As much as we would like to believe that slavery and human trafficking are only horrific aspects of our collective past, these tremendous abuses of human rights and human dignity have in some form continued to exist throughout the world and, in fact, are experiencing a dramatic resurgence in recent years. The details vary from country to country, but, put simply, human trafficking is the coerced use of human beings as objects of commerce. It is a reemergence of slave labor and extreme forms of sexual exploitation. It is impossible to deny the suffering of the victims of trafficking. What may be harder to understand are the forces that create and sustain this global problem. These forces — and the array of initiatives necessary to combat them — are far more complex. Trafficking does not exist in isolation. It is connected to economic, political and social forces that increase the vulnerability and desperation of the poor and marginalized. Trafficking is one of the most horrific results of the economic and social disparities that increase the vulnerability of millions of people. Such vast inequality allows many within our societies to be considered little more than disposable commodities. Usually, trafficking victims are lured away from their homes with promises of paid employment in legitimate jobs. They may be abducted — or even purchased — from family members. Once they have fallen into the hands of traffickers, victims' movements are restricted. They are isolated from the surrounding community, their legal documents are taken, and they are often victims of considerable physical and sexual violence. In destination countries, trafficking victims who escape or are picked up by local authorities are frequently not recognized as victims of a crime but rather considered 'undocumented aliens.' Often, they are detained and deported — right back to the traffickers, where they are 'recycled' or resold, and their nightmare begins again.
For as long as societies have existed, prostitution and the exchange of money for sexual favors have been around, and understandably so, for many women feel as if it is their only solution to make money in desperate times. However, many who wanted no part of this business – for it unfortunately is such, with employers, clients and workers – have been dragged into it trough human trafficking. People throughout the ages have taken advantage of others in human trafficking, mostly women, and treated them as everything but humans. They have been raped, enslaved, deprived of their freedom and sometimes even of their childhood. However, the fact that this issue has been around for so long and in so many parts of the world can lead one to wonder about the different ethical and moral values that we humans possess. Is this not an acceptable practice for the ones that are in charge of it? Do they not find it as just a way of making money? Of course very few people partake in this sort of thing, but due to the number of victims and the seemingly endless demand perhaps it is a much larger number than we would like to admit. Places like Indonesia have worldwide fame of prostitution - even involving children, but it somehow continues to exist. There are many types of prostitution, such as escort services, massage parlors, brothels, internet pornography and many others, and the entrance into this industry can be attributed to social, economic or personal problems, for In a study of 475 people in prostitution that included women, men, and transgendered, 72% of were currently or formerly homeless (Melissa Farley, Isin Baral, Merab Kiremire, Ufuk Sezgin, "Prostitution in Five Countries: Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" (1998) Feminism & Psychology 8 (4): 405-426).However, this is not something that occurs in third world countries only, for it has been present in many European countries and the US, and much closer to us than we’d like to think, as seen in the incident that occurred at Miami-Dade College in which a girl was almost kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave. Pimps such as Miami-based Hugo Gonzalez used these prostitutes and sex slaves as nothing more than means to make money and brainwashed these girls into making them like him and feel as if he protected them. Just like Hugo, there are many who seem to find no problem in prostitution and human trafficking, which leads one to wonder if people have the innate tendency to take advantage of others. In other words, if it is not in human nature to treat people as means to an end, no matter what mean.
Over the past year prostitution and child prostitution has been a huge impact in our society. It's till the day and is still there; as a matter of fact prostitution in general has increased even more now that the economic is not in good condition. There are different type of prostitution such as , pornography, escort service, child prostitution and more. Some people don’t see prostitution has a problem to do the fact that the man and woman are giving each other pleasure but the pleasure is not being desire by the woman. Is something that she needs to do to have her plate of food for that day. I don’t agree with prostitution, I believe that is other ways to earn your money. Yes, is true that sometime is hard to find a job or someone to help you but it will keep their dignity and moral values. The more bad the economy gets, the more bad action will be taken by some people. Prostitution is like rape and when a woman is rapes obviously that mean she didn’t have the desire to have sex. Also, human trafficking has also been increasing over the world. Usually, for this type of action woman are slaved and exposed to do what the man order them to do. They are used to fulfill the man desire and wishes. I believe that no woman or men should be taking advantage based on their situation. They should be treated as humans and help them with any problem without asking for something inappropriate back. We all are human and should be treated as such.
Throughout many countries human trafficking seems to be an illegal act that seems impossible to end. Even in our country, the United States, a free country we face this horrible act of pretty much slavery. Some people might not even know what human trafficking is and are not aware of it. “Human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative”. How can people, mostly women and children, be treated as a product to trade and sell? Who are these people who run the human trafficking industry? It makes you wonder the extent people would go just to make some money and how does the consumer of a PERSON feel about it, perhaps nothing really because they are buying this woman or child for their own enjoyment. The victims have been tricked, innocent people who do not deserve to be treated as merchandise, and for god’s sake they are PEOPLE. So now not only do people enjoy items such as a T.V. or video games for pleasure now they have the “luxury” to enjoy the pleasure of someone’s body. It’s amazing what some humans are capable of; do we not have morals anymore?
It is very unfortunate to see the reality of human trafficking. We hear about stories all the time, and it does not seem to ever end. Younger and younger girls seem to be getting involved not knowing that they will regret it at a later point in their lives. My main concern is that these women and young girls are degrading themselves. I do know that there are times in need that one just feels like they have to do anything possible to get some money, but really, settling for prostitution is not the best answer. How is someone able to live with the fact that they sleep with different men or women for money? Your body should be something that you do not just offer to anyone. In the case of those women that “controlled” by their pimps, I still say that they have a choice. Sure they might encounter some risks, but if they value themselves then a couple of risks should not matter.
Exploitation of women has existed for as long as any one can remember. I am a strong, independent woman and I find the issue of human trafficking, and prostitution completely appalling. When it comes to human trafficking the fact that women are taken and sold sometimes by their own family members on a daily basis all over the world and stripped of their innocence and virtue is absolutely disturbing. I used to think that this was just an issue in third world countries, or in Europe and that kind of thing didn’t happen “here” but more and more recent we see women being kidnapped from our own backyard and sold into sex slavery—never to be seen or heard from again. It’s kind of difficult to put in words but I think human trafficking and prostitution is still a prominent issue in today’s society because in general women feel like they can’t stand up for themselves, we have always been suppressed in the typical definition of what a woman should be, and men pretty much “shape” our lives and really take advantage of our emotions and kind nature and usually end up screwing us over. Prostitution on the other hand is a very sad practice that is a reality for many women, they get caught up in the fast and easy money they can make and don’t really look at what their doing from a different prospective. I also believe a lot of these women have experienced some form of trauma in their childhood whether it’s parental neglect, molestation, rape, abuse etc. and they don’t feel like they are worth any thing and resort to prostitution because they don’t think they are capable of achieving anything greater which is very unfortunate because many of these women are beautiful inside and out and shouldn’t be exploited in that way. In conclusion, I wish there was more that could be done to stop human trafficking and keep our women safe so they don’t feel scared to walk outside of their homes and I think it is important to make women realize that they are above prostitution and there are other ways to make money and feel wanted, and we should be independent and shouldn’t live under a man’s control.
The problem that I see in the United States with human trafficking is that when a child or teenager has problems at home and runs away or wants to leave their home. They end up having to survive on their own. No one is there to help them. So when some guy comes and tells them I can give you a home, some love and anything else you may need . These kids are from homes and families with problems. Like neglect and abuse. They are at an age that they can get brain washed easily by someone who makes them believe that they are in a better place. So I think that the government should have places out there for these kids to go to for safety and shelter and protection. The girls that Hugo Gonzalez had in his home liked him so much was cause he gave them a sense of home a sense of family. They were brain washed to think that he was doing to them is right and ok.
This is a subject that’s complicated to explore. Of course it is morally wrong to take or force someone to have sexually contact without there consent. For the sake of argument prostitution has been around for ages and simply can not be stop at any moment because we decide that its wrong. For the trafficker sadly it s a source of money. In the united states a person has the freedom to pursue any occupation he or she desire and with everything else. Saying that the trafficker has to face the legal action due that’s obviously its illegal. In today in the untied state especially in Miami there are several well know prostitution location that people know and of course the police of Miami Dade Country and there’s nothing done. Its one thing to say that we want something to stop, and there’s another thing to act upon on what we desire to have done. Shawn Weil
Human trafficking is the practice of people being scammed, decoyed, or forced to work with little or no payments or on conditions which are extremely abusive. This issue has been in place for the past decades and seems that it will not cease to exist. Even though its practices are different from country country, its consequences remain the same. Victims are kept with the burden of internal memories and physical scars. Many people, especially women and children, are being force to sell their bodies in exchange for necessities. In my opinion, I think human trafficking, sex slavery, and rape are all forms of ways in which men try to take advantage of women for the sake of pleasure. It’s repulsive to think someone so inhumane and immoral would do such a thing. On the other hand, I have no concerns for those women who believe in prostitution. I think there are many other ways, other than prostitution, that women can earn their money despite social and economical hardships. It’s a disgrace and lack of self-respect in which women consider to take part in this practice and lets you question how far they would go in order to survive in spite of the consequences.
