Maybe it’s time a politician issues another emancipation proclamation, and not just to win votes. It’s time for someone to stand up and say we will not tolerate slavery within our borders. It’s time we spend as much energy fighting human traffickers, these modern slave traders, as we spend fighting foreign dictators.
Slavery has always existed, but I’m not willing to believe that it always has to exist. It will take something large to stop it. The media has to be involved, but maybe it doesn’t have to start with television. Maybe this could be a battle of the writers. Maybe if enough of us will write about it and get it out there, other forms of media will pick it up. Wouldn’t it be nice to know the writers began the war on human trafficking?
When I first learned about human trafficking I made a vow to adopt children from one of the leading countries for child sex trafficking. Somehow that vow made me feel like I was taking a stand, like I was helping. Now, with everything I’ve learned, I understand this is not enough. Sure, I may save a child or two from the horrors of being trafficked, but sparing two children is not enough. What about the children who live in that nightmare now? What about the children in the US who will be pushed into that nightmare? I hope this article is a start. I hope that if one person learns about human trafficking for the first time, and vows to help in some small way, we could have a domino effect.
Article comments
1 - Norma Jean Almodovar
If you would do a little more research, you would find that the number of rape victims in Oklahoma in 2010 (where a report was filed by a victim seeking justice) was, according to the US Government statistics,1,450. Of these, the police made 243 arrests- or 17% of the rapists, while they made 247 arrests for prostitution offenses. None of these arrests were for hiring children or underage persons.
If you further investigate, you will find that the US Government report from April 2011, stated that between January 2008 to June 2010, there were 2,515 reported human trafficking cases (nationwide) of which 38% were found NOT to be human trafficking, 30% were confirmed human trafficking and the rest were undetermined at the end of the study period. This averages to about 754 over the 2 and a half year period or 301 per year. That's nationwide, and includes other labor trafficking such as domestic servitude and garment manufacturing- people who are invisible to individuals like you who only see the victims they want to see- that is, prostitutes.
So, given that your state had 1,450 reported rapes all by itself, it would appear that human trafficking is not nearly the enormous problem that you seem to believe it is. While it ought to concern us that people are being trafficked into all sorts of labor, where is the concern for the victims of rape? Did you know that there are between 400,000 to 500,000 untested rape kits languishing in police evidence lockers because there are no resources to test them? And if they were tested, there are no resources to pursue the alleged rapists? And if they were caught, there are no resources to prosecute and incarcerate these alleged rapists?
And further, the US Government's studies on the characteristics of child sexual exploitation predators show that 90% of those predators are someone whom the child knows and trusts, like coaches and teachers and preachers and priests and even cops... and that 68% are family members... parents, step parents, siblings, uncles etc. Shouldn't these be the people getting 20 year sentences? Unfortunately the average prison sentence for sex with minors is about 24 months, sometimes even less.
The majority of us prostitutes (I am retired now- at age 60 but am a sex worker rights activist and have been for 29 years), are adults and do not have pimps, drug habits and are not victims of sex trafficking. If you really care about victims, decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex, and allow sex workers to turn in those who abuse or traffick anyone into ANY area of labor.
Oh yes, the US Government also reports that there are approx. 4.8 MILLION incidents of intimate partner violence (domestic violence and spousal abuse) per year. Somehow, it seems to me that your concern is quite misguided. A little more research might make you well informed!
2 - Josh Richards
I disagree. I don't think your concern is misguided at all. Regardless of how many U.S. cases are determined not to be trafficking, there are still a large number that are. Any is too many.
Stories for Impact is all about writing to make change in the world. If you follow my link and comment a story about this to the story contest page I would be glad to post it and let all our twitter followers know about this. There's also a chance that it will be our story of the month and get posted in our featured story for December.
Thanks for speaking up and making a difference.
3 - Lauren
If you would do a little more research, you would see that similar legal programs to what you suggest would be effective in combating trafficking have been implemented in other countries (Sweden, and the Netherlands to name two) and would see that rates of human trafficking, namely sex trafficking actually increased. However, if you look at Sweden's current laws prohibiting all forms of commercial sex and deeming them a crime against women you would see that their rates of sex trafficking dropped 90% in less than 10 years.
I am not an advocate of diminishing aid to rape victims, but I don't think removing focus from a specific type of rape (which is what sex trafficking is, rape for profit) is the solution.
Regarding your statistics citing the prevalence of sex trafficking, absence of evidence of convictions is in no way evidence of absence of criminal activity. The lack of arrests and convictions for trafficking if anything points to poor resources and training available to law enforcement and social agency workers. It's widely accepted among credited researchers that trafficking is the second most profitable crime in the world, passing the arms trade last June and expected to generate more revenue than drugs by 2015. It clearly is an imperative social issue lacking necessary attention.
In reference to your "research" on child sexual exploitation, you are discounting the fact that many traffickers are also known by the child. Sexual predators groom their victims before abusing them and a trafficker is no different. Legally, any forced involvement of a minor in commercial sex is sex trafficking so if their abuser sold child pornography or profited in any way from the abuse, the sexual predator is now also a sex trafficker.
While I cannot refute your experience, I can tell you that while you have likely encountered a sex worker who does not currently have a pimp and is not addicted to drugs, many individuals do not self identify as a victim when in fact they are. Additionally, I can counter your experience with my own experience in working with women exiting the sex industry who were victimized so perhaps your anecdotal evidence would be better left to a different discussion.
4 - Haley Hoover
Love the article Diana!! This issue needs to be addressed out in the open. Thanks for making a stand :)
P.S. the coolest part is that I just stumbled upon this article! SO cool :D