The Impact of Sex Trafficking on Young Girls and Women - Report Example

Tennessee The Impact of Sex Trafficking on Young Girls and Women By Dr. Audrey Lukula UNIV Section 07 April 09, 2015 FORMAL OUTLINE I. Abstract A) Sex trafficking involves forced sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking causes mental, psychological and emotional well-being of women and young girls B) Victims acquire adverse psychological and physical health conditions. II. Introduction A) Human trafficking is a current manifestation of slavery with sex trafficking having greater portion. B) Majority of sex trafficking victims are women and young ladies due to their high vulnerability. C) Victims of sex trafficking are unable to escape because they are subjected to conditions that prevent them from escaping. III. Body Impacts of sex trafficking on women and young girls A) Physical abuse and impacts i) Sexually Transmitted Infections ii) Physical torture iii) Unwanted pregnancy and other reproductive health impacts B) Psychological impacts i) Extreme emotional stress ii) substance addictions and problems C) Social impacts i) societal isolation ii) social alienation IV. Conclusion A) Sex trafficking involves forced sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking causes mental, psychological and emotional well-being of women and young girls B) Sex trafficking impacts women and young girls physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically. Abstract Sex trafficking normally involves some form of coerced or forced sexual exploitation that is not restricted to prostitution. It has turned into a significant and growing issue in both the United States as well as the larger global community. It has several costs and impacts to both the victims as well as the society as a whole. Such costs to the society include poor public health, degradation of human as well as women’s rights, diminished social development and disrupted communities. Victims of this inhumane act acquire adverse psychological and physical health conditions as well as social disadvantages. Therefore, sex trafficking is a serious health issue that has broader social implications and hence requires both legal and medical attention so that the life-threatening act can be controlled. Healthcare professionals need to work to improve and upgrade the screening process and identification so as to assist the victims of sex trafficking, particularly young girls, and women, in a clinical setting. They should also be helped to access legal and social services, particularly in circumstances where they are denied. Sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing activities of trans-national criminal organizations. Necessary actions should be taken to stop this act because according to international conventions, it is a violation of human rights and also poses health problems to the victims. Introduction Human trafficking is a current manifestation of slavery that includes the unlawful exchange of people with the end goal of some form of forced exploitation (Deshpande, 1). According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) human trafficking is defined as “any form of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving a person by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception”. Approximately 800 000 people are trafficked across international borders. Out of this number, 80 percent are women and young girls who are trafficked for sex and 50 percent are minors. In spite of the fact that the level of trafficking among nations and continents is variable, it is clear that worldwide trafficking has turned into a significant and growing issue. The two most common reasons for human trafficking are forced labor and sexual exploitation. Mostly, women and young girls are trafficked for sexual exploitations. Victims of sex trafficking, women, and young girls are often forced into one or more ways or forms of sexual exploitation (De, 185). It is critical to note that prostitution and sex trafficking are not synonymous. This is so because prostitution is basically one kind of work that is performed by victims of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking, therefore, refers to an umbrella term that may incorporate commercial sex work, for example, prostitution. In addition, it includes exotic dancing, pornography or erotic entertainment, live sex shows, stripping, military prostitution, mail-order brides and sexual tourism (Clayton et al... 154). Even though, victims of sex trafficking can be of either sex or any age, the majority are always women and young ladies due to their high vulnerability. Although numerous countries have prohibited the trafficking of females, particularly women and adolescent girls, it is still broadly common on a worldwide scale (De, 185). It becomes very difficult for such young girls and women to escape once they become involved in the sex trafficking industry. The situation occurs because such victims normally face legal barriers because the traffickers often sequester or confiscate all forms of citizenry and immigration documentation (Kara, 98). In addition, other forms of barrier such as the fear, language barrier, lack of money and limited knowledge also prevent such women and young girls from escaping the sex trafficking ring. However, in most parts of the