their hands felt dead.

Some workers were even threatened with beatings (Forced Labor on American Shores). Once

in the US, victims are subject to multiple forms of mental, physical, or financial abuse.

There are many major companies who use forced labor of both adults and children in

order to get their products. Some major companies are Forever 21, Victorias Secret, Nike, Toys

R Us, Aeropostale, Urban Outfitters, and Hersheys (5 Giant Companies Who Use Slave

Labor).

Victims of forced labor live in constant fear of either death or deportation. They cant run

away because they dont want to lose their legal status. In some cases, victims are so isolated that

the traffickers can engage in physical abuse without being noticed. If the victim got killed, who
 8
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

would know? Even if the victim(s) are able to escape, they have nowhere to go and nothing to

do.

Sex Trafficking in the United States

U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals can all

be victims of sex trafficking. The average age of entry into sex trafficking for a victim in the US

is 13-14 years old, but are sometimes even younger (Sex Trafficking Statistics and Source

3
Documentation). More than 4 of human trafficking is for sex, and according to the

National Coalition against Domestic Violence, eighty percent of victims are female (12

Disturbing Human Trafficking Facts).

Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to

force women, men, and children to engage in commercial sex against will. They may lure their

victims with the false promise of a high-paying job. In some cases, the victims are even promised

a romantic relationship, where they first establish an initial period of insincere love and pretend

affection. During this time, they also offer gifts, compliments, and sexual and physical intimacy.

They try to be the person the victim always dreamed of having by their side. Eventually, the

trafficker starts to use a variety of control tactics such as physical and emotional abuse, sexual

assault, confiscation of identity and money, isolation from friends and family, and even renaming

victims (Sex Trafficking in the U.S.).

 9
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Runaways and homeless youth are also big targets for traffickers. One in three teens on

the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home (National Runaway

Hotline). Such was the case for seventeen year-old Sarah from Ohio. She ran away from home a

few times due to problems happening at home. One day she was walking to the store alone when

a thirty year old male drove up beside her and told her how pretty she was. He then started to ask

why she looked so sad. He was able to convince her to go with him and get her nails done to

cheer her up. He paid for her and showered her with compliments. For the next two months, he

would pick Sarah up and take her to eat, to get her nails done, and continued to act like a great

boyfriend. They eventually decided to move in together. That is when he started to ask her to go

on dates with other men and engage in commercial sex. She felt uncomfortable but agreed in

order to stay with him and make him happy. She was praised by her boyfriend and continued

to engage in commercial sex until she was one day out on the street and raped. She immediately

called the police and was taken to the hospital for an exam. Once at the hospital, detectives

called Polaris (an anti-trafficking organization) and immediately provided with emergency

housing and emotional support. Sarah left her boyfriend and moved into a shelter. She was able

to find both a secure part-time job and long-term housing for herself (Sarah-Domestic Minor

Sex Trafficking).

Some victims are not as lucky as Sarah. They go through prostitution for years before

being saved. When theyre not saved, they end up being beaten, humiliated, abused, and scarred

for the rest of their lives all so that pimps, captors, traffickers can have more money at the end of

the day.

Sex trafficking is a booming business. There is an estimated revenue of 87 million dollars

every day from sex trafficking. If a trafficker had four women working seven days a week,
 10
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

meeting a quota of $500 a night, theyd make $632,000 in one year. A study was released in

March of 2014 of the underground commercial sex economies in eight major cities in the US:

San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Kansas. Atlanta

topped the chart with pimps weekly pay of $32, 833. San Diego was the lowest with $11,129

(Sahadi). Its distressing to see that amount of money being considered the lowest. This all came

from the exploitation and abuse of young women and girls.

Life of a Victim

Human trafficking victims are denied the experience of an ordinary life, often for many

years at a time, if not entire lifetimes (12 Disturbing Human Trafficking Facts). They are

trapped. Some are locked behind doors and chained up. Others are told they must continue to

work because they owe money to their captors. Some victims are even too young to understand

how to free themselves or that they have any right to be free (Hart).