Before start writing about human trafficking/sex slavery I find important to make a distinction between that and prostitution. It is important to realize that sex slaves aren't working for profit or a paycheck. They are captives to the traffickers and keepers who control their every move. And, prostitutes are those who earn money by having sex with other people. With that being said, to me prostitution is still a choice and I am not going to spend my time nor the time of those who are reading this trying to analyze, understand or justify why people make certain choices. End of the day, we know it is all about the biggest necessary evil of all times: money! To me it is more important to talk about the sex slaves that on the contrary, have no free will and are coerced to do awful things by their "owners". Human trafficking is the second largest organized crime after drug trafficking — in the world, with annual profits of $7 billion to $12 billion dollars. The United States has become a major importer of sex slaves. Last year, the C.I.A. estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 people are trafficked annually into this country. The majority of persons trafficked are women and girls due to their inferior and vulnerable status in most societies. In major cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago under-age girls and young women from dozens of countries are trafficked and held captive. Most of them whether they started out in Eastern Europe or Latin America are taken to the United States through Mexico. Some of them have been baited by promises of legitimate jobs and a better life in America; many have been abducted; others have been bought from or abandoned by their impoverished families. They are rented out for sex for as little as 15 minutes at a time, dozens of times a day. Sometimes they are sold outright to other traffickers and sex rings. These sex slaves earn no money, there is nothing voluntary about what they do and if they try to escape they are often beaten and sometimes killed. The slaves are not seen or considered human beings, they are thought of as dollars and cents. A lot has been done in the US since the year of 2000 when "The Victims of Trafficking Act" was signed by President Clinton. Programs around the country have been given funding to help train police officers and provide victim assistance, but yet we need to raise public awareness and educate people world wide about the horrible nature of this crime.
At first I thought that human trafficking was only found in Europe and south America. I was extremely surprised when I heard a classmate say that his friend was almost kidnapped for that purpose here in Miami. Although this is such an unnecessary evil I don’t see it going away any time soon. I mean its been going on for so long and in so many different places that I don’t think it might change. Even if we could at least completely prevent it from happening in the united states, we still have other forms of it. We would still have prostitution, pornography, strippers, escorts, etc. even though these might not be on the same level as human trafficking, they are all very similar. They all involve using people as means to an end. Whether or not these women want to participate in these activities, it still scars them psychologically. These poor women are exploited and degraded so much. Its sad to see how so many men can use these women and sell them as if they were a piece of paper. I understand that everyone is capable of these unnecessary evils but I cant help wonder, do they understand what they are doing is wrong or are they so brainwashed that they don’t care? On the other hand, there are the people who aren’t necessarily forced to sell their bodies and still do. Yes, we may argue that these people tend to come from a messed up family or no family at all but that is no excuse. Money is not a good reason to become a stripper or a prostitute or whatever. Chances are that in the end they will not be happy even if they did make the money they wanted. I think many of us need to stop looking at sex as such a materialistic thing that we can get whenever we want (just by paying someone) and start to give it a little more value, sentimental value that is. Then, maybe prostitution wouldn’t be so popular. -jenneffer lopez
Human trafficking, as defined by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, is the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation." I read this and think this happens in the world today? “harboring…by means of threat…abduction…deception…abuse?! And not just in third world countries as presumed by countless individuals but also in Europe and even in our own backyard, U.S. of A. This up rise in human trafficking which is now “the fastest growing criminal industry in the world” is partly due in fact to the economic turmoil we are living through today. Additionally, society must take some blame, for most individuals cannot discern the difference between prostitution and human trafficking. Prostitution is the practice of performing sexual favors for monetary purposes. These are two vastly different acts but unfortunately, time and time again, we see victims misrecognized as prostitutes. These people are detained then deported to their place of origin where the cycle of trafficking just never seems to end. This cycle consists of the abduction, abuse and isolation of these people, again, until they are sold to the highest bidder. Then they are raped and beaten, kept as “personal play things” until there is physically or mentally nothing left, which ever comes first. And one has to ask: how can these human traffickers, basically slave owners, live with themselves knowing they are the cause of numerous individuals’ physical and psychological pain? But the real question is how we as a people can go day by day with no thought but of whether or not we’re hitting the gym today or remembering to schedule a hair appointment when sexual exploitation pollutes our countries, when other human beings are being disturbingly used as means to an end.
Jennifer Jean
"Human trafficking." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Dec 2009, 01:05 UTC. 6 Dec 2009
Prostitution is the act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire. Human Trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. Victims of human trafficking are used in a variety of situations, including, prostitution, forced labor and other forms of involuntary servitude. Some women are hoodwinked into believing promises of a better life. Sometimes the trafficker is someone that the women know and trust. There are women who are even being sold to a trafficker by their own family. Other women see prostitution as a way to earn some fast cash. Prostitution to some women is just a job and it puts food on the table and pays her bills. Whether she is taking care of her kids, paying for school, whatever the reason may be, these women have nothing else. Selling themselves is their last chance. Some people don’t have a problem with prostitution, but me personally, I believe that it’s wrong and I can’t see why women would lose self-respect, dignity, and moral values all because they need money. Women were not put on this earth to be a man’s sex slave. Some men may say that prostitution is just sex between a man and women. In a way it is, but there is also money or drugs involved and the women are doing this for pleasure, it’s strictly business for them.
The use of others as a means to an end is nothing new in history. "Sexploitation" is thriving as an industry and permeating our culture. The atrocious thing's vulnerable and desperate women are forced to do for little money, for entry into the United States for a "better life", or for their threatened lives is merely a way to further feed the sexual appetites of demoralized individuals who most likely believe that it is socially acceptable to buy sex; Bachelor parties, for example, stereotypically consist of strippers that everyone "enjoys", and men often attend strip clubs in groups or pairs. Sex addiction, aside from the peer pressure, is another contributing factor to the sexual exploitation industry. According to Maureen Canning, noted sex addiction therapist and author, "... what we find is that we can trace it back to specific events in the psychosocial development of the individual. So they were exposed to, they were abused by, or there were specific events, whether overt or covert (which means they were aware of them or not) that set them up to want to act out in these specific behaviors (i.e. soliciting prostitution, regularly attending strip clubs, watching excessive pornography). Furthermore, an increase in pornographic sites and sites that facilitate casual sex are promoting the market for sex, as users rely on these to escape the monotony and/or difficulty of their daily lives. In addition, many experts are blaming the economic hardship for a significant increase in the people regularly engaging in the sexploitation industry. Psychotherapist Jonathan Adler says he's seen an increase in sex-addicted patients to coincide with the economy's downturn. "A lot of the Wall Street professionals use sex as a way to cope with stress". It is this desire for sex that feeds the fuel for, greedy, selfish people to take advantage of others for their own personal gain, and as long as there are people willing to pay for the “thrill” of sex exploitation, there will be an industry devoted to increasing the consumers of the trade and providing them with what they will. Michelle Martin
I never really considered breaking a promise as an immoral act until now. To make a promise is to give grounds for expectations and to give hope for the future. It is a strong word right next to "hate" and "love". A promise is so powerful that it could have a young girl in Russia be tricked into good job in France as a child care worker and really end up in Germany as a brothel worker. When verbal commitments go absolutely wrong and your freedom is stripped away from you, can there even be hope for a better tomorrow? Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. Victims are sometimes tricked and lured by false promises or are physically forced. Some traffickers use coerces or manipulate victims and use deception, intimidation, feigned love, isolation, threats, physical force, and just plain ABSOLUTE CONTROL. Often people tend to think that they are from poor countries but in fact these things are happening in our backyards. This type of crime occurs in such a way that many times people do not even notice, much less take immediate action of such issue. It really breaks my heart to hear that due to poverty, parents may sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income, and at times are also the victims of false promises, they are promised that their children will have a better life. Modern-day slavery or human trafficking is a federal offense because it violates the 13th Amendment, which prohibits slavery. People are breaking promises, breaking laws, breaking hearts all for financial and sexual stability? How can anyone ever have emotional and mental stability when looking into the eyes of at these helpless children or vulnerable women who are held against their own will? Money is a very powerful commodity, but Humans, relatively woman, should not have to lose there dignity and their freedom for it!
