Human trafficking research

Since many people travel to these locations from other developing nations in pursuit of better life, human trafficking is one of the issues the United States faces. The global issue of human trafficking has a significant impact on practically every region of the planet. Some geographical areas serve as the starting point for human trafficking, as well as the route or final destination. Since it has led to human torture and abuse, promoted community and family breakdown, harmed public health, fueled organized crime, and deprived nations of human capital, human trafficking has posed a danger to human rights. The issue of human trafficking has placed a significant financial load on the government. Trafficking involves largely hidden crimes that have recently grabbed the attention of policy makers, law enforcers, and human rights advocates (Office of Justice Programs 4). The US remains a prominent origin as well as a destination of victims of this form of smuggling. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore the human trafficking activities in this country.
Definition of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transfer, transportation, harboring, and reception of individuals by improper means such as fraud, coercion, force, and abduction majorly for sexual exploitation, and forced labor (Office of Justice Programs 2). Sex trafficking involves commercial sexual acts which are induced by coercion, fraud, force in which the exploited persons perform sexual activities having not attained the age of 18 years.
According to the Office of the Attorney General California Department of Justice, trafficking of people is a form of slavery exercised in the modern era. It involves the control of a person, fraud, coercion, force to exploit the victims of sexual exploitation and forced labor (1). Trafficking violates the rights of individuals and strip the national promise to the victims of ensuring human rights. The individuals subjected to human trafficking are known to represent a range of background which is in terms of nationality, education, socioeconomic status and age, among which the victims is exposed to some form of vulnerability.
Statistics
Between 2002 and 2011, statistics show that about three individuals in every one thousand have been subjected to forced labor, worldwide. The victims of human trafficking are not only men and women who have been forced into labor where they are promised better living conditions and employment in the United States, but also young boys and girls who have been born and grown in California (Office of the Attorney General California Department of Justice 2). In 2012, the "United Nations Office on Drug and Crime" reported that victimization of children had increased from 20 to 27 percent, among who two are girls and one boy. The profile of victims globally revealed that 59 percent were women, 17 percent were men, 17 percent were girls and boys represented 10 percent.
Statistics also indicate that 600,000 to 800,000 children, men and women had been sold and bought across international borders every year, and are exploited for commercial sex and forced labor. Once internal victims of trafficking are added to the estimated population, the number of trafficking victims will range from 2 to 4 million annually. Approximately 50 percent of the estimated population is minors whereby 2 million children are exploited to commercial sex work in the world sex trade (Ark of Hope for Children 3).
History of Human Trafficking Laws
These forms of slavery existed before the year 1400, which was the beginning of slavery in Europe, whereby the Blacks were transported from their continent to Portugal. The British joined the slave trade in Africa in 1562, which was facilitated by the increase demand for labor, due to the development of the plantation. Other nations such as North America, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Holland have also joined human trafficking lately (Rutgers University Campus Coalition Against Trafficking 1).
During the 20th century, an International Agreement was formulated and implemented to suppress the White Slave trafficking. The main objective of the agreement was to protect the minors, old, and women from being tangled in slavery. The White Slavery involved the deceiving or forcing a white girl or woman into prostitution. However, some people argue that the move to bar the White Slavery was formulated to control the number of women striving to seek employment from other nations.
After the World War I (WWI), the League of Nations was formed with the main goal of maintaining peace in the world and focus on international issues including human trafficking, which was a threat to tranquility. These objectives led to the change of the Suppression of the White Slave trafficking Agreement into the traffic in children and women so that the issue of racial discrimination would be dealt with the new agreement. The young boys as well as girls were also victims of human smuggling. Subsequently, two main researches were carried out in the East and the West, with the aim of finding out the real status of human trafficking. Some of the factors that were used to measure the statistics included the actual number of women who had been engaged in commercial sex work, the surrounding environment and the demand of ladies who had been trafficked, as well as information regarding the traffickers. This was a very essential move towards gaining an insightful understanding of the problem of human trafficking (Rutgers University Campus Coalition Against Trafficking 3).
During the World War II, the Japanese had established an outrageous and horrifying system whereby women across Asia, where subjected into sexual slavery, women were detained in "comfort stations." There stations were characterized by atrocious conditions, where each woman was housed in a small cubicle, and were tortured and beaten in case they become defiant. These conditions resulted in the death of many women, caused by malnutrition, disease, suicide and exhaustion. The station was designed to be surrounded by a barbed wire so as to prevent the women from escaping. The reason behind the idea of setting up this system was to reduce the incidences of rape crimes in public places, provide their soldiers with comfort so that they would keep the secrets of the military and also to prevent the spread of Sexual Transmitted Diseases (Rutgers University Campus Coalition Against Trafficking 4). In 1956, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was initiated by the Indians, which persecuted the third parties which were being involved in human trafficking. These included the activities of running brothels, capturing and imprisoning individuals into prostitution and living on income from sex work. This Act endangered the lives of women who had been subjected into prostitution previously since many of them were arrested and lost everything.
