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Human Trafficking, the modern day practice of slavery, is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Human trafficking is a serious problem around the world as well as within the U.S. However, there is often little media coverage on the domestic problem of human trafficking, so many Americans do not realize the extent of the problem. According to the Polaris Project, 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the U.S. and the number of U.S. citizens trafficked is even higher.
According to the DOJ, cities with the highest number of human trafficking incidents include: Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, New York, D.C., San Francisco, and Seattle. However, human trafficking is becoming a growing problem in smaller cities like Birmingham, Alabama.
For this first time, the U.S. ranked itself in the 10th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report alongside other countries. According to the Department of State, most of the people trafficked in the U.S. are trafficked in the sex industry, to repay a debt, or for labor such as domestic work or agriculture.
Seven Years ago, Washington became the first state to make human trafficking a crime. Since, 44 states have followed suit and enacted similar laws. Find out how your state rates when it comes to human trafficking laws and policies by checking out the Polaris Project's "Dirty Dozen" map.
In this issue of the YWM, we explore the problem of human trafficking in the U.S., the myths and realities, and ways to get involved in the fight against human trafficking.
Sincerely,
Shannon Lynberg and the Leaders of YWTF
| Sex Trafficking More Common for Michigan Teens Than Car Fatalities |
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From The
New York Times
The high number of fatalities for teen drivers across America is incredibly concerning. But in Michigan, teens are actually significantly more likely to be trafficked into the commercial sex industry than killed in a car crash. That's because child sex trafficking is growing at an alarming rate across the state.
In May, 141 underage Michigan girls were forced into prostitution. That's a 20% increase from the number of children victimized in the commercial sex industry the previous February. And it's hundreds of times higher than the annual teen auto fatality or suicide rate, as points of comparison. Across the state, advocates are becoming concerned at just how common prostitution is becoming for young girls. And the victims, for the most part, aren't smuggled in from foreign countries or even from other states. They are local girls, pimped by local pimps and bought by local men.
According to Rebbecca McDonald, president of Women at Risk International in Michigan, young girls are lured into the industry slowly. Pimps will target teens who are sexually active and entice them with offers of cash, designer clothes, and other cool stuff. What starts out as a one-time occurrence to get a great pair of jeans or a crisp $100 bill soon spirals out of control for kids. And before they know it, they're being turned out on the street or advertised online by their pimp, who keeps the money they earn.
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| U.S.Department of State Releases 10th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report |
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From HumanTrafficking.org
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Announces Release of 10th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report on 177 nations is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons. Its findings will raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons.
The annual Trafficking in Persons Report serves as the primary diplomatic tool through which the U.S. Government encourages partnership and increased determination in the fight against forced labor, sexual exploitation, and modern-day slavery.
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| A Victory for Survivors of Trafficking in New York State |
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From The Huffington Post
At 14, Kate*, ran from her abusive home in a New York suburb. With nowhere to live, it was only a matter of time before Kate found herself forced to engage in survival sex: sleeping with men for a place to stay. Soon after, she was recruited and forced to work for a pimp who confiscated her cell phone and cut her off from the outside world. For two years this violent older man forced Kate to do prostitution in New York and nearby states. She suffered multiple rapes, including once at gunpoint. Shy of her 17th birthday, Kate sought help from a program for sexually exploited minors, and bravely testified against her pimp - sending him to prison for 12 years.
Originally from Central America, Maria* moved to New York in the nineties to be with her husband - a man who later trafficked her into commercial sex. In 12 years of marriage he physically, sexually, and psychologically abused her. He also forced her to do prostitution, which she found humiliating and debasing, especially as a devout Christian. She always had to turn over her earnings to him. After her husband disappeared in 2005, Maria finally spoke out about the abuses she had endured over the years and began working with a social worker. With help from a lawyer, she was granted a T-visa (a special Visa given to survivors of human trafficking) so she could stay safely in the U.S.
But a deeper look at the seemingly happy endings to these tragic stories wears off some of that sheen. In a span of two years the police arrested Kate for prostitution six times. Maria was arrested over eight times. Both women were afraid, confused, and unable to tell law enforcement what was really happening. Now in her 20's, Kate has put her past behind her to pursue her education and dreams of a career in finance. But her criminal record has threatened to stand in her way. To get a job at a bank, she was required to submit to a background check and disclose her prostitution record. Maria found a job as a home health attendant, but five years later, her employer ran her fingerprints, discovered her criminal record, and fired he
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| Craigslist urged to drop adult services worldwide |
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From The Washington Post
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and national nonprofit organizations said Tuesday they want Craigslist to be "a model for good policy" and officially get rid of its adult services section globally.