Sex trafficking, a practice that's been going on for many centuries, is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. I doubt that a market as huge as this, with a global annual market of about $42.5 billion, can be easily ceased. This illegal industry is just like the drug trade but can be found more profitable for the fact that you can "reuse" humans. The government can attempt to put an end to it and continue catching traffickers but this is a "tradition" that's being accepted by far too many people. There will always be sick -minded consumers and greedy owners that, regardless of it being illegal and immoral, will continue on.
The men who traffic innocuous women are sick and repulsive beings to me though I can't be one to judge. At a young age, some may have been surrounded by this business or harsh treatment of females and grow up reenacting such habit, seeing it as being normal and acceptable. Others may chose this job because they've been sucked into it somehow and like most things, once you get in it's hard to get out. These men become numb to the fact that they're hurting and damaging the minds, bodies, and souls of young women; seeing a women get beat or raped and hearing her scream in pain may become such a casualty that it no longer bothers them. These victims aren't seen as human beings, but as means to an end, objectifying them and their value.
Sex traffickers will never run out of "product" because there will always be women to lure or kidnap. The victims of this trade can't be viewed as stupid for staying because some are held under horrible constraints. It sometimes becomes a matter of survival: you either adapt or die. Others who aren't necessarily forced, like in the case of Hugo Gonzalez, are brainwashed and feels it's alright to stay because at least they know they have protection and place to stay. It becomes scary to think of leaving a life you've lived for so long, that's grown to be normal to you and going out to start over with nothing. It's horrible to think that men could easily exploit innocent women this way but it is a fact. To end it, we'd have to purge the minds and morals of millions of people and that is an impossible and illogical idea to ponder.
“About 80% of women in prostitution have been the victim of a rape.” This concludes that prostitution is an act of violence against women which is intrinsically traumatizing. This causes women to become depressed, commit suicide and have psychological problems. Even though this issue known as human trafficking is common throughout the world, people are not comfortable confronting it. Why you ask? Perhaps because in this century it is a common thing or maybe because people do not want to realize this is happening. Since some women think they can not get a decent job they prostitute out of need. However, in many countries women are forced.
This issue has been around for millions and billions of years but throughout time it has grown tremendously. If we are all humans shouldn’t we all be treated equally? I believe it is ridiculous that even children as little as six years old are being sold and used for sexual needs. Would they treat their own children like this? Human trafficking is absurd and should be vanished from this world.
“Mom I want those shoes” mom buys them for her 9 year old son, Jeff. He plays soccer with them, throws them, runs with them in the mud, and within a week they break due to the maltreatment. And of course Jeff’s mom buys him a new pair. However does anyone ever stop to think where are this shoes coming from and whose making them? Its an 8 year old boy, his name is Wu, he works in a factory in China were he works alongside other children, making these shoes. A factory where they could care less about child exploitation. Yet, Jeff, his mother and us have no knowledge about this. That is the problem with Human Trafficking and any form of exploitation, the lack of knowing, and realizing what is happening next door to us. It is the denial to accept that slavery still exist, and that there are more slave today than ever before in human history. To begin with, like in any form of slavery it’s a matter of the strongest controlling the weakest. Human trafficking is morally wrong to us, but who are we to tell the pimps, traffickers, aggressors that they are wrong, when all they care about is the money being received not the lives being destroyed. Should we blame those that know that it is morally wrong but they still use these services, the people known as customers or clients. What can be done when even governments have become a part of the trafficking industry, choosing to close their eyes instead of taking action. Imagine this, you’re a thirteen year old girl whose family household is destroyed your father is an alcoholic and your mother abandoned the family. A man comes along telling you how beautiful you are, he buys you flowers, takes you out to eat, he hugs you, then he tells you he loves you, and those words mean everything to you. One night he take you out to a type of club, and he tells you to go up there and dance for him, you do it because this man loves you and you want to keep him happy, then one night he takes you to a hotel, puts you in a room and he tells you a friends coming if you love me you do whatever he wants you too, so you sleep with a man for money, but that money is not yours because it belongs to that man that loves you. Eventually, you become a sex slave, and when you don’t make enough money you get beaten by the only man whose ever told you “I love you.” This is a serious issue because these traffickers know who to look for, and they are not only physically abusing of these victims, they are emotionally abusing them. Now that you have placed yourself in the place of a victim, you can understand that don’t suspect of these men they get involved with. Innocence for Sale! That is what human trafficking is all about. And each year 1.2 million people worldwide are being trafficked. The ethical issues presented for women exploitation are obvious, they are being tricked and then they are abused and used, like if they were worthless, and human life is priceless because it is worth to much. These victims are not just being abused of, they are also suffering from deadly diseases like HIV. In Bombay alone 90 new cases of HIV infection are reported ever hour, and the victims are getting younger. As a result, you ask yourself why are these ethical issues still going on in the world in the 21st century? The reason is the lack of education on the issue. Specially, the lack of education in poor countries, they trust in anyone that promises a better future for them or anyone from their family. The lack of knowing that 13 is the average age of first being prostituted and trafficked in the commercial sex industry of the United States, in Asia the age is much younger. My answer to this is people need to be taught moral philosophy. Education is the key factor to prevent this from continuing. - Guadalupe Cruz
According to recent studies human trafficking is the second largest organized crime in the world. It has been proving that Human Trafficking has become a larger business than drug trafficking. Not only has is become the second organized crime in the world, but it has generated over 9.5 billion dollars a year world-wide. Unfortunately, every year more women and children around the world are being brainwashed to join these brothels or slave factory for a better life according to these human traffickers such as Hugo Gonzales, best known as Miami Dade Human Trafficker. Many of the victims that are being exchanged and put as a sex slaves are being pushed into due to poverty, unemployment, and the inability of young women and men to continue their studies. I believe that even though times like this are hard to find a descent paying to ones economic situation selling yourself is not the answer. In my opinion I also believe that not much has been done to stop this. In Conclusion, we need to stop Human Trafficking for the sake of ourselves and our family. I believe is time for us to make a change!!
I was trying to think of an answer to the question:” Why this is happening in the twenty first century?” The only idea that comes to mind, which would diminish this problem, is global education of respect for the life of individuals which would change the actual moral values of society. When the majority of the population increase their awareness and instill respect for the human race, the evil in the world will diminish. Every one of us is capable of causing change. Sometimes people feel like the problem is so huge, that they cannot effectively contribute to a change. If we emphasize the laws of reciprocity and universality, we can teach others to empathize with the victims. There will always be those individuals that break the social norms, but if more emphasis is placed on respect for the lives of each person, regardless of gender, race, religion, etc… stricter laws and a higher moral value will force the deviant to abide.
Although it’s silly to believe that any types of evil will ever be truly gone, it’s rather scary to know that human trafficking is the 2nd highest organized crime syndicate after drug trafficking. I had always known that it’s been a problem in the middle east, Asia and parts of Europe, but to know that our large metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Los Angeles and even here in Miami (the news about the girl on our campus still is making me squirm) are hot spots for these atrocities just sickens me. And on the issue on whether or not the committers of these crimes are either brainwashed into this, or even don’t know what they’re doing is wrong, is insulting to the very people being trafficked and their suffering loved ones. One could argue about stealing for your hungry family or justifying murdering an evil man, but I really don’t see any vague spots here at all. I would LOVE to hear someone justify their reasons for doing this. As for the loose connection with prostitution, I don’t believe the two can even mentioned in the same sentence. While I feel bad for the subjects, there is really no such thing as a reluctant stripper or prostitute, and if they are reluctant, then they are sex slaves. Of course, once in service, a pimp will use threats, lies and whatever he needs to keep them in service, but most of the time(all the time in the case of strippers) they are just a slave of the dollar. -Ryan Carney
According to Wikipedia, human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. The worst is, that we know what it means, we know the consequences; and we still see in modern society how this business is taking effect and has evolved over time. It used to be for slavery purposes, and now on modern days it is being used for different practices such as sex and drug trafficking. Why is Human trafficking and sex slaves still happening in the 21st century? I believe, that it is still happening because it is a very lucrative business in which people take advantage of others against their own will and force them and exploit them in order to make money. Another reason why I believe is still happening is because of the growing number of people willing to be part of this "business" and the number of people willing to pay whether for sex or for anything involved in human trafficking. The problem varies from country to country, some unfortunate ones live in countries that this is interconnected with politics, with the economy, which affects the society. By having a corrupt and marginalized society, people are more susceptible to be victims of Human trafficking, they are more willing to accept and cooperate with these individuals in order to get some that it is not provided that is far withing their own reach. It is not just in poor countries but it happens in USA, in California it happens with Chinese and Japanese, Here in Florida it happens to Mexicans and all over the USA it happens to Undocumented Immigrants that have fear, and are forced to cooperate in order to survive. In conclusion, people should be aware of the consequences and be more conscious of the effect these is taking on people, not only the exploited ones, but the effect is having on everybody all over the world.
