Human Trafficking

In class on Tuesday we had a presentation on human trafficking around the world. This got me thinking that human trafficking is an unspoken problem around the world including in the United States. It is a huge problem that everyone knows exists but very few people do anything to combat it. Much of the conversation we had in class was focused on solutions to help prevent human trafficking. While many of the solutions for awareness of the situation were excellent points, I believe that in order to combat human trafficking we must combat many of the reasons why humans are trafficked. Although some people in the human trafficking industry are kidnapped and essentially forced into sexual slavery, the majority of people in the industry are sold by family members, sell themselves or are tricked into a kind of indentured servitude. In many underdeveloped countries children are seen as commodities. When a family needs money, they are then sold and often times become part of the trafficking industry. Therefore the best way to combat the industry is to deprive it of its commodities. The best way to do this is to promote financial security in the underdeveloped countries so selling children is no longer the only option. Until we can do this the ideas to promote awareness will do little to end the trafficking of humans.