Immediately after falling for the traffickers deception victims experience five things:

freedom deprivation, torture, rape, threats, and exploitation. Freedom deprivation includes being

deprived of his or her support papers, threatened with jail, and robbed of their freedom to move

about. Victims are also tortured, raped, and hungered (What Happens to Victims?). If they do

not meet a certain quote or demand, they will be punished by beatings and/or starvation.

Victims live a life full of fear because they are constantly being threatened. They will be

threatened with death, deformation, or attack of their family members. Victims can also be

exploited by the threat of having to repay debts such as traveling card, visa, residence expenses,

etc. This is a big reason for why victims dont try to escape or call out for help.
 11
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As a consequence of human trafficking, victims will have a higher chance of developing

bodily and psychological diseases. Many victims end up with AIDS or conditions caused by

excessive work duties, malnutrition, and inhumane living conditions. They may also suffer from

deep shock or psychological diseases that take a longer time to heal such as PTSD. Along with

getting diseases, victims are also susceptible to pregnancy, abortion, addiction, and worst of all,

death (What Happens to Victims?).

Victims of human trafficking do not live a comfortable life during or even after being a

survivor. Their life will never be the same. However, there are things that can be done to either

prevent or help those who are going through human trafficking right now.

Identifying a Victim

There have been cases where people have been able to identify a human trafficking

victim. A red flag to keep watch of is if the person(s) seems anxious, fearful, paranoid, or avoids

eye contact. Other red flags are signs of depression, unexplained bruises or signs of physical

abuse, appears to be in a dominating relationship, never is alone, not in control of their own

finances, has no identification, inability to leave their job or residence, being a recent arrival to

the United States and does not speak English, is under eighteen or at any age providing

commercial sex acts, and is afraid of law enforcement or receiving help from an outside source

(How to Identify a Human Trafficking Victim).

If able to get the suspected victim alone, there are a set of questions that are important to

ask. They are: Can you leave your job or house when you want?, Where did you get those

bruises or is anyone hurting you?, Do you get paid for your employment? Is it fair? How

many Hours do you work?, (if foreign national) How did you get to the U.S. and is it what you
 12
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

expected? Are you being forced to do anything you dont want to?, Are you and/or your family

being threatened?, Do you live with or near your employer? Does your employer provide you

with housing? Are there locks on doors or windows from outside?, and Do you owe debt to

anyone? (How to Identify a Human Trafficking Victim).

If there is a high suspicion of he or she being a victim of human trafficking, take the

following actions: ask the person if you can help them find a safe place to go immediately; if

they need time, create an action plan with them to get to a safe place when they are ready; call

and make a report to the human trafficking hotline at 1.888.3737.888 (How to Identify a Human

Trafficking Victim).

What is being done?

Laws have been passed and organizations have been made to stop human trafficking and

help those who have become victims of this injustice.

Some organizations fighting against human trafficking are International Justice Mission,

Human Rights Watch Campaign Against the Trafficking of Women and Girls, Ricky Martin

Foundation, Not for Sale, Stop the Traffik, Global Network to Protect Children Against

Commercial Sex Exploitation, and many more. Each of the organizations work hard to help

prevent and put a stop to human trafficking. International Justice Mission is a Christian-oriented

group focused on the interception and rescue of victims of sex trafficking. The Human Rights

Watch Campaign against the Trafficking of Women and Girls focuses on passing legislation in

the US to combat trafficking. The Ricky Martin Foundation was launched in 2004. It was created

to provide education and solutions for international efforts to abolish child trafficking. Not for

Sale intercepts, protects, and prevents human trafficking by offering long-term rehabilitation to
 13
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

survivors of modern-slavery and at-risk children. Stop The Traffik is in the thousands of activists

around the globe who give their time and energy to fight human trafficking by creating change

and awareness in their community and beyond. Lastly, Global Network to Protect Children

against Commercial Sex Exploitation protects children against sex trafficking and all other

sexual exploitations.

