Draft of Research Approach on Human Trafficking - Paper Example

Human trafficking is a serious social problem within the global community. Human trafficking is defined by the U.S. State Department of State as labor induced by force, fraud, or coercion (Sullivan, 2016, p. ).

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Research

A. Social determinants:

1. Poverty:

Root cause of human trafficking. Traffickers hunt women and children among impoverished communities because of the dire need of money ("Human Trafficking Solutions - Justice for Youth," 2017).

2. Homelessness:

Thousands of children, specifically teenagers, live on the streets or in poorly run institutions such as orphanages worldwide.

3. Trafficking ignorance:

The majority (~75%) of trafficking victims are involved in labor outside of the

sex industry (e.g. domestic work and agriculture), but a small proportion (8%) of human trafficking convictions are found in these areas (Lerum & Brents, 2016, p. 19).

9).

Most traffickers use job offers to trap victims

4. Social inequality

Political elites and wealthy members of society initially crafted social inequality in order to maintain their own power and wealth, while simultaneously creating social structures that eliminated the possibility of upward mobility for lower classes (Barner, Okech, & Camp, 2014, p. 14).

B. Social Variables: Supply and Demand

1. Age: Most targeted girls 14-18, boys

2. Gender

Mostly women and young girls

3. Global

Most human trafficking in the United States occurs in New York, California, and Florida. An estimated 30,000 victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. Eighty percent of those sold into sexual slavery are under 24, and some are as young as six years old ("Human Trafficking Solutions - Justice for Youth," 2017).

South Africa is a regional hub for international trafficking, serving as a source and destination for trafficking; typically receiving women from Thailand, China and Eastern Europe in addition to African nations (Barner, Okech, & Camp, 2014, p. 152).

Approach:

Trafficking of human beings is quetly running behind the scenes of everyday society. The public view seems to be out of sight, out of mind with an occasional news prodcast about some children being found. Many believe that human trafficking of persons usually end up in sweat shops or some other slave wage job forgetting the fact that most women and young girls are sold into the sex trade as prostitutes. Biases and stereotypical thoughts are just as prominent today as 50 years ago where prostitution is involved. I myself used to believe that prostitution was a lifestyle choice. The truth is many of these individuals are there against their will. The way society views these women hinders them from seeking and getting help. Through an interactionist sociological approach long term educational campaigns through education at local community outreach programs and early intervention campaigns starting at a young age would be valuable.

Some programs such as the anti-slavery and trafficking prevention and intervention programs seek to address the specific socioeconomic challenges victims of trafficking encounter. A number of domestic and global agencies have established programs that seek to care for the specific needs of trafficking victims. Notable programs that have proven effective in dealing with the problem of human trafficking include reintegration programs that include educational interventions that provide trafficking victims with basic work and life skills, which will enhance their capacity to thrive independently, thereby undermining their risk of re-trafficking (Lerum & Brents, 2016). This includes providing psychological, social, and physical support within secure residential facilities, especially to women and children who were trafficked into prostitution or sexual slavery. Educational programs that provide soft skills to trafficking victims are invaluable in providing guidance on effectively entry into a work environment, including literacy training, competency development, self-motivation, career counseling, and work ethics.

In addition to reintegration programs, rehabilitation programs are valuable in assisting trafficking victims to deal with the trauma of trafficking (Barner, Okech & Camp, 2014). Such rehabilitation programs are effective in providing trafficking victims with a stable and safe environment that protects them from traffickers. Through rehabilitation programs, trafficking victims will become an integral part of a healthy and safe support community that offers assistance while also addressing their medical, legal, and emotional needs. Rehabilitation programs have the capacity to transform victims of trafficking into anti-trafficking and slavery advocates. These programs are invaluable in addressing the psycho-social needs of human trafficking victims. In the end, the mission of these programs is to afford victims of human trafficking the opportunity to lead as normal life as possible by dealing with the psychological, physical, and behavioral difficulties encountered during trafficking.

References

Barner, J. R., Okech, D., & Camp, M. A. (2014). Socio-economic inequality,

human trafficking, and the global slave trade. Societies, 4, 148160; doi:10.3390/soc4020148

Human Trafficking Solutions - Justice For Youth. (2017). Retrieved April 1,

2017, from http://www.justiceforyouth.org/human-trafficking-solutions

Lerum, K., & Brents, B. G. (2016). Sociological perspectives on sex work and

human trafficking. Sociological Perspectives, 59(1), 17-26. doi:10.1177/0731121416628550

Partnership against Trafficking in Human Beings. (2007). Research study on

trafficking in human beings. Kosovo.