In 1995, the United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference with an aim of addressing the issue of female trafficking. In the meeting, they actually recognized that trafficking was a form of violence that was against women. The actions to solve the problem of trafficking was established, which included the enforcement of the international conventions of slavery and human trafficking, addressing factors that facilitated human trafficking, development of effective law enforcement and institutions that would stamp out trafficking national and international realm, and also implement programs such as rehabilitation and educational facilities that would offer psychological, social and medical needs to the victims of human trafficking (Rutgers University Campus Coalition Against Trafficking 6).
In 2008, there was the emergency of a case whereby several immigrants were identified having being smuggled illegally by human traffickers into Thailand. Fifty seven of the migrants were found dead due to suffocation as they were being shipped in a confined sea-food container. However, there were 67 survivors who told stories of how they hoped they would find jobs in Thailand. The story grabbed the attention of trafficking to the attention of the world and also reminded people that changes had to be initiated so as to improve the conditions of the problem. In 2009, a trafficking ring that had many members was found in Taiwan. This case involved some young women who had been illegally deported into the United States with invalid passports and which they used to get visas. The case was identified by the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Immigration Agency. These resulted into the prosecution of 74 suspects who were members of the trafficking ring (Orhant 12).
In 2011, the President of America, Barrack Obama, formerly announced that the month of January remain a Human Trafficking Awareness period. As such January 11 was labeled the National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and individuals and groups took part in the attempt of sensitizing the public about this menace. An Anti-trafficking Coalition was made to bring to an end all activities of human smuggling, and it began by requesting the government to review the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (Rutgers University Campus Coalition Against Trafficking 10).
Methods of Human Trafficking
According to the INTERPOL there are various forms of human trafficking, but one of the constant aspects of exploitation is the inherent vulnerability of the victims involved (2). Some forms of trafficking include
Women Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
This form of trafficking is most prevalent and it affects almost all the regions of the world, where some regions are the origin, transits and others the destinations. Children and women from vulnerable regions of developed and developing nations are lured by promises of securing decent jobs when leaving their home countries and travel to other nations where they consider there will be a better life. False documents are obtained and some organized networks for transport used to deport them to the destination nations. On arrival into the destinations, they are enslaved, compelled to engage into sexual acts, and held in inhumane conditions and constant fear.
Human Trafficking for Forced Labor
This is a widespread form of human trafficking, whereby most victims come originate primarily from developing nations. The individuals are recruited using coercion and deception, and they end up help in conditions of slavery in various jobs. Children, men and women are engaged in labor-intensive jobs such as construction work, agriculture, domestic servitude and fisheries, among others.
Trafficking for Cells, Organs and Tissues
Some human beings are trafficked for the purpose of using their body organs such as kidney which has been a rapidly developing field of criminality. In many nations, there exist very long waiting lists of transplants; hence criminals have identified this as a great opportunity to exploit the potential donors and desperate patients. The lives and health of the victims are at risk since the operations are conducted in clandestine conditions with inappropriate medical follow-up. The increased in aging populations and diabetes incidences in developed countries has increased the demand of human organs hence making crime more lucrative.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Young Children in Tourism
Apparently, this form of crime was majorly found in Asian, but has now spread to Africa and America. Its occurrence is facilitated by the inexpensive cost of air travel as well as the relatively lower risks of prosecution and prohibitions in the destinations where the tourism engages in sexual activities with minors.
People Smuggling
It is closely connected to human trafficking, whereby organized criminal networks utilized the humanitarian crisis to obtain financial gain. It has increased greatly, especially along the Mediterranean regions. Smuggling involves promises of better lives once the individual is transported to the destination, but turns out to be a different thing on arrival. In case coercion or force is used, it automatically becomes trafficking.
Impact of Human Trafficking
The human trafficking activities affect all people- children, men and women. As a crime against persons, the consequences are directly experienced by the subjects of trafficking. It also affects and contravenes the fundamental rights of a person since they are denied their basic personal freedom. In addition, human trafficking violated the rule of law, international law and threatens the national jurisdiction. Therefore, human trafficking also has broad social, economic and cultural effects. The following are some of the consequences of human trafficking:


The Effects of Trafficking on the Individual
According to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime violent crimes affects the medical status and wellbeing of the victims (82). The effect strikes harder on the powerless, poor, socially isolated and the disabled persons. The victims of trafficking often encounter exploitation, poor heath, poverty and abuse. These conditions are exacerbated by the experience of being victims of crime. Therefore, the consequences encountered include:
Physical Impact
According to Orhant it involves all forms of harm that are encountered by the individual due the exploitative nature of this type of crime (10). In a study conducted by the National Human Rights Commissions of Thailand, it was established that a group of trafficked males consisting about 100 fishermen, 39 among them died while the rest were seriously weak and unable to walk, hear or see property and emotionally disturbed after being returned to their home (Bhumiprabhas 3). Researches have also revealed that most of the people, especially women and children, during their deportation, they were subjected into sexual exploitation. Most of them were sexually assaulted, threatened with violence and coerced to perform sexual acts. Some of the symptoms that were common among these women included, fatigue, skin problems, stomach, vaginal, pelvic chest and back pain, headache, eye, ear and dental problems as well as weight loss.