globe, legacy prostitution or an unwilling or an involuntary enslavement of future generations of young ladies in the sex trafficking industry turns into an expected societal norm. Impacts of sex trafficking on women and young girls Sex trafficking has a nerve racking impact on the mental, physical and emotional well-being of women and young girls entrapped in its web. On top of physical abuse, such trafficked women, and young girls suffer extreme emotional stress, including fear, grief, distrust, shame and suicidal thoughts. Sexually exploited females regularly experience post-traumatic anxiety disorder as well as acute anxiety, insomnia and depression (Territo and George, 361). Numerous victims usually turn to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. This in turn ends up destroying their lives as well as life goals and dreams that would have helped in societal prosperity and economic growth. Further, sex trafficking results in societal breakdown because it removes women and young girls from their communities and families, hence it results in physical separations (Deshpande, 1). Physical impacts Victims of sex trafficking are often susceptible to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, gonorrhea, pubic live, and urinary tract infections (Kara, 98). Human immunodeficiency virus or AIDS infection is also very prevalent. In addition, such young girls may experience rectal trauma, vaginal/anal tearing, pelvic pain, and urinary difficulties due to commercial sex work (Territo and George, 361). Further, victims of sex trafficking are usually physically abused and tortured resulting in physical injuries such as bruises, broken bones, scars, burns, broken teeth or dental problems (Hart, 31). This negatively impacts their normal way of life as they are not able to perform their day to day chores. Some victims suffer traumatic brain injury resulting in memory loss, headaches, dizziness, and numbness. Some victims are also suffering from malnutrition because they are deprived of food; this is another form of indirect physical harm. Sex trafficking results in unwanted pregnancy in women and young ladies, their reproductive health is also impacted negatively because they miscarry. In addition, they are subjected to forced or coerced abortions, menstrual problems, miscarriage, and mutilations. Sex trafficking victims also suffer infectious diseases such as hepatitis, pneumonia, malaria and tuberculosis due to dangerous and unsanitary housing conditions, inadequate access to health care and use of needles (Kara, 98) Psychological impacts Sex trafficking victims also face moderate to severe psychological trauma that result from daily emotional, mental and psychological torture and abuse. Sex-trafficked women and young girls are less stable, have higher levels of fear, more isolated, and have more severe trauma and greater mental health problems. Such victims also develop substance abuse addictions or problems from being forced or coerced through drug use by the traffickers. They may also develop such problems by using a substance to escape or cope up with their desperate situations (Deshpande, 1). Furthermore, victims may develop substance abuse problems or addictions from being coerced through drug use by their traffickers or by using substances to cope or escape their desperate situations. Continuous drug use also results in health problems. Social impacts Social effects of sex trafficking include greater prevalence of homelessness, illiteracy, poverty and societal isolation (Territo and George, 361). Trafficked women tend to have limited options, fewer resources and increased vulnerability to abuse and violence. The victims also suffer social alienation in both the host and home countries. They are not reintegrated into local communities due to social exclusion, stigmatization and intolerance causing them to suffer more emotionally and psychologically (Deshpande, 1). Conclusion Sex trafficking normally involves some form of coerced or forced sexual exploitation that is not restricted to prostitution. It has turned into a significant and growing issue in both the United States as well as the larger global community. Sex trafficking negatively impacts both the society and the victims. To the society, it results in poor public health, degradation of human and women’s rights, diminished social development and disrupted communities. To the victims, which are mostly women and young girls, it results in adverse physical as well as psychological health conditions and social disadvantages. Work cited Clayton, Ellen W, Richard D. Krugman, and Patti Simon. Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States. , 2013. Print. De, Chesnay M. Sex Trafficking: A Clinical Guide for Nurses. New York: Springer, 2013. Print. 185 Deshpande, N., A., Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls. US National Library of Medicine, 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3651545/ Hart, Joyce. Human Trafficking. New York: Rosen Pub, 2009. Print. 31 Kara, Siddharth. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York [u.a.: Columbia Univ. Press, 2009. Print. Territo, Leonard, and George Kirkham. International Sex Trafficking of Women & Children: Understanding the Global Epidemic. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, 2010. Print. 361 Read More