There are so many reasons why such things as prostitution and human trafficking are still a part of our society all around the world. Trying to explain and stating what causes this is very hard because in some way or another we are influenced by the sexual trends and marketing of this so called “modern” generation. I would have to say the way we humans are selfish and the way we are willing to do anything to acquire what we want, ex; pleasure through sex, material things that make us feel important, etc. The way we just act like animals on instincts and desires alone to make such important decisions such as; prostituting oneself or not? Or even, should I pay for someone to sleep with just because it feels good?. Thinking like this and the fact that humans consider these options as a means to feeling good or acquiring something else that would bring “pleasure” is horrendous. It’s sad knowing that everyday there’s many kids with pure hearts being abused by someone, whether it be their own family members or a stranger to whom they’ve done no harm to. I truly believe that the lack of moral and values in our society has a lot to do with why this is still taking place. We are generations evolving in everything; science, technology, innovations, fashion, education, medicine, etc, but lacking the most important and fundamental things like values, moral and self respect. A woman who has values but has a great need for money for her family would never think about selling her body or her children’s for that matter just to acquire money to fulfill her need, but then again in our society we want and do the “quick fix’s” and don’t care about who would be the other person suffering the price of our happiness. The problems of child trafficking and prostitution will never end through the establishment of laws or harsh punishments for those individuals doing so, but rather by people that have a great deal of values and morals for which they truly believe in and would even be willing to die for, instead of taking the short cuts and excusing their action with some excuse that would try to cover the sun with one finger. - Becky Alas
Why is human traffic still dealt with in today twenty- first century? Honestly human trafficking will never end. There will always be people who are willing to agree to be a means to an end for someone. They feel like that is the only option they have or because they are being forced or lied to. Big businesses are also reason why human traffic will continue. They have enough money to cover up their tracks. Location also plays a key factor for big businesses. People in theses location will do anything to support their family, even if that means to sacrifice their only child. Sex trafficking is the worst kind of human trafficking in my opinion. This is crime that happens worldwide. Everyone knows that sex sells, but some individuals take it over board by forcing people to perform sexual acts against their will. They can be as young as nine years old and be sex slaves for twenty years. They contract STD’s and are not even treated properly. No matter what there will always be someone willing to pay for sex. I blame the government for the reason why there are such little information known about human trafficking. It’s not until my junior I even knew what human trafficking was by watching lifetime. If parents knew what I knew, I know they will do everything to their power to protect their children. After I read about human trafficking it made me think about all the kids that are kidnapped daily. Until we are informed about these topics this will never end. Someone will always be a means to end with no way out. Charline Neptune
Human traficking is something that although its sad to say reality is it happens everywhere among the world. i was stunned when i was looking for information and i saw a website that is just on human traficking. http://www.humantrafficking.org/ theres not much we can do about it. alot of problms arouse from poverty and woman especially with prostitution. When alot of woman see themselves in alot of debt they see prosttution as an easy way out and a fast way of making money which is sad because there are many other ways in which a woman can make money but the easier and faster i guess sounds better to them.
We still struggle with these horrible issues in the Twenty-First Century, because greed and making easy money run wild. It starts from the top. Governments everywhere are corrupt one way or another. Even here in the United States, they have there way of cheating the system or just lack of real checks and balances. When we have lobbyist paying governors and senators for their votes and promoting out sourcing and cheap labor the tickle down effect starts. The government gives big business bailouts and loans and so forth and little to nothing for the average worker. We still lack universal health care! People in poor neighborhoods are forced to go the “easy route”, sell drugs and prostitution. Easy because it puts food on the table. They would like to do better, but how can they when the school systems reflects their neighborhoods. I went to Booker T. Washing high and know first hand how it is to go to a school in a bad neighborhood. It was an F school all 3 years I was there, kids would bad mouth the teachers, gamble with dice and sell weed by the stairs and the eventual mugging. The good students would suffer for the bad grade the school received, because the school would get less money. Physical Education while I was there was inside an auditorium, no actual physical activity! The list goes on... Places like China, Russia are no different. They produce even more desperate people that are willing to kidnap and pimp innocent woman to make an easy living. Like bird road ruby there are many, some willing to be prostitutes other forced. People are only running away from these bad neighborhoods and trying to take care of themselves. But things won't get any better when our so called elected leaders are only concerned with their own wallets.
Worldwide, between 600,000 to 820,000 men, women and children are trafficked across borders every year. Approximately 70 percent are women and girls and 50 percent are minors from those 600,000 to,820,000 people. It truley is the ugly side of our society. the reason why its so widespread is because of the demand. The data on human trafficking to me is appaling. its the second largest criminal industry right behind the illegal trade in drugs. These women and children alongf with men do not even notice what they are doing. Due to poverty, parents are forced to sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income which is terrible. Unfortunately its very difficult to put an end to this. There will always be individuals that will rebel from this situation. But i honestly think we such strive harder to fix this just because of how fast this is growning and how damgaging it is to our society.
As long as our species exists we will continue to exploit one another, whether that be as sex slaves, labor slaves, or regular day manipulation. We here in the United States, although we would like to believe we are advanced, were born out of the exploitation of our fellow humans through the slave trade and even today continue to exploit those willing to work for less than two dollars a day because...they are not legal citizens. Whether the women with their self pity rants think it's a thing of man against women oh boohoo this is about humans against humans in the fight for survival. As much as those feminist would have us believe how horrid men are for exploiting the beautiful angelic all knowing all nice angels that are women the fact of the matter is that women and men are evil and will exploit whomever they can in order to increase their chance of survival and replication. The sad thing is each and every one of us or at least most exploit our fellow bethren whether by purchasing a big mac at mcdonalds whose tomatoes and lettuce were grown by over worked under paid illegal immigrants or whether through lieing and manipulating to our teachers exploiting their nice-ness for lack of a better word that our 'dog ate my homework'. Sincerely, Julian Cano
It is the oldest labor in the world, prostitution. I believe people can do whatever they want with their bodies, I really do not mind. But when it comes to forcing someone against their own will, they are violating the essential law of human nature, freedom, especially when it comes to the most innocent of all, children. Although prostitution is illegal in most places, pimps and johns find forms through trades and other illegal activities to get their ways. The victims find themselves trapped in a vicious circle, which is almost impossible to escape. I believe there are a few reasons why we are still facing this immense problem: a. It is a very lucrative business for everyone, except the victims b. Biblically Not an Issue - Many wives and concubines were acceptable as were "common" prostitutes c. Prostitutes become experts who can offer high quality sex d.Some women prefer to perform sex work, rather than starve or steal e. Our society is obsessed with sexuality
There are also certain myths about prostitution:
1. Prostitution is a natural expression of sexuality and a necessity for inadequate sexual relationships. 2. Prostitution is a victimless crime. 3. Women freely choose prostitution. 4. Prostitution can be an exciting and glamorous life. 5. The system of prostitution offers wealth to the participant. 6. Prostitutes have power and control within the system. 7. Prostitution is a deterrent to sexual crimes. 8. Prostitutes are from specific socioeconomic groups. 9. Sex workers make an educated decision to become prostitutes. 10. There are laws to control prostitution. 11. There is a difference between being a high-class prostitute and a street walker.
The sad part is that a lot of people are not aware of these issues and there are more people raising money to “be green,” than actually helping fellow humans which lives are in danger. Our media is hyper-sexualized in a way that we lose our sensibility to sexual images and sex. Sex is no longer seen as a conscientious act between two people. Our culture is also VERY derogatory towards females, and we have always been the underdogs of our patriarchal society. With successful drug treatment centers, the number of prostitutes should fall. Many prostitutes admit that they were turned to prostitution specifically because of drug abuse and addiction. A successful rehab facility could give them hope, and ultimately their lives back. It’s not uncommon for prostitutes to sell their body in order to support their growing habit for drugs. Unfortunately in the process they are also putting themselves at risk for disease, jail, and even death. We should start an awareness-raising initiative that clearly communicates a zero tolerance attitude toward these criminals. Tougher laws should also be enforced towards these criminals.
