The majority of Americans believe that slavery in the United States ended once the Civil War concluded. However, slavery has not disappeared in America; rather, it has changed its appearance and hidden itself away from the mainstream population in general (Human Trafficking 1). This essay describes human trafficking, the populations affected by this crime, and the steps being taken to ensure that slavery is abolished for good.
First, human trafficking occurs across borders in different countries throughout the world, which makes it an international criminal justice issue. In addition, crimes that cross international borders are also more difficult to combat for numerous reasons. Most people are not aware of the dangers being imposed by human trafficking in developing countries because it is not viewed as a prevalent crime in the United States, although these crimes occur far more often than people realize (Human Trafficking 1). Moreover, human trafficking forces people, primarily women, to be sold into prostitution, and children to be sold into the labor market. Not only is this a crime, but more importantly, it is a violation of basic civil rights.
Second, women from Central and Eastern European countries areas are literally “sold” to men in the United States for the purpose of marriage. In fact, this has become such a large occurrence that for the first time the United States was ranked on the official Human Trafficking Report. This report found that American men, women, and children were subject to trafficking for forced labor, debt bondage, and forced prostitution (Human Trafficking 1). Similarity, the report found that young women from foreign countries are more likely to be trafficked into America because they are from poorer and underdeveloped countries.
Third, human trafficking has been historically viewed as a human rights issue. However, within recent decades, the United States criminal justice system has worked towards protecting actual and potential victims through laws aimed at keeping international crimes such as human trafficking at bay. Efforts such as increased border patrol, committees assigned to human trafficking research, and numerous bills that are now signed into law have helped to raise awareness and work towards keeping vulnerable populations safer (Human Trafficking 1).
Works Cited
“US Ranked on Human Trafficking Report for the First Time.” Humantrafficking.org. Academy
for Educational Development, 15 Jun. 2010. Web. 9 Oct. 2014. Retrieved from:
http://humantrafficking.org/updates/875.
