Human Trafficking: A Problem of Language?
Why is that human trafficking is so pervasive and yet so misunderstood? Why do we assume that it's really an "overseas" issue? Why do most people think of Cambodia or Thailand when the words "human trafficking" are uttered?
It's not because it does not exist here in the United States--we know it does. As a matter of fact, the numbers are astounding: the sex trade is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. UNICEF estimates that approximately 1 million children around the world unwillingly become sex slaves every year. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are 200,000 U.S. citizens yearly, mainly children and young women, who are at high risk of being trafficked throughout the U.S for sexual purposes.
The perception of human trafficking as an "overseas" issue has persisted even though the U.S. passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in October, 2000 to criminalize the issue domestically. It was the first law specifically intended to prevent victimization, to protect victims, and to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking here in the States.
Added to society's lack of understanding the truly epidemic proportions of human trafficking is a similar lack from law enforcement and prosecutors. Even though we have federal human trafficking laws, many states do not have a version of these laws. Even worse, some prosecutors don't even know these laws exist!
The effect of this lack of awareness is that many prosecutors will file charges only on the "sex act" aspect of this crime. They may omit the crime of human trafficking from the rap sheets, charging documents, and ultimately, from the view of our society.
I am not alone in believing that much of our ignorance of human trafficking and the subsequent lack of prosecutions are because the terminology is vague and confusing. The very phrase, "human trafficking," is a poor description of what really happens.
Human trafficking is not synonymous with moving people overseas. Instead, the U.S. Federal Act of 2000 defines it as the "recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining and person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery; sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age."
With this definition we see two aspects of trafficking, both highly repugnant: trafficking involves commercial sexual exploitation of women and children (also known as "forced prostitution") AND it involves involuntary servitude (also known as "slavery"). Not surprisingly, most Americans cannot accept the idea that a form of slavery still exists within the United States!
Shared Hope International, founded by former Congresswoman Linda Smith, is a nonprofit leading a worldwide effort to eradicate the marketplaces of sexual slavery. They have coined the term "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking" (DMST) to refer to what is happening here in the United States. DMST is defined as "commercial sexual exploitation of American children within American borders."
Wake up, folks! It's real, and it's really happening here!
DMST is a term that more accurately describes the nature of the crime, as well as the victim status, by avoiding the vague term, "human trafficking" or the poorly received term, "child prostitution." The organization believes that the status of "victim" will be clarified, as opposed to looking at the child as the delinquent. Child prostitutes are frequently thought of as "bad kids" and therefore they often they do not get the specialized care that they need.
In truth, these kids are a special group of sexual assault victims. They have not chosen this lifestyle, despite what the perception is. Unfortunately, the term "child prostitution" implies to some people that there is some complicity from the victim.
Not true. Instead, more and more children are involved in sex trafficking because that the supply is becoming younger in response to buyers' demands. These perverts want to be with young people so they can be associated with their victims' youth, health, and vulnerability.
It's the commercial aspect that separates the crime of trafficking from other sexual acts children, and it is this aspect where we need to see change. Frequently, law enforcers and prosecutors do not recognize the commercial aspect or are too lazy, understaffed or under-budgeted to investigate. Instead, they rationalize that just getting the "perp" in the process of committing the act is enough. However, they are failing to get to the real source of the traffickers, the pimps, etc. and are not fully utilizing the power of this law.
Trafficking happens right here at home, not just in poor places by "pimps." Surprisingly, it often involves people you would never expect. For example, just last week, Ronald H. Tills, 74, a retired US State Supreme Court Justice, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on a felony charge of transporting prostitutes across state lines.
In this case, Tills was trafficking a young illegal woman to serve as a prostitute at a convention he was attending. A human trafficking task force investigated the case. Its members included investigators from the FBI, U. S. Border Patrol, and U. S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, as well as the Erie and Niagara County sheriff's offices. But this never really made the news - few people heard about it.
As I pondered the case, I couldn't help wondering why most of us hadn't heard about it. Perhaps there were other pressing news bits, but what is more pressing then protecting children and other victims of sexual assault? Is it more important to know whether Dr. Conrad Murray is going to be charged for manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death? Or is it more likely that human trafficking is a crime we simply don't understand--mostly because of a simple problem with semantics?
If you know someone who is being trafficked or sexually exploited, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888 or 9-1-1.
Follow Robin Sax on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robinsax
Reporters Uncensored: Iran's Dark Secret: Child Prostitution and Sex Slaves
In a recent report by the U.S. State Department, Iran was listed among the dozen countries with the poorest record of human trafficking. In recent years, child prostitution has risen 635 percent.
