The Slavery of the Millennium Essay -- Ethical Issues, Sex Traffickin

It is common ideology that slavery is a thing of the past. This is far from true; sex trafficking is prominent all across the world on a massive scale and is the new form of slavery. According to the U.S. Department of State estimates that 560,000 women are trafficked each year across international borders and forced into the sex industry. {{34 Holman,M. 2008; }} Other non-government programs such a UNICEF have these numbers in the millions. {{34 Holman,M. 2008; }} The real numbers of sex trafficking are unknown, but the problem is evident. The general public is unaware of the sex trafficking epidemic because the forced labor business is not only inhumane: it is well hidden. The business is kept underground due to the stigma associated with prostitution. Because of this most of workers of the business are from â€Å"forced recruitment†. {{25 Samarasinghe,Vidyamali 2007; }} Sex trafficking is not only an issue over seas, it is also a problem in the United States a culture tha t â€Å"glamorizes pimping and prostitution."{{31 Kotrla,K. 2010; }} This culture of tolerance, fueled by the glamorization of pimping, is embodied in multiple venues of daily life, including clothing, songs, television, video games, and other forms of entertainment. Traffickers easily control victim of their trade by using techniques such as â€Å"force, fraud, or coercion, including techniques such as confinement, beatings, rape, confiscation of documents, debt bondage, false owners of employment, and threats of harm to the victim or the victim's family.†{{30 Potocky,M. 2010; }}Once in the business, it is almost impossible for a victim to escape, and if they do they are not likely to come forward to authorities. There are four main ways out of sex trafficking enslavemen... ...ggling are often confused as activities, and the police and immigration officials are ill-equipped to recognize and respond to the problem as one involving victims as well as offenders.† (28) [add to this] If these simple changes are implemented to the standing sex trafficking legislation, mainly the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act implemented in 2000 failing in its attempt to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers. The TVPA will be up for reauthorization in November 2011. As this quickly approaching, it is imperative the public is educated on the human exploitation that is often ignored. Sex trafficking is a global problem that can only be taken down by the help of a government that recognizes the weakness in its current policy. The victims and the public deserve better than the U.S. government has done thus far.