Human Trafficking in the United States - Annotated Bibliography Example

?Hepburn, Stephanie & Rita J. Simon. “Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in the United s”, Gender Issues, vol.27, , pp 26. In thisarticle, Hepburn & Simon (2010) describe the characteristics of human trafficking from a global perspective and the efforts being undertaken by U.S. officials (and abroad) to curb its growing presence across the world. Human sex trafficking earns annual profits of $44.3 billion, consisting of 56 percent women and girls and 44 percent men and boys who are exploited for sexual purposes (Hepburn & Simon, 2). In order to ensure compliance, those who are exploited are threatened with physical harm, have their visas revoked (as many are foreign citizens outside of the U.S.), and even offering threats against their family members (Hepburn & Simon, 19). Both of the authors are graduates of reputable law-related universities and have considerable knowledge regarding the sex trafficking industry that is supported by previous research studies and statistical data provided by the U.S. House of Representatives. The intended audience is the general citizen, offering an informational breakdown of the industry to inform the public about the dangers of sex trafficking here in the United States and abroad. This source is relevant because of the predatory nature of sex traffickers and their emboldened efforts to recruit people in public places, such as shopping malls and grocery stores (Hepburn & Simon, 9). Therefore, this article is not only relevant to personally, it is relevant for anyone in the country that frequents public venues where children might be left unattended for even brief periods of time. It is a completely unbiased informational study that provides useful information in terms of resources to understand the efforts being undertaken to combat the problem, such as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This provides the reader with a source to contact in the event of concerns over this growing industry. Alsgaard, Hannah. “Symposium: Uncovered: The policing of sex work”, Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, (2011). Alsgaard (2011) describes a symposium that occurred at the University of California School of Law involving speakers that were once sex workers and advocates of the profession. It was identified in the symposium that race, gender and social class dictated the type of treatment sex workers and advocacy received from policing forces (Alsgaard, 200). The article describes certain types of bias that exist in policing efforts, such as arresting trans-gendered prostitutes, using them for sex purposes, and then still taking them to jail for their crimes (Alsgaard, 201). This type of discriminatory bias pervades the quality of legal and policing representation for certain sex workers and undermines the legislation put in place to protect rights and also serve the general public. This article was interesting as it identified that many people in the sex trade are highly-competent speakers with considerable intellectualism in their language structure (Alsgaard, 1999). This somewhat goes against the social perception about sex workers as they offered honest testimonies about their experiences in the profession or as advocates of the sex services. It is an unbiased delivery of testimonials from key speakers that identified that many in this industry actually enjoy their profession and want it decriminalized. This has improved personal understanding about issues such as prostitution as there are many in the trade that value its income and feel suppressed by unfair legislation, especially when corrupted systems are driving policing efforts. Holman, Melissa. “The Modern Day Slave Trade: How the United States should Alter the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in Order to Combat International Sex Trafficking More Effectively”, Texas International Law Journal, vol.44, (2009), pp.99-121. This article describes the nature of sex trafficking, statistically, in terms of how many people are forced into this exploitation each year. The U.S. Department of State offers conservative estimates of 560,000 each year, however non-governmental information sources believe this number surpasses millions annually (Holman, 100). The majority of people exploited for this trade are sold into brothels, some of which are illegal and some that are legitimized by their countries of operation (Holman, 100). The article defines the parameters of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA), such as the U.S. commitment to cease the practice of offering humanitarian aid and other support for non-complying locations that continue to promote sex trafficking (Holman, 101). The author offers a historical background of the sex trafficking industry, going back to 1895, to highlight how international efforts to combat the problem have changed. The article provides interesting data on sex trafficking and where it occurs most prevalently across the globe, such as in Asia. It also describes the limitations and vague language of some of the protection acts designed to halt sex trafficking that continue to fail to properly define parameters about what constitutes sex trafficking over issues of prostitution. This is an unbiased report of historical developments and also as an information resource to the general public about the various laws protecting their rights from trafficking risks. It is a valuable resource to understand modern-day developments and where the risk resides to the general public for sex trafficking efforts. Kotrla, Kimberly. “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States”, Social Work, vol.55, no.2, National Association of Social Workers, (2010), pp.181-187. This article defines human sex trafficking and offers data regarding what youth groups are most at-risk for being victimized by exploiters. It takes a viewpoint from that of the social worker who must constantly battle with this growing international problem. Kotrla (2010) identifies research statistics highlighting that there are over 100,000 victims of DMST (domestic minor sex trafficking) in the U.S. alone, with 325,000 at-risk of being exploited. The most common age group for being introduced into the sex trade is between 11 and 14 (Kotrla, 182). There is considerable demand for this trade, as identified by the article, with most traffickers driven by greed or the consumer of this activity driven by sexual lust (Kotrla, 182). High demand supports high profitability and therefore the activity continues to have difficulty in preventative measures as supported by the law. The author warns about the “culture of tolerance” that exists in the U.S. and other countries that continue to prevent active solutions (Kotrla, 182). This article is interesting as it provides a new type of knowledge regarding the sex trafficking of minors in terms of how they are recruited today. Growing use of social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace provide ample opportunities for advertising and gaining attention of impressionable youths. This serves as an informational, proverbial wake-up-call for parents that might be concerned about the risks to their children. Interestingly, the article describes the complexities of those who have actually escaped their trafficking tormentors and find difficulty in gaining support for mental health and housing needs (Kotrla, 184). It is a valuable resource as it should provide new motivations for government officials to provide more funding for housing and support services and identifies the role of social worker in providing psychological support in the event of a youth escaping the trade. Siddharth, Kara. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery, New York: Columbia University Press, (1998). Siddharth’s book details his own encounters with the sex trade industry. Throughout it, he is condemning of the sex slave practice, and calls on government leadership and general society to take an active role in ending sex trafficking. The book details the profit and greed that drives sex traffickers to continue to exploit people for this trade. He states, “enormity and pervasiveness of sex trafficking is a direct result of the immense profits to be derived from selling inexpensive sex around the world” (Siddharth, 3-4). In this book, he blames the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dangers of economic globalization for the problems that continue to persist. This book has tangible, first-hand accounts of the author’s experience, which adds an element of horror and disgust for the general reader. His encounters with others who have been exploited, from laborers to even murder of youths for their organs, sheds light on the severity of this problem. It is a biased viewpoint, most definitely, however the dynamics of the sex trafficking industry are keenly identified as a means to inform the public of this criminal behavior. His solution on raising the costs of conducting this business is an innovative one. Works Cited Alsgaard, Hannah. “Symposium: Uncovered: The policing of sex work”, Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, (2011). Hepburn, Stephanie & Rita J. Simon. “Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in the United States”, Gender Issues, vol.27, (2010), pp.1-26. Holman, Melissa. “The Modern Day Slave Trade: How the United States should Alter the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in Order to Combat International Sex Trafficking More Effectively”, Texas International Law Journal, vol.44, (2009), pp.99-121. Kotrla, Kimberly. “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States”, Social Work, vol.55, no.2, National Association of Social Workers, (2010), pp.181-187. Siddharth, Kara. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery, New York: Columbia University Press, (1998). Read More