Human Trafficking A Serious Global Issue - 1404 Words

Human trafficking is and has been a serious global issue that dates as far back as Greek and Roman times. It became extremely prevalent in the 1600s with the introduction of the African slave trade to North America; it had begun in the early 1400s in Europe and Portugal (Source 1). However, as time progressed, another serious form of human trafficking gained â€Å"popularity†; sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is an â€Å"umbrella term† that includes many different commercial sex work. For example, â€Å"prostitution†¦ pornography, exotic dancing, stripping, live sex shows, mail-order brides, military prostitution, and sexual tourism† (Source 2). Although human trafficking with the intention of sexual exploitation is not limited to one sole gender, it is†¦show more content†¦All of this is a tactic known as guerilla pimping; it is a violent tactic used to recruit women and it often involves intimidation and aggression. Whether through sexual exploitation or labor, these women have no choice but to comply. This is true even for women who go abroad knowing that they will be working in the sex industry, but the expectations of what this means are always higher than the reality. But not every victim is forcibly and unwillingly kidnapped by traffickers. Some are sold into the trade by â€Å"parents, husbands, and significant others† (Source 2). These people are also fooled into thinking that their daughter or significant other will have a better life. Traffickers recruit victims who are â€Å"socially† vulnerable as well. In 2014 the Canadian National Task Force on Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls found that a majority of women and adolescents in the sex trade all share attributes like â€Å"a history of violence or neglect† or â€Å"a history of child sex abuse,† and are often homeless and are or have been in â€Å"state care, group homes, or foster care† (http://canadianwomen.org/taskforce). These girls are often extremely vulnerable to drug addiction, have physical disabilities, and are innumerate or illiterate. When attempting to recruit socially vulnerable women, a pimp will often present himself as someone who genuinely cares about the victim.