John W. Whitehead: Children of the Night: Child Prostitution is America's Dirty Little Secret
When left to fend for themselves, children quickly become prey for organized sex-trafficking rings, and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, child prostitution has become a problem of epidemic proportions.
John W. Whitehead: The Horrors of Sexual Trafficking, American-Style
Even the most well-cared-for children can fall prey to sex trafficking and become global sexual commodities.
Eve Blossom: Cambodia: Collaboration is Needed
Many see the results of human trafficking and want to get involved; but more importantly, the focus should be on empowering the mechanisms to prevent it.
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I agree that the silence over this sordid trade is deafening. The level of awareness is disappointing. If the stories of these women were publicised more broadly in the media, people would see that human trafficking involves several crimes, such as kidnapping, assault, blackmail, unlawful imprisonement, threats to kill (including family), forcible drugging, repeated rape. The public would be appalled to think that crimes are occurring in their country so horrific as to be beyond their contemplation. I read in a recent report that not even those in the field can easily identify a victim of human trafficking. As long as women can't trust the authorities, why should they trust the public, less aware of their plight, and whose values are supposed to be reflected in the attitudes of the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies.
I admit to being "tuned out to it" as one commentator aptly put it "until it touches your life".
This is big business, and these girls are up against some very powerful forces, including the laws of economics, supply and demand, globalisation, tourism, corruption. The last thing they need is fear or ignorance.
The crime will remain hidden as long as they are not recognised as victims, just as all other victims of crime are.
Slavery never ended. It just became invisible, very sophisticated and instead of boats we have planes and self-styled entreprene
There is not much political mileage in victims of human trafficking.
This is
First, the problem of awareness here at home is difficult because of our tendency to consider something more credible if it is harped about on a regular basis in the MSM, and this is one that doesn't get much air or ink time compared to the scale of it in reality.
People are therefore much more concerned about fighting the war on pot smokers, those horrid criminals.
Another factor is that when you first find out about trafficking domestically, holy moly, the scale of it simply boggles the mind and that works in favor of tuning it out, until or unless some aspect of it happens to touch your own life. That can and will radically change it's place from background to foreground.
If Cincinnati is any example, the issue is not so much awareness as it is providing training to those who would most likely deal directly with human trafficking victims. A recent study by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center probed the level of awareness of more than 140 police, judges, prosecutors, social workers, emergency room personnel and government officials. 91percent say they are aware of human trafficking, and 41% say they or their organization have actually encountered trafficking victims. The respondents overwhelmingly stated that was was needed to combat the growing incidence of trafficking were (a) stronger laws; and (b) much more extensive training of law enforcement, first responders, and those working in the courts.
Full report in pdf format is available at: http://fre
Here in Cincinnati, a just released study by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center of the extent of local knowledge about human trafficking provides some badly needed data. Out of more than 140 survey respondents (drawn from police, judges, prosecutors, attorneys, and emergency room personnel), 91% were aware of trafficking locally, and just under half said their organizations have had direct contact with trafficking victims. However -- and overwhelmingly -- those surveyed said they needed much more training to fully understand the trafficking issue (and, in Ohio at least, better anti-human trafficking legislation).
We conclude that the situation locally is probably typical of most cities in the U.S.
Here's a link to a pdf copy of the report: http://fre
Ms. Sax, you touch upon a number of vital themes when discussing human trafficking. I am constantly struck by the lack of awareness from within America as to the horrors going on within its borders. For years I attended the then UN Commission on Human Rights (now the Human Rights Council) and the United States constantly criticised "other" nations for human rights violations but never managed to turn that pointing finger home. Maybe this outward-looking stance is something inherent in the American psyche? Certainly it is the stance that America takes when examining virtually every issue under the sun and could be a result of the relative newness of the country. Regardless, one cannot begin to address horrific issues such as human trafficking until everyone has a clear concept of what the issue is and admits that it is happening on home soil as well. Your article is a great step forward in that direction. Thank you.
This is an excellent article and as Sezin states goes some way towards presenting the concepts clearly. There are many sites on the web offering both more information and enlisting activists to help with the many complicated issues surrounding Human Trafficking. The most active are:
Somaly Mam
Born to Fly
Free the slaves
Stop the Traffik
Not for Sale
The URL's for these can be found on my website under the LINKS tab.
This year my first book on the subject of sex slavery was published and there is more information on this on the same site.
http://www
John Stack 21st August 2009
Many thanks for the links, John. I'm actually involved in a film project at the moment that has human trafficking at its core and I will indeed be exploring the information you've presented there. Congratulations on your book and godspeed in your activism.
Great post - traditional media has underreported human trafficking issues. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center http://fre
How unfortunate. Thank you also for the links and I will certainly check them out for my own personal research. Best of luck with your amazing and relevant work.
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