HIV/AIDS
The risk of being infected with HIV among the trafficked women is very high due to sexual exploitation with lack of bargaining power to the use of protective garments and other sexual practices that are potentially dangerous. The trafficked women also have limited access to educational and medical services which are made available for other women in the commercial sexual workers industry. Inadequate information about the cure of HIV/AIDS and the prevalent popular misconception such as engaging in sexual relationship with virgin led to the cure of the disease and the idea that young female are free from the disease has led to the demand and vulnerability of younger victims (United Nation Development Program 6).
Mental Health
Trafficked victims often experience fear, insecurity, relentless anxiety, physical pain as well as injury, which have an enormous impact on their mental status. Symptom of psychological trauma has been reported among the trafficked persons including anxiety, extreme sadness, hopelessness, depression, disorientation, alienation and post-traumatic stress disorder. These problems may result in attempted suicide, memory loss, and difficulty in concentration, aggression and anger. Studies reveal that the longer a person remains trafficked the more the effect is severe and the longer the effect is felt. Therefore, once a person has been rescued from the traffickers, they are required to undergo counseling so prevent the prolonged effect (Zimmerman 4).
Child Victims
Trafficked children are exposed to similar harms as the adults. Their age increases their effects due to their vulnerability to the abusive practices and harmful consequences. The prolonged abuse of trafficked children, such as hunger, malnutrition, sexual and physical abuse, results in the permanent stunting growth of the child. For instance, trafficked children may experience poorly formed and decaying teeth and problems of the reproductive system at a future date. In some regions where children have been trafficked, reports have indicated that they are exposed to risks of sunstrokes, poisoning emanating from the chemicals used in insecticides, machinery and road accidents, general fatigue, growth stagnation and increase heart rhythm. Young girls are also vulnerable to sexually transmitted disease and also likely to experience long terms of physical consequences.
Substance Abuse
Trafficked human beings are more subjected to drug abuse by their oppressors. Some women have narrated the way they were compelled to consume some drugs so that they could take more clients and also comply with their traffickers. Subsequently, the trafficked person may divert their painful situations to substance abuse which results into addictions, overdose, organ damage, needle-induces infections and malnutrition.
Impact on Behavior
The prolonged mental and physical effects of abuse impact the behavior of the individual in a negative way which will affect their physical and emotional response. The experience of the harms undergone during the trafficking period makes it difficult for them to identify and describe their encounters. It becomes difficult to interview such a person due to their lack of clarity by the relevant authorities. At times they become reluctant to disclose information about them to the relevant authorities, which makes it difficult for the solution to their problem to be identified (Mitchels 7-8).
Political Implications of Trafficking
In trafficking, individuals are transported across borders; hence it has impacted the national and international politics, especially when it comes to migration policies. It is also a major issue in the discussion of human rights since the activities of human trafficking violates the rights of the individual.


Shaping Migration Policies
Every year, many people leave their home country to other nations in search of green pastures which are not available to them in their countries. Many of the people migrate legally posing the valid required documents. The increase in the number of migrants has led to a large group being absorbed into the illicit world of human trafficking, which lead to a condition of continuous human misery and exploitation. The overall concept of this problem has led to helped in shaping migration policies in the countries of origin as well as destination.
Border Control
The most common response to the problem of illegal migration has been tightening the borders so that countries are able to respond to the increased human trafficking incidents. When control of the borders is stricter and increased law enforcement the ways of trafficking people become strained. However, this method also increases the cost of controlling the borders in various destinations like the United States. Regional forums are also held to include the trade programs and bilateral aid, which assists in the alleviation of poverty and development of nations as part of focusing on the problem of human trafficking. The policies formulated are directed to the expectation that increasing the development of countries in the overseas and humanitarian assistance will lead to decreased irregular migrations such as human trafficking.
Human Rights
Human trafficking is characterized with abuse of human rights and exploitation. It is necessary that the victims of human trafficking are recognized and differentiated from illegal immigrants so that justice is done to them and also to avoid jeopardizing them. Therefore, borders of every country should be in a position to develop reliable and accurate protocol that will determine the status of the person entering the country so as identify those who are victims of crime (Haddadin and Klimova 14).