Blumenthal said he sent a letter to the classified advertising website seeking confirmation that it no longer carries adult services ads on its U.S. websites and urged Craigslist to improve its policing methods to block ads that promote prostitution and child trafficking.
"Our message to Craigslist is to put people above profit," Blumenthal said at a press conference. "Sacrifice the money if necessary. Clearly make a public promise that you are shutting down adult services and set a model for the industry in using screening and filtering technology."
Two weeks after 17 state attorneys general sent a joint letter to Craigslist demanding it remove its adult services section over concerns that the company could not completely block illegal ads, Craigslist replaced the section link with a black-and-white "censored" bar Saturday.
Separately Tuesday, four Washington D.C.-based anti-child trafficking organizations released a statement asking Craigslist to close their adult services section on their websites outside of the U.S. as well.
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| Online sex ads complicate crackdowns on teen trafficking |
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From CNN
(CNN) -- Behind every adult service ad on the internet is a story.
Sometimes it's a story of a grown woman who has chosen prostitution as a path to a better life. More often, it's a story of a woman being forced to sell her body by a pimp.
And then there are the children, and the mothers that miss them.
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| 5 Ways to Be an Every-Day Abolitionist |
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From Change.org
If you're like most people, including me, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the human trafficking crisis facing the world. Every time I see some chocolate that isn't certified fair trade, I wonder if a child was hurt or killed for it. It's easy to feel guilty about putting that chocolate in your shopping basket, to the point of shutting down and ignoring the problem altogether, but I have a better idea: do something simple to aid in the fight against trafficking without breaking your brain.
Here are 5 simple things I've learned to do in my everyday life to help fight human trafficking:
1. Read your e-mail: Sign up for updates from groups like the International Labor Right Forum or the International Justice Mission. Whether you want to take 2 seconds to sign an ILRF petition that will impact slave-labor conditions in Bangladesh or send a quick prayer or good thought to IJM investigators preparing to raid a brothel in Cambodia, your e-mail inbox is a great place to start. And we all know you check that thing about a gazillion times a day anyway!
2. Buy stuff: You use things like coffee, chocolate, and clothes all the time. (And we're all grateful about the clothes part!) So buy fair trade when you can. Look for fair-trade certified products and you may be surprised how many you can find at your local stores. If you can't find your fair trade product, ask the store manager about it. As my Mom always says, it never hurts to ask. In this case, you may help put some more fair-trade products on the shelves.
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Understanding Human Trafficking |
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From The
Polaris Project Website
MYTH #1: Human trafficking is the forced transportation of people across borders.
Reality: Forced transportation in the absence of slavery-like labor or commercial sexual exploitation is usually considered the crime of kidnapping. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery through labor or commercial sexual exploitation, and does not require transportation to occur, though transportation may be involved.
MYTH #2: Trafficking victims are only foreign nationals.
Reality: Both the U.N. Protocol and U.S. federal law use definitions of trafficking in persons that do not require crossing of international or state borders. Many trafficked persons are victims of internal or domestic trafficking - trafficking within the borders of a single country, and are themselves nationals of that country.
MYTH #3: Poverty and inequality are the causes of human trafficking.
Reality: While poverty and inequality are important factors in making certain populations more vulnerable to being trafficked, they are not the primary cause of trafficking. Trafficking is a criminal industry driven by 1) the ability to make large profits due to high demand, and 2) negligible-to-low risk of prosecution. As long as demand is unchecked and the risks for traffickers are low, trafficking will exist regardless of other contributing factors.
Blaming poverty and inequality alone is not only inaccurate and disheartening, it tends to deflect blame from the key actors that perpetuate trafficking - the traffickers themselves and their customers.
MYTH #4: There's not much I can do about such a huge issue.
Reality: Together - we can make a huge difference! We were founded by regular community members like yourself, as were historic organizations like the Underground Railroad. Organizations like Polaris Project live and breathe based on the contributions and dedication of community members. Making a financial donation, a gift of time, goods, or services, or helping to raise awareness are some of the things collectively that help victims everyday. Please join us and be welcomed into the growing movement to combat slavery today!
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Brought to you by the Younger Women at YWTF
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