32 comments:
As much as we would like to believe that slavery and human trafficking are only horrific aspects of our collective past, these tremendous abuses of human rights and human dignity have in some form continued to exist throughout the world and, in fact, are experiencing a dramatic resurgence in recent years. The details vary from country to country, but, put simply, human trafficking is the coerced use of human beings as objects of commerce. It is a reemergence of slave labor and extreme forms of sexual exploitation. It is impossible to deny the suffering of the victims of trafficking. What may be harder to understand are the forces that create and sustain this global problem. These forces — and the array of initiatives necessary to combat them — are far more complex. Trafficking does not exist in isolation. It is connected to economic, political and social forces that increase the vulnerability and desperation of the poor and marginalized. Trafficking is one of the most horrific results of the economic and social disparities that increase the vulnerability of millions of people. Such vast inequality allows many within our societies to be considered little more than disposable commodities. Usually, trafficking victims are lured away from their homes with promises of paid employment in legitimate jobs. They may be abducted — or even purchased — from family members. Once they have fallen into the hands of traffickers, victims' movements are restricted. They are isolated from the surrounding community, their legal documents are taken, and they are often victims of considerable physical and sexual violence. In destination countries, trafficking victims who escape or are picked up by local authorities are frequently not recognized as victims of a crime but rather considered 'undocumented aliens.' Often, they are detained and deported — right back to the traffickers, where they are 'recycled' or resold, and their nightmare begins again.
For as long as societies have existed, prostitution and the exchange of money for sexual favors have been around, and understandably so, for many women feel as if it is their only solution to make money in desperate times. However, many who wanted no part of this business – for it unfortunately is such, with employers, clients and workers – have been dragged into it trough human trafficking. People throughout the ages have taken advantage of others in human trafficking, mostly women, and treated them as everything but humans. They have been raped, enslaved, deprived of their freedom and sometimes even of their childhood. However, the fact that this issue has been around for so long and in so many parts of the world can lead one to wonder about the different ethical and moral values that we humans possess. Is this not an acceptable practice for the ones that are in charge of it? Do they not find it as just a way of making money? Of course very few people partake in this sort of thing, but due to the number of victims and the seemingly endless demand perhaps it is a much larger number than we would like to admit. Places like Indonesia have worldwide fame of prostitution - even involving children, but it somehow continues to exist. There are many types of prostitution, such as escort services, massage parlors, brothels, internet pornography and many others, and the entrance into this industry can be attributed to social, economic or personal problems, for In a study of 475 people in prostitution that included women, men, and transgendered, 72% of were currently or formerly homeless (Melissa Farley, Isin Baral, Merab Kiremire, Ufuk Sezgin, "Prostitution in Five Countries: Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" (1998) Feminism & Psychology 8 (4): 405-426).However, this is not something that occurs in third world countries only, for it has been present in many European countries and the US, and much closer to us than we’d like to think, as seen in the incident that occurred at Miami-Dade College in which a girl was almost kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave. Pimps such as Miami-based Hugo Gonzalez used these prostitutes and sex slaves as nothing more than means to make money and brainwashed these girls into making them like him and feel as if he protected them. Just like Hugo, there are many who seem to find no problem in prostitution and human trafficking, which leads one to wonder if people have the innate tendency to take advantage of others. In other words, if it is not in human nature to treat people as means to an end, no matter what mean.
Gabriel Giganti
Over the past year prostitution and child prostitution has been a huge impact in our society. It's till the day and is still there; as a matter of fact prostitution in general has increased even more now that the economic is not in good condition. There are different type of prostitution such as , pornography, escort service, child prostitution and more. Some people don’t see prostitution has a problem to do the fact that the man and woman are giving each other pleasure but the pleasure is not being desire by the woman. Is something that she needs to do to have her plate of food for that day. I don’t agree with prostitution, I believe that is other ways to earn your money. Yes, is true that sometime is hard to find a job or someone to help you but it will keep their dignity and moral values. The more bad the economy gets, the more bad action will be taken by some people. Prostitution is like rape and when a woman is rapes obviously that mean she didn’t have the desire to have sex. Also, human trafficking has also been increasing over the world. Usually, for this type of action woman are slaved and exposed to do what the man order them to do. They are used to fulfill the man desire and wishes. I believe that no woman or men should be taking advantage based on their situation. They should be treated as humans and help them with any problem without asking for something inappropriate back. We all are human and should be treated as such.
Brenda Chirino
Throughout many countries human trafficking seems to be an illegal act that seems impossible to end. Even in our country, the United States, a free country we face this horrible act of pretty much slavery. Some people might not even know what human trafficking is and are not aware of it. “Human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative”. How can people, mostly women and children, be treated as a product to trade and sell? Who are these people who run the human trafficking industry? It makes you wonder the extent people would go just to make some money and how does the consumer of a PERSON feel about it, perhaps nothing really because they are buying this woman or child for their own enjoyment. The victims have been tricked, innocent people who do not deserve to be treated as merchandise, and for god’s sake they are PEOPLE. So now not only do people enjoy items such as a T.V. or video games for pleasure now they have the “luxury” to enjoy the pleasure of someone’s body. It’s amazing what some humans are capable of; do we not have morals anymore?
Nicole Bonifaz
It is very unfortunate to see the reality of human trafficking. We hear about stories all the time, and it does not seem to ever end. Younger and younger girls seem to be getting involved not knowing that they will regret it at a later point in their lives. My main concern is that these women and young girls are degrading themselves. I do know that there are times in need that one just feels like they have to do anything possible to get some money, but really, settling for prostitution is not the best answer. How is someone able to live with the fact that they sleep with different men or women for money? Your body should be something that you do not just offer to anyone. In the case of those women that “controlled” by their pimps, I still say that they have a choice. Sure they might encounter some risks, but if they value themselves then a couple of risks should not matter.
Exploitation of women has existed for as long as any one can remember. I am a strong, independent woman and I find the issue of human trafficking, and prostitution completely appalling. When it comes to human trafficking the fact that women are taken and sold sometimes by their own family members on a daily basis all over the world and stripped of their innocence and virtue is absolutely disturbing. I used to think that this was just an issue in third world countries, or in Europe and that kind of thing didn’t happen “here” but more and more recent we see women being kidnapped from our own backyard and sold into sex slavery—never to be seen or heard from again. It’s kind of difficult to put in words but I think human trafficking and prostitution is still a prominent issue in today’s society because in general women feel like they can’t stand up for themselves, we have always been suppressed in the typical definition of what a woman should be, and men pretty much “shape” our lives and really take advantage of our emotions and kind nature and usually end up screwing us over. Prostitution on the other hand is a very sad practice that is a reality for many women, they get caught up in the fast and easy money they can make and don’t really look at what their doing from a different prospective. I also believe a lot of these women have experienced some form of trauma in their childhood whether it’s parental neglect, molestation, rape, abuse etc. and they don’t feel like they are worth any thing and resort to prostitution because they don’t think they are capable of achieving anything greater which is very unfortunate because many of these women are beautiful inside and out and shouldn’t be exploited in that way. In conclusion, I wish there was more that could be done to stop human trafficking and keep our women safe so they don’t feel scared to walk outside of their homes and I think it is important to make women realize that they are above prostitution and there are other ways to make money and feel wanted, and we should be independent and shouldn’t live under a man’s control.
Kristen Suarez
The problem that I see in the United States with human trafficking is that when a child or teenager has problems at home and runs away or wants to leave their home. They end up having to survive on their own. No one is there to help them. So when some guy comes and tells them I can give you a home, some love and anything else you may need . These kids are from homes and families with problems. Like neglect and abuse. They are at an age that they can get brain washed easily by someone who makes them believe that they are in a better place. So I think that the government should have places out there for these kids to go to for safety and shelter and protection. The girls that Hugo Gonzalez had in his home liked him so much was cause he gave them a sense of home a sense of family. They were brain washed to think that he was doing to them is right and ok.
Jessica Elguezabal
This is a subject that’s complicated to explore. Of course it is morally wrong to take or force someone to have sexually contact without there consent. For the sake of argument prostitution has been around for ages and simply can not be stop at any moment because we decide that its wrong. For the trafficker sadly it s a source of money. In the united states a person has the freedom to pursue any occupation he or she desire and with everything else. Saying that the trafficker has to face the legal action due that’s obviously its illegal. In today in the untied state especially in Miami there are several well know prostitution location that people know and of course the police of Miami Dade Country and there’s nothing done. Its one thing to say that we want something to stop, and there’s another thing to act upon on what we desire to have done.
Shawn Weil
Human trafficking is the practice of people being scammed, decoyed, or forced to work with little or no payments or on conditions which are extremely abusive. This issue has been in place for the past decades and seems that it will not cease to exist. Even though its practices are different from country country, its consequences remain the same. Victims are kept with the burden of internal memories and physical scars. Many people, especially women and children, are being force to sell their bodies in exchange for necessities. In my opinion, I think human trafficking, sex slavery, and rape are all forms of ways in which men try to take advantage of women for the sake of pleasure. It’s repulsive to think someone so inhumane and immoral would do such a thing. On the other hand, I have no concerns for those women who believe in prostitution. I think there are many other ways, other than prostitution, that women can earn their money despite social and economical hardships. It’s a disgrace and lack of self-respect in which women consider to take part in this practice and lets you question how far they would go in order to survive in spite of the consequences.