Economic Impact
Human trafficking subjects the country to a certain cost since there is a value that is devoted to prevent its occurrence, victims support and treatment, the apprehension and subsequent prosecution of the perpetrator. It also requires the allocation of resources that will be used in research programs as well as the implementation of those researches. The diseases spread during the process of trafficking such as HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis costs the government a lot of money to treat the affected individuals. In addition, the trafficking of humans involves loss of resources and reduction of revenue since trafficking is not subjected to any tax. It leads to lower rates in production in the labor market and human capital when people are trafficked. The country also loses remittances, which drags the economy of the country behind, since the migrants do not contribute anything to their country (Orozco 6). Organized crime groups are the only benefits of the trafficker, which is an illegal group; hence it does to contribute to the economy of their nation, and leads to the loss of a lot of money.
Ways Used by the US to Combat Human Trafficking
Legislation
In many states, legislation has been used to combat trafficking protocol, by adopting new laws and amendment of the existing policies to use to ensure the translation penalties have been increased, and institution formed that will implement the new policies. Numerous declarations and agreements have also been adopted which control human trafficking in a certain region. However, the policies formed to focus only on women and girls and consider the commercial sexual exploitation only, but fail to consider forced labors and servitude. For instance, Article 3 of the human trafficking protocol enumerates several measures with the aim of exploitation that is related to trafficking. In the implementation of the new adopted laws, some states distinguish labor exploitation and sexual exploitation such as forced marriages and exploitation of commercial sex workers.
Institutions to Combat Trafficking
Various institutions have been established to respond to incidences of human trafficking. In most cases, these agencies are defined by the anti-trafficking legislation of the State while others are defined separately. These agencies vary widely from one state to another, depending on the national rapporteurs on trafficking, inter-agency and inter-ministerial coordination's of the various bodies to coordinate the service provisions for individuals who have been trafficked. Special units in the law enforcements and specialized prosecutors of detecting and prosecuting human trafficking are also established (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 5).
Learning Good Practices of Dealing with the Problem
Previously, there have been opportunities that have enabled the identification of effective and ineffective practices, since not all the investments have produced the expected results. Some of the measures put in place ended-up to be counter-productive for the much intended people. Some approaches proved to be effective when they were scaled up or replicated in other places. However, there is still much that need to be learned concerning the constituents of good practices and ways and cases in which specific techniques can be successfully replicated (WarSaw 8)
Working Together
The problem of human trafficking requires combined efforts begin from the national levels, regions and internationally. Every state must ensure that the institutions established to combat human trafficking work to supplement each other in co-optation. The absence of coordination among the bodies has led to slower developments among the different agencies in the country. The coordination mechanism identifies the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies. The various agencies are helpful when handling cases of individuals being identified as human trafficking victims and requires the referral of various agencies. States have also signed agreements on cooperation of the law enforcement and mutual legal assistance. The agreements generally emphasizes on the importance of ensuring respect of rights of the trafficked individuals so as to avoid imprisonment of trafficked persons and illegal immigrants. States have specified how they will assist the trafficked persons to be taken back to their states where continued protection will be ensured such as in areas of Thailand and Cambodia. However, despite the agreements, many trafficked people in the states are not treated like crime victims, but rather are handled as irregular migrants, denied assistance and protection and subjected to the procedures of deportation (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 109).
Law Enforcement and Prosecution Activities
The specific units established in the law enforcement and prosecution sector have been equipped with techniques to detect human traffickers, care and identify victims and prosecute the traffickers appropriately. There have been reports of the apprehensions, prosecution and conviction of human traffickers in the recent years. However, since human trafficking is one of the most beneficial methods of obtaining funds by the organized crime groups, most of the practice goes undetected and unpunished. There exists a wide gap between the number of the identified victims of human trafficking and the number of prosecuting cases (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 110).


Conclusion
Human trafficking involves the violation of human rights whereby women, men and children are recruited from their home countries and transported to developed countries for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Trafficking is common in also most all parts of the world since some regions are the origin of the victims, transportation areas and the destinations.
In the world, human trafficking began in the ancient days whereby various agreements, protocols, policies and institutions have been established from time to time, to strive in eradicating human trafficking. There are various forms of human trafficking, which grouped according to the aim of trafficking such that some are for forced labor, sexual exploitation, body part implant and human smuggling.
Human trafficking has very serious negative impacts in the world which include physical effects, political and economic consequences. The cost of handling the problems that result from human trafficking has made it necessary for the government to design ways of combatting the problem. The victims suffer greatly from the encountered problems, hence they require the services that will restore and solve the problems. Therefore, it is necessary that the world puts more efforts in solving the problems of human trafficking.







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