Human Trafficking: It’s closer to you than you think.

By: Samantha C

            For one second, try to imagine being tricked into thinking you could be a model, promised to go to exotic lands and become extremely wealthy, but instead wind up being taken from the life you know, to a foreign country to be treated as a sex slave until you die. Unfortunately this is a situation many wind up having to encounter. Each year almost 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders. 70% of these people being women and 50% of them being children, according to the Office of Justice Program. Human trafficking has become a larger concern to the justice system, mostly because the problem is increasing. Statistics say the growth in this crime is due to the fact that it is lucrative-on record as the third most profitable crime. (The first two being drug and arms trafficking.) Human trafficking is estimated to make about 9.5 billion dollars annually.

If you’re not sure what human trafficking is here is a quick definition: Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. (Definition from dictionary.com)

Not too long ago Lifetime TV Network made a movie about this situation. It helped people realize that this world isn’t as safe as it use to be. That people don’t always have a heart, and that money can over power a person. This movie showed three different human trafficking victims stories, a young girl who went for a modeling interview and instead became a victim, a mom whose daughter was stolen on vacation and a woman who fell for a man who traded her for money. The movie was very surreal and couldn’t have been truer about the subject. Lifetime made sure they didn’t sugar coat anything about what goes on with this crime. It shows the different ways people are tricked into becoming a human trafficking victim, how they are treated once they become “owned”, the acts they would have to perform, drugs they would have to take and how most victims would wind up either trying to escape and get killed or commit suicide.

            Many people believe “this could never happen to them” because they’re so safe and they would never be “so dumb”, but the truth is it could happen to anyone. People take advantage of people. And that’s what Perry Hall’s English teacher; Ms.Isler was trying to prove to her class last year. She was one of the teachers who taught a lesson on this subject. A lot of her students were influenced by here lesson. I got to interview one of her students last year on this subject. “I couldn’t believe how common this was in the U.S. I couldn’t believe that people would actually do this for money. Its like how could they be so heartless, you know?” says Megan B. “I’m glad that teachers are doing lessons on this. Schools suppose to get you set for the real world, right? Well this is what the real worlds like. We don’t need just a book education; you need “street smarts” as well. Meaning you need to know what could happen to you and what you could do to prevent it.

In a phone interview held with one of the people who run the human trafficking webpage www.Humantrafficking.org and the hotline. (The interviewer is referred to as “Sara” for safety purposes.) This website provides information and safety tips on human trafficking around the world. They help victims who survive and help find them protection. “I was a teen once, I thought I was invincible, I didn’t think anything could happen to me, like most people your age do now. But you have to realize, you’re not! You’re not always safe. And you have to watch out for yourself. The victims we talk to every day said they are never going to be the same after what happen to them, their lives have fallen apart. And the last thing you want is for that to happen to you.” explained Sara. She helps hundreds of victims each year and listens to their stories and doing research, hoping one day to put an end to this terrible crime. Human trafficking is something no one should have to go through.

It’s time to start realizing this is a bigger issue than ever. And we need to help stop it before it gets worse. So, you need to step up and help fight back. There are tons of things you could do. You could join different crisis groups, or even make your own group. You could join marches, protest, help pass laws by picketing, and help the victims with volunteer work. Do what you can. Every little bit counts. So make a difference.