-Nohelany Burey
Before start writing about human trafficking/sex slavery I find important to make a distinction between that and prostitution. It is important to realize that sex slaves aren't working for profit or a paycheck. They are captives to the traffickers and keepers who control their every move. And, prostitutes are those who earn money by having sex with other people. With that being said, to me prostitution is still a choice and I am not going to spend my time nor the time of those who are reading this trying to analyze, understand or justify why people make certain choices. End of the day, we know it is all about the biggest necessary evil of all times: money!
To me it is more important to talk about the sex slaves that on the contrary, have no free will and are coerced to do awful things by their "owners".
Human trafficking is the second largest organized crime after drug trafficking — in the world, with annual profits of $7 billion to $12 billion dollars.
The United States has become a major importer of sex slaves. Last year, the C.I.A. estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 people are trafficked annually into this country. The majority of persons trafficked are women and girls due to their inferior and vulnerable status in most societies.
In major cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago under-age girls and young women from dozens of countries are trafficked and held captive. Most of them whether they started out in Eastern Europe or Latin America are taken to the United States through Mexico. Some of them have been baited by promises of legitimate jobs and a better life in America; many have been abducted; others have been bought from or abandoned by their impoverished families. They are rented out for sex for as little as 15 minutes at a time, dozens of times a day. Sometimes they are sold outright to other traffickers and sex rings. These sex slaves earn no money, there is nothing voluntary about what they do and if they try to escape they are often beaten and sometimes killed.
The slaves are not seen or considered human beings, they are thought of as dollars and cents.
A lot has been done in the US since the year of 2000 when "The Victims of Trafficking Act" was signed by President Clinton. Programs around the country have been given funding to help train police officers and provide victim assistance, but yet we need to raise public awareness and educate people world wide about the horrible nature of this crime.
The comment above was posted by Flavia Merschmann. (Sorry, I forgot to sign my name).
On another note, I would like to tell Kristen how much I enjoyed reading her post: very well written.
At first I thought that human trafficking was only found in Europe and south America. I was extremely surprised when I heard a classmate say that his friend was almost kidnapped for that purpose here in Miami. Although this is such an unnecessary evil I don’t see it going away any time soon. I mean its been going on for so long and in so many different places that I don’t think it might change. Even if we could at least completely prevent it from happening in the united states, we still have other forms of it. We would still have prostitution, pornography, strippers, escorts, etc. even though these might not be on the same level as human trafficking, they are all very similar. They all involve using people as means to an end. Whether or not these women want to participate in these activities, it still scars them psychologically. These poor women are exploited and degraded so much. Its sad to see how so many men can use these women and sell them as if they were a piece of paper. I understand that everyone is capable of these unnecessary evils but I cant help wonder, do they understand what they are doing is wrong or are they so brainwashed that they don’t care?
On the other hand, there are the people who aren’t necessarily forced to sell their bodies and still do. Yes, we may argue that these people tend to come from a messed up family or no family at all but that is no excuse. Money is not a good reason to become a stripper or a prostitute or whatever. Chances are that in the end they will not be happy even if they did make the money they wanted. I think many of us need to stop looking at sex as such a materialistic thing that we can get whenever we want (just by paying someone) and start to give it a little more value, sentimental value that is. Then, maybe prostitution wouldn’t be so popular.
-jenneffer lopez
Human trafficking, as defined by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, is the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation." I read this and think this happens in the world today? “harboring…by means of threat…abduction…deception…abuse?! And not just in third world countries as presumed by countless individuals but also in Europe and even in our own backyard, U.S. of A. This up rise in human trafficking which is now “the fastest growing criminal industry in the world” is partly due in fact to the economic turmoil we are living through today. Additionally, society must take some blame, for most individuals cannot discern the difference between prostitution and human trafficking. Prostitution is the practice of performing sexual favors for monetary purposes. These are two vastly different acts but unfortunately, time and time again, we see victims misrecognized as prostitutes. These people are detained then deported to their place of origin where the cycle of trafficking just never seems to end. This cycle consists of the abduction, abuse and isolation of these people, again, until they are sold to the highest bidder. Then they are raped and beaten, kept as “personal play things” until there is physically or mentally nothing left, which ever comes first. And one has to ask: how can these human traffickers, basically slave owners, live with themselves knowing they are the cause of numerous individuals’ physical and psychological pain? But the real question is how we as a people can go day by day with no thought but of whether or not we’re hitting the gym today or remembering to schedule a hair appointment when sexual exploitation pollutes our countries, when other human beings are being disturbingly used as means to an end.
Jennifer Jean
"Human trafficking." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Dec 2009, 01:05 UTC. 6 Dec 2009
Prostitution is the act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire. Human Trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. Victims of human trafficking are used in a variety of situations, including, prostitution, forced labor and other forms of involuntary servitude. Some women are hoodwinked into believing promises of a better life. Sometimes the trafficker is someone that the women know and trust. There are women who are even being sold to a trafficker by their own family. Other women see prostitution as a way to earn some fast cash. Prostitution to some women is just a job and it puts food on the table and pays her bills. Whether she is taking care of her kids, paying for school, whatever the reason may be, these women have nothing else. Selling themselves is their last chance. Some people don’t have a problem with prostitution, but me personally, I believe that it’s wrong and I can’t see why women would lose self-respect, dignity, and moral values all because they need money. Women were not put on this earth to be a man’s sex slave. Some men may say that prostitution is just sex between a man and women. In a way it is, but there is also money or drugs involved and the women are doing this for pleasure, it’s strictly business for them.
Balandrea Brown
The use of others as a means to an end is nothing new in history. "Sexploitation" is thriving as an industry and permeating our culture. The atrocious thing's vulnerable and desperate women are forced to do for little money, for entry into the United States for a "better life", or for their threatened lives is merely a way to further feed the sexual appetites of demoralized individuals who most likely believe that it is socially acceptable to buy sex; Bachelor parties, for example, stereotypically consist of strippers that everyone "enjoys", and men often attend strip clubs in groups or pairs. Sex addiction, aside from the peer pressure, is another contributing factor to the sexual exploitation industry. According to Maureen Canning, noted sex addiction therapist and author, "... what we find is that we can trace it back to specific events in the psychosocial development of the individual. So they were exposed to, they were abused by, or there were specific events, whether overt or covert (which means they were aware of them or not) that set them up to want to act out in these specific behaviors (i.e. soliciting prostitution, regularly attending strip clubs, watching excessive pornography). Furthermore, an increase in pornographic sites and sites that facilitate casual sex are promoting the market for sex, as users rely on these to escape the monotony and/or difficulty of their daily lives. In addition, many experts are blaming the economic hardship for a significant increase in the people regularly engaging in the sexploitation industry. Psychotherapist Jonathan Adler says he's seen an increase in sex-addicted patients to coincide with the economy's downturn. "A lot of the Wall Street professionals use sex as a way to cope with stress". It is this desire for sex that feeds the fuel for, greedy, selfish people to take advantage of others for their own personal gain, and as long as there are people willing to pay for the “thrill” of sex exploitation, there will be an industry devoted to increasing the consumers of the trade and providing them with what they will.
Michelle Martin
I never really considered breaking a promise as an immoral act until now. To make a promise is to give grounds for expectations and to give hope for the future. It is a strong word right next to "hate" and "love". A promise is so powerful that it could have a young girl in Russia be tricked into good job in France as a child care worker and really end up in Germany as a brothel worker. When verbal commitments go absolutely wrong and your freedom is stripped away from you, can there even be hope for a better tomorrow? Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. Victims are sometimes tricked and lured by false promises or are physically forced. Some traffickers use coerces or manipulate victims and use deception, intimidation, feigned love, isolation, threats, physical force, and just plain ABSOLUTE CONTROL. Often people tend to think that they are from poor countries but in fact these things are happening in our backyards. This type of crime occurs in such a way that many times people do not even notice, much less take immediate action of such issue. It really breaks my heart to hear that due to poverty, parents may sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income, and at times are also the victims of false promises, they are promised that their children will have a better life. Modern-day slavery or human trafficking is a federal offense because it violates the 13th Amendment, which prohibits slavery. People are breaking promises, breaking laws, breaking hearts all for financial and sexual stability? How can anyone ever have emotional and mental stability when looking into the eyes of at these helpless children or vulnerable women who are held against their own will? Money is a very powerful commodity, but Humans, relatively woman, should not have to lose there dignity and their freedom for it!
-Leanna Caminero
Sex trafficking, a practice that's been going on for many centuries, is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. I doubt that a market as huge as this, with a global annual market of about $42.5 billion, can be easily ceased. This illegal industry is just like the drug trade but can be found more profitable for the fact that you can "reuse" humans. The government can attempt to put an end to it and continue catching traffickers but this is a "tradition" that's being accepted by far too many people. There will always be sick -minded consumers and greedy owners that, regardless of it being illegal and immoral, will continue on.
