Human Trafficking: A Problem in Our Backyard
Human trafficking is a complex global problem which exists as an unintended negative consequence of our increasingly globalized and interconnected world. Due to cinematic depictions and the assumption that human rights abuses only take place in other parts of the world, there is a common misconception that this is a problem unrelated to the daily lives of Americans; however, the reality is that human trafficking is a problem taking place right here in the United States, within our own communities. The longer this myth is perpetuated, the easier it will be to outsource its remedies, and the harder it will be to take protective and proactive steps to reduce it.
Reducing human trafficking in the United States will, in turn, reduce it on a global scale. We need to counteract the misunderstandings surrounding human trafficking with truth and, to do this, we need a multifaceted educational approach that trains members of law enforcement, members of healthcare, and service providers on how to detect the signs and risk factors associated with human trafficking so that the problem can adequately be addressed.
Human trafficking is defined by the WHO as: “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of 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 case of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” It has likely always existed in some form — or for as long as there have been humans and for as long as there have been locations to which to traffick them — but the scourge of human trafficking has been exacerbated as an unintended consequence of globalization and extreme global inequality, where borders are more porous, money and networks flow far more freely globally, and the inducement of a better life somewhere else is easily believed. According to the International Labor Organization, human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise of the 21st century, accounting for an estimated $150 billion industry, second only to drugs in terms of organized crime. Despite its prevalence, human trafficking exists in and is perpetuated by secrecy and shadows, a mysterious underground that is associated with some undefined elsewhere.
While human trafficking can often originate in developing nations where opportunity is limited, crime is high, and governance is weak, many trafficking victims are brought to — and even originate from — the United States. Victims of labor trafficking are often found in domestic service, hotel and restaurant service, manufacturing, agriculture, health and beauty services, and peddling. Victims of sex trafficking are more often found in spas and massage parlors, brothels, escort companies, exotic dancing venues, and truck stops. They are here, and they are everywhere. States like California, Florida, and New York are particularly prone to the devastation of human trafficking, given their numerous points of entry, large economies that have diversity in type, and their significant immigrant populations. None of these is detrimental in and of itself, but can become so when they are exploited or when policies are implemented that can augment their exploitation. So, while states like New York, Florida, and California are stronger for their sociodemographic and economic diversity, people and policies can manipulate this diversity to make conditions more favorable for human trafficking.
Just as human trafficking thrives in secrecy, it also thrives on power imbalances embedded in race, class, and gender. Policies that push people into the shadows, likewise, push a problem like human trafficking into the shadows; they do not eradicate it and instead quite possibly exacerbate it. It no longer makes sense to understand human trafficking as solely an international problem, and we need to do a better job in isolating the risk factors that underlie the problem. For instance, in the United States, black youth account for 62 percent of minors arrested for prostitution offenses. A minor performing sexual services is, by definition, a form of human trafficking. Children who have experienced time in the welfare system, have undergone traumatic childhood experiences, or have been homeless are far more likely to be exploited, with 50–80 percent of exploited youth coming from foster care, group homes, or other aspects of child welfare. Yet, conditions in many underserved communities are such that the separation of families and children from their parents is both more common and more accepted than times past.
Absent of significant societal shifts and policy changes, these sociocultural conditions perpetuating the problem of human trafficking are difficult to influence. However, just as human trafficking is a multifaceted problem, its solution is also multifaceted. Education and the eradication of mistruths surrounding human trafficking are significant leverage points for combating human trafficking. As human trafficking thrives in secrecy, it dies in the light of awareness and understanding. It is often the case that people who are in the best position to spot and stop trafficking victims simply do not know the severity or warning signs of the problem. These are the people who need to be reached in a coordinated effort. For instance, about 80 percent of human trafficking victims will find themselves in a healthcare setting at some point during their captivity; yet, physicians and healthcare professionals are woefully unaware of what to look for when it comes to signs of trafficking, how to approach a patient from a trauma-informed lens, or how to intervene in a safe manner. Members of law enforcement are often the first to come into contact with trafficking victims who have been arrested for prostitution, but this can often mean arrests and incarceration for situations over which they have had little control. And, members of the service industry, like hospitality, are often unaware of the activities taking place within the confines or are unaware of what to do about it. Education for individuals in all these sectors might have a significant impact on stemming the impact of this problem.
Human trafficking is just as much an international problem as it is a domestic one, and it is perpetuated by circumstances that amplify power imbalances across genders, races, and classes. It is also perpetuated by a lack of knowledge. Real strategies to combat human trafficking must take place locally, and they must also incorporate education. Human trafficking is a complex problem with many thorny sides that present themselves even in every location around the world. To tackle this problem comprehensively, we need to use all avenues and all approaches — and this begins with understanding human trafficking as an international crisis as well as a problem in our own backyards.
Brooke Ellison is a Political Partner with Truman National Security Project. She is also a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Views expressed are her own.