Two important laws have also been passed to catch and punish traffickers. In 2000, the

United States passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) (Hughes). The Trafficking

Victims Protection Act is arguably the most important anti-trafficking law ever passed. The

TVPA seeks to combat trafficking by promoting a policy of 3 Ps: prosecution, protection, and

prevention. Prosecution involves passing the appropriate laws that criminalize trafficking, and

jailing the abusers who exploit other humans for profit. Protection involves identifying victims,

providing them with medical care and shelter (and if necessary witness protection), and, when

appropriate, repatriating them. Prevention involves raising awareness of the inhumane practices

involved in the trafficking trade and promoting a standard shift that seeks to reduce the demand

for the fruits of human trafficking. In the same year, the United Nations adopted the Protocol

to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children

(Hughes).

One law that many people would like to have implemented in the United States, as well is

one from Sweden. In 2009, they were the first to pass the law to decriminalize buying another

human being. Sweden switched prostitution to be the buyers fault, never arresting the person

offering the sexual acts. People believe that the Swedish model is better and would further help

the problem of sex trafficking (Fordham Conversations: Human Trafficking).

Conclusion
 14
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human Trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that is nowhere near its end. Four

types of human trafficking occur in the United States: trafficking for forced labor, trafficking in

women for sexual exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism (CSEC),

and trafficking in organs. This paper went into detail on two of the most common forms of

trafficking in the United States. It is important not to take this issue lightly. Human Trafficking

should be prevented and terminated. In order to do this, we must stay alert and spread awareness.
 15
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

References

Cullen-DuPont, K. (2009). Global Issues: Human Trafficking (pp.44-46). New York, NY: Infobase

Publishing

Hughes, D. (2003, October 6). Combating Sex Trafficking: A History. Fair Observer. Retrieved

November 7, 2014, from

http://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_american/combating-sex-trafficking-history/

Hart, J. (2009). Human Trafficking (First ed., p.5) New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group

Jordan, A. (2011, January 6). Slavery, forced labor, debt bondage, and human trafficking: From

conceptional confusion to targeted solutions by Ann Jordan. Retrieved November 22, 2014,
from http://traffickingroundtable.org/2011/01/slavery-forced-labor-debt-bondage-and-human-
trafficking-from-conceptional-confusion-to-targeted-solutions/

Kanlic, Alen. Human Trafficking. Interview by Robin Shannon. Audio blog post. Fordham

University. 1 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Nov, 2014

<http://www.wfuv.org/news/fordham-conversations/140201/fordham-conversations-human-
trafficking>.

Sahadi, J. (2014, October 21). Labor trafficking in America: Victims enslaved in plain sight.

Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/21/pf/labor-trafficking/

Sahadi, J. (2014, March 12). Inside the underground sex economy. Retrieved November 20,

2014, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/12/news/economy/underground-sex-

economy/index.html?iid=EL

Steverson, L. (n.d.) Human Trafficking (crime). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/869438/human-trafficking
 16
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Facts about Human Trafficking. (n.d.) Retrieved November 5, 2014, from

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-factgs-about-human-trafficking

Forced Labor on American Shores. (2012, July 8). The New York Times. Retrieved November

22, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/opinion/forced-labor-on-american-s

hores.html?_r=0

Sex Trafficking in the U.S. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from

http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking-in-the-us

Sex Trafficking Statistics and Source Documentation. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from

http://thecoveringhouse.org/act/resources-2/sex-trafficking-statistics-source-documentation/

Trafficked: Slavery in America. (2011). [Radio Series Episode] In MSNBC Undercover. New York

City: MSNBC

Trafficking for Organ Trade. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/trafficking-for-organ-trade.html

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d,) Retrieved November 7, 2014, from

http://www.unook.org

What happens to victims? (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2014, from

http://www.shwc.ae/portal/what.happens.to.victims.aspx

Women and Global Human Rights. (n.d.) Retrieved November 7, 2014, from

http://www2. Webster.edu/~woolflm/trafficking.htm

World Tourism Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2014, from https://www.colegio-

humboldt.edu.mx/Munch2012/committees/wto.html

5 Giant Companies Who Use Slave Labor. (2012, May 1). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from

http://www.businesspundit.com/5-giant-companies-who-use-slave-labor/?img=42008
 17
HUMAN TRAFFICKING

12 Disturbing Human Trafficking Facts. (n.d.) Retrieved November 5, 2014, from

http://www.curiosityaroused.com/culture/12-disturbing-human-trafficking-facts/