The men who traffic innocuous women are sick and repulsive beings to me though I can't be one to judge. At a young age, some may have been surrounded by this business or harsh treatment of females and grow up reenacting such habit, seeing it as being normal and acceptable. Others may chose this job because they've been sucked into it somehow and like most things, once you get in it's hard to get out. These men become numb to the fact that they're hurting and damaging the minds, bodies, and souls of young women; seeing a women get beat or raped and hearing her scream in pain may become such a casualty that it no longer bothers them. These victims aren't seen as human beings, but as means to an end, objectifying them and their value.
Sex traffickers will never run out of "product" because there will always be women to lure or kidnap. The victims of this trade can't be viewed as stupid for staying because some are held under horrible constraints. It sometimes becomes a matter of survival: you either adapt or die. Others who aren't necessarily forced, like in the case of Hugo Gonzalez, are brainwashed and feels it's alright to stay because at least they know they have protection and place to stay. It becomes scary to think of leaving a life you've lived for so long, that's grown to be normal to you and going out to start over with nothing. It's horrible to think that men could easily exploit innocent women this way but it is a fact. To end it, we'd have to purge the minds and morals of millions of people and that is an impossible and illogical idea to ponder.
-Amie Armbrister
“About 80% of women in prostitution have been the victim of a rape.” This concludes that prostitution is an act of violence against women which is intrinsically traumatizing. This causes women to become depressed, commit suicide and have psychological problems. Even though this issue known as human trafficking is common throughout the world, people are not comfortable confronting it. Why you ask? Perhaps because in this century it is a common thing or maybe because people do not want to realize this is happening. Since some women think they can not get a decent job they prostitute out of need. However, in many countries women are forced.
This issue has been around for millions and billions of years but throughout time it has grown tremendously. If we are all humans shouldn’t we all be treated equally? I believe it is ridiculous that even children as little as six years old are being sold and used for sexual needs. Would they treat their own children like this? Human trafficking is absurd and should be vanished from this world.
Lissvett Vergara
“Mom I want those shoes” mom buys them for her 9 year old son, Jeff. He plays soccer with them, throws them, runs with them in the mud, and within a week they break due to the maltreatment. And of course Jeff’s mom buys him a new pair. However does anyone ever stop to think where are this shoes coming from and whose making them? Its an 8 year old boy, his name is Wu, he works in a factory in China were he works alongside other children, making these shoes. A factory where they could care less about child exploitation. Yet, Jeff, his mother and us have no knowledge about this. That is the problem with Human Trafficking and any form of exploitation, the lack of knowing, and realizing what is happening next door to us. It is the denial to accept that slavery still exist, and that there are more slave today than ever before in human history.
To begin with, like in any form of slavery it’s a matter of the strongest controlling the weakest. Human trafficking is morally wrong to us, but who are we to tell the pimps, traffickers, aggressors that they are wrong, when all they care about is the money being received not the lives being destroyed. Should we blame those that know that it is morally wrong but they still use these services, the people known as customers or clients. What can be done when even governments have become a part of the trafficking industry, choosing to close their eyes instead of taking action.
Imagine this, you’re a thirteen year old girl whose family household is destroyed your father is an alcoholic and your mother abandoned the family. A man comes along telling you how beautiful you are, he buys you flowers, takes you out to eat, he hugs you, then he tells you he loves you, and those words mean everything to you. One night he take you out to a type of club, and he tells you to go up there and dance for him, you do it because this man loves you and you want to keep him happy, then one night he takes you to a hotel, puts you in a room and he tells you a friends coming if you love me you do whatever he wants you too, so you sleep with a man for money, but that money is not yours because it belongs to that man that loves you. Eventually, you become a sex slave, and when you don’t make enough money you get beaten by the only man whose ever told you “I love you.” This is a serious issue because these traffickers know who to look for, and they are not only physically abusing of these victims, they are emotionally abusing them. Now that you have placed yourself in the place of a victim, you can understand that don’t suspect of these men they get involved with. Innocence for Sale! That is what human trafficking is all about. And each year 1.2 million people worldwide are being trafficked. The ethical issues presented for women exploitation are obvious, they are being tricked and then they are abused and used, like if they were worthless, and human life is priceless because it is worth to much. These victims are not just being abused of, they are also suffering from deadly diseases like HIV. In Bombay alone 90 new cases of HIV infection are reported ever hour, and the victims are getting younger.
As a result, you ask yourself why are these ethical issues still going on in the world in the 21st century? The reason is the lack of education on the issue. Specially, the lack of education in poor countries, they trust in anyone that promises a better future for them or anyone from their family. The lack of knowing that 13 is the average age of first being prostituted and trafficked in the commercial sex industry of the United States, in Asia the age is much younger. My answer to this is people need to be taught moral philosophy. Education is the key factor to prevent this from continuing. - Guadalupe Cruz
According to recent studies human trafficking is the second largest organized crime in the world. It has been proving that Human Trafficking has become a larger business than drug trafficking. Not only has is become the second organized crime in the world, but it has generated over 9.5 billion dollars a year world-wide. Unfortunately, every year more women and children around the world are being brainwashed to join these brothels or slave factory for a better life according to these human traffickers such as Hugo Gonzales, best known as Miami Dade Human Trafficker. Many of the victims that are being exchanged and put as a sex slaves are being pushed into due to poverty, unemployment, and the inability of young women and men to continue their studies. I believe that even though times like this are hard to find a descent paying to ones economic situation selling yourself is not the answer. In my opinion I also believe that not much has been done to stop this. In Conclusion, we need to stop Human Trafficking for the sake of ourselves and our family. I believe is time for us to make a change!!
Velia Saballos
If the question is “why do we still struggle with these horrible issues in the Twenty-First Century?” then the answer would be the same thing that it has been for the past centuries that involved the sexual exploitation of people. Looking at the issue from a clichéd perspective, one might be able to say that the reason these horrors prevail because “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” While this quote makes a point to some extent, realistically, it would be a formidable challenge to mobilize nearly the entire population against prostitution, trafficking, etc. The people (men mostly, I presume) who carry out the various forms of exploitation most likely do so from either a traumatic development or the lure of vast amounts of money. Of course the fact that these things occur, so often and to such an extent, is dumbfounding; however, we cannot let the enormous reaches of the situation be an excuse for inactivity, at the least.
Maria Zilberman
I was trying to think of an answer to the question:” Why this is happening in the twenty first century?” The only idea that comes to mind, which would diminish this problem, is global education of respect for the life of individuals which would change the actual moral values of society. When the majority of the population increase their awareness and instill respect for the human race, the evil in the world will diminish. Every one of us is capable of causing change. Sometimes people feel like the problem is so huge, that they cannot effectively contribute to a change. If we emphasize the laws of reciprocity and universality, we can teach others to empathize with the victims. There will always be those individuals that break the social norms, but if more emphasis is placed on respect for the lives of each person, regardless of gender, race, religion, etc… stricter laws and a higher moral value will force the deviant to abide.
Reinaldo Montoto
Although it’s silly to believe that any types of evil will ever be truly gone, it’s rather scary to know that human trafficking is the 2nd highest organized crime syndicate after drug trafficking. I had always known that it’s been a problem in the middle east, Asia and parts of Europe, but to know that our large metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Los Angeles and even here in Miami (the news about the girl on our campus still is making me squirm) are hot spots for these atrocities just sickens me. And on the issue on whether or not the committers of these crimes are either brainwashed into this, or even don’t know what they’re doing is wrong, is insulting to the very people being trafficked and their suffering loved ones. One could argue about stealing for your hungry family or justifying murdering an evil man, but I really don’t see any vague spots here at all. I would LOVE to hear someone justify their reasons for doing this. As for the loose connection with prostitution, I don’t believe the two can even mentioned in the same sentence. While I feel bad for the subjects, there is really no such thing as a reluctant stripper or prostitute, and if they are reluctant, then they are sex slaves. Of course, once in service, a pimp will use threats, lies and whatever he needs to keep them in service, but most of the time(all the time in the case of strippers) they are just a slave of the dollar.
-Ryan Carney
According to Wikipedia, human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or forced to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. The worst is, that we know what it means, we know the consequences; and we still see in modern society how this business is taking effect and has evolved over time. It used to be for slavery purposes, and now on modern days it is being used for different practices such as sex and drug trafficking. Why is Human trafficking and sex slaves still happening in the 21st century? I believe, that it is still happening because it is a very lucrative business in which people take advantage of others against their own will and force them and exploit them in order to make money. Another reason why I believe is still happening is because of the growing number of people willing to be part of this "business" and the number of people willing to pay whether for sex or for anything involved in human trafficking. The problem varies from country to country, some unfortunate ones live in countries that this is interconnected with politics, with the economy, which affects the society. By having a corrupt and marginalized society, people are more susceptible to be victims of Human trafficking, they are more willing to accept and cooperate with these individuals in order to get some that it is not provided that is far withing their own reach. It is not just in poor countries but it happens in USA, in California it happens with Chinese and Japanese, Here in Florida it happens to Mexicans and all over the USA it happens to Undocumented Immigrants that have fear, and are forced to cooperate in order to survive. In conclusion, people should be aware of the consequences and be more conscious of the effect these is taking on people, not only the exploited ones, but the effect is having on everybody all over the world.
