Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example

of the of the Human Trafficking According to the United Nations trafficking protocol, human trafficking is defined as an act that "involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them.” The roots of this extremely heinous crime are planted far and wide across the globe. It has far-reaching consequences on the victims as well as on the society and governments must take strict measures to end this abomination (UNODC - Human Trafficking).

Human trafficking encompasses a wide range of crimes, all of which exploit the victims physically and monetarily. Bonded labor, the least known yet most common form of human trafficking is one in which labor is demanded from the victim as a means of repayment of the loan and generations of victims serve their lives in slavery. Another less common form is the forced labor in which victims especially men and children are forced to work against their will under the threat of violence or even death if they fail to comply with the wishes of their ‘masters’.

Perhaps the most well-known and the most widespread form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation. Most of the women and children who are trafficked for this purpose are already in dreadful circumstances and hence are easy targets for traffickers. Majority of these include destitute individuals, absconder teens, refugees and drug-addicts. These people are exploited by the traffickers and are tricked in to prostitution under the pretense of offering them a better quality of life. According to United Nations, it is estimated that more than 600,000 to 820,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders every year, out of which approximately 80% are women and girls and almost fifty percent of them are minors (What is Human trafficking).

It is a common misconception among the people that human trafficking takes place only in the destitute countries. It is an industry that has its roots planted all over the world. Victims from the poorer countries are tricked or forced to serve. These are moved to destinations from where they can be sent easily to the desired place. These places are usually rich countries which have the resources to buy these victims and use them as per their will. There are a large number of organizations that raise their voice against the issue of human trafficking.

The most effective way to inhibit human trafficking, according to these organizations is creating awareness among the people. Many of the governments have now passed bills that strongly condemn Human Trafficking and lay down strict punishments to those involved in this business. Work to reduce the incidents of Human Trafficking is being done and all types of media especially internet and TV are enlightening the people about the dangers of Human trafficking by providing them with real life stories, general information and statistics (Shelley).

Despite all these measures, there has not been a remarkable decrease in the happening of such incidents. This is because even though human trafficking is a huge industry, it is composed of several networks working independently. It is a shame that even in this modern age of literacy, such paganism exists in the hearts of our society. Works Cited Shelley, Louise. Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. UNODC - Human Trafficking. n.d. Web 25 04 2011 What is Human trafficking. n.d.

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