Fabio Pineda
There are so many reasons why such things as prostitution and human trafficking are still a part of our society all around the world. Trying to explain and stating what causes this is very hard because in some way or another we are influenced by the sexual trends and marketing of this so called “modern” generation. I would have to say the way we humans are selfish and the way we are willing to do anything to acquire what we want, ex; pleasure through sex, material things that make us feel important, etc. The way we just act like animals on instincts and desires alone to make such important decisions such as; prostituting oneself or not? Or even, should I pay for someone to sleep with just because it feels good?. Thinking like this and the fact that humans consider these options as a means to feeling good or acquiring something else that would bring “pleasure” is horrendous. It’s sad knowing that everyday there’s many kids with pure hearts being abused by someone, whether it be their own family members or a stranger to whom they’ve done no harm to. I truly believe that the lack of moral and values in our society has a lot to do with why this is still taking place. We are generations evolving in everything; science, technology, innovations, fashion, education, medicine, etc, but lacking the most important and fundamental things like values, moral and self respect. A woman who has values but has a great need for money for her family would never think about selling her body or her children’s for that matter just to acquire money to fulfill her need, but then again in our society we want and do the “quick fix’s” and don’t care about who would be the other person suffering the price of our happiness. The problems of child trafficking and prostitution will never end through the establishment of laws or harsh punishments for those individuals doing so, but rather by people that have a great deal of values and morals for which they truly believe in and would even be willing to die for, instead of taking the short cuts and excusing their action with some excuse that would try to cover the sun with one finger. - Becky Alas
Why is human traffic still dealt with in today twenty- first century? Honestly human trafficking will never end. There will always be people who are willing to agree to be a means to an end for someone. They feel like that is the only option they have or because they are being forced or lied to. Big businesses are also reason why human traffic will continue. They have enough money to cover up their tracks. Location also plays a key factor for big businesses. People in theses location will do anything to support their family, even if that means to sacrifice their only child.
Sex trafficking is the worst kind of human trafficking in my opinion. This is crime that happens worldwide. Everyone knows that sex sells, but some individuals take it over board by forcing people to perform sexual acts against their will. They can be as young as nine years old and be sex slaves for twenty years. They contract STD’s and are not even treated properly. No matter what there will always be someone willing to pay for sex.
I blame the government for the reason why there are such little information known about human trafficking. It’s not until my junior I even knew what human trafficking was by watching lifetime. If parents knew what I knew, I know they will do everything to their power to protect their children. After I read about human trafficking it made me think about all the kids that are kidnapped daily. Until we are informed about these topics this will never end. Someone will always be a means to end with no way out.
Charline Neptune
Human traficking is something that although its sad to say reality is it happens everywhere among the world. i was stunned when i was looking for information and i saw a website that is just on human traficking. http://www.humantrafficking.org/ theres not much we can do about it. alot of problms arouse from poverty and woman especially with prostitution. When alot of woman see themselves in alot of debt they see prosttution as an easy way out and a fast way of making money which is sad because there are many other ways in which a woman can make money but the easier and faster i guess sounds better to them.
We still struggle with these horrible issues in the Twenty-First Century, because greed and making easy money run wild. It starts from the top. Governments everywhere are corrupt one way or another. Even here in the United States, they have there way of cheating the system or just lack of real checks and balances. When we have lobbyist paying governors and senators for their votes and promoting out sourcing and cheap labor the tickle down effect starts. The government gives big business bailouts and loans and so forth and little to nothing for the average worker. We still lack universal health care! People in poor neighborhoods are forced to go the “easy route”, sell drugs and prostitution. Easy because it puts food on the table. They would like to do better, but how can they when the school systems reflects their neighborhoods. I went to Booker T. Washing high and know first hand how it is to go to a school in a bad neighborhood. It was an F school all 3 years I was there, kids would bad mouth the teachers, gamble with dice and sell weed by the stairs and the eventual mugging. The good students would suffer for the bad grade the school received, because the school would get less money. Physical Education while I was there was inside an auditorium, no actual physical activity! The list goes on... Places like China, Russia are no different. They produce even more desperate people that are willing to kidnap and pimp innocent woman to make an easy living. Like bird road ruby there are many, some willing to be prostitutes other forced. People are only running away from these bad neighborhoods and trying to take care of themselves. But things won't get any better when our so called elected leaders are only concerned with their own wallets.
Above post
William Sanchez.
Worldwide, between 600,000 to 820,000 men, women and children are trafficked across borders every year. Approximately 70 percent are women and girls and 50 percent are minors from those 600,000 to,820,000 people. It truley is the ugly side of our society. the reason why its so widespread is because of the demand. The data on human trafficking to me is appaling. its the second largest criminal industry right behind the illegal trade in drugs. These women and children alongf with men do not even notice what they are doing. Due to poverty, parents are forced to sell children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain income which is terrible. Unfortunately its very difficult to put an end to this. There will always be individuals that will rebel from this situation. But i honestly think we such strive harder to fix this just because of how fast this is growning and how damgaging it is to our society.
-Jose Mamani
As long as our species exists we will continue to exploit one another, whether that be as sex slaves, labor slaves, or regular day manipulation. We here in the United States, although we would like to believe we are advanced, were born out of the exploitation of our fellow humans through the slave trade and even today continue to exploit those willing to work for less than two dollars a day because...they are not legal citizens. Whether the women with their self pity rants think it's a thing of man against women oh boohoo this is about humans against humans in the fight for survival. As much as those feminist would have us believe how horrid men are for exploiting the beautiful angelic all knowing all nice angels that are women the fact of the matter is that women and men are evil and will exploit whomever they can in order to increase their chance of survival and replication. The sad thing is each and every one of us or at least most exploit our fellow bethren whether by purchasing a big mac at mcdonalds whose tomatoes and lettuce were grown by over worked under paid illegal immigrants or whether through lieing and manipulating to our teachers exploiting their nice-ness for lack of a better word that our 'dog ate my homework'.
Sincerely,
Julian Cano
prostitution, it's not that simple.
It is the oldest labor in the world, prostitution. I believe people can do whatever they want with their bodies, I really do not mind. But when it comes to forcing someone against their own will, they are violating the essential law of human nature, freedom, especially when it comes to the most innocent of all, children. Although prostitution is illegal in most places, pimps and johns find forms through trades and other illegal activities to get their ways. The victims find themselves trapped in a vicious circle, which is almost impossible to escape. I believe there are a few reasons why we are still facing this immense problem:
a. It is a very lucrative business for everyone, except the victims
b. Biblically Not an Issue - Many wives and concubines were acceptable as were "common" prostitutes
c. Prostitutes become experts who can offer high quality sex
d.Some women prefer to perform sex work, rather than starve or steal
e. Our society is obsessed with sexuality
There are also certain myths about prostitution:
1. Prostitution is a natural expression of sexuality and a necessity for inadequate sexual relationships.
2. Prostitution is a victimless crime.
3. Women freely choose prostitution.
4. Prostitution can be an exciting and glamorous life.
5. The system of prostitution offers wealth to the participant.
6. Prostitutes have power and control within the system.
7. Prostitution is a deterrent to sexual crimes.
8. Prostitutes are from specific socioeconomic groups.
9. Sex workers make an educated decision to become prostitutes.
10. There are laws to control prostitution.
11. There is a difference between being a high-class prostitute and a street walker.
The sad part is that a lot of people are not aware of these issues and there are more people raising money to “be green,” than actually helping fellow humans which lives are in danger.
Our media is hyper-sexualized in a way that we lose our sensibility to sexual images and sex. Sex is no longer seen as a conscientious act between two people. Our culture is also VERY derogatory towards females, and we have always been the underdogs of our patriarchal society.
With successful drug treatment centers, the number of prostitutes should fall. Many prostitutes admit that they were turned to prostitution specifically because of drug abuse and addiction. A successful rehab facility could give them hope, and ultimately their lives back. It’s not uncommon for prostitutes to sell their body in order to support their growing habit for drugs. Unfortunately in the process they are also putting themselves at risk for disease, jail, and even death.
We should start an awareness-raising initiative that clearly communicates a zero tolerance attitude toward these criminals. Tougher laws should also be enforced towards these criminals.
-Marion Sanchez
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