Statistics on Trafficking

Trafficking on a global scale

27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world

800,000 – Number of people trafficked across international borders every year

U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007

1 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year

U.S. Department of State, The Facts About Child Sex Tourism: 2005

An estimated 2.5 million children, the majority of them girls, are sexually exploited in the multibillion dollar commercial sex industry

UNICEF

50% – Percent of transnational victims are children

U.S. Department of Justice

161 – Countries identified as affected by human trafficking

UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Trafficking in Persons

32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry

Trafficking within the United States

An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry.

U.S Department of Justice Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons

244,000 – Number of American children and youth estimated to be at risk of child sexual exploitation, including commercial sexual exploitation, in 2000.

38,600 – Estimated number of an approximate 1.6 million runaway/thrown away youth at risk of sexual endangerment or exploitation in 1999.

Investigators and researchers estimate the average predator in the U.S. can make more than $200,000 a year off one young girl.

NBC Report by Teri Williams

300,000 children in the U.S. are at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation

U.S. Department of Justice

Taking a second to look at the trafficking facts is overwhelming. Human and children trafficking is a problem within the United States and throughout the world. The lack of understanding and published material is evident within our society. Trafficking becomes a profit driven industry, where humans and especially children are being exploited. The fact that people are not informed is a large part of the problem. People don’t see statistics on children trafficking on a day to day basis. If is don’t affect us, then most people don’t take the time to care. Getting informed about the problems with children trafficking is the first step to making a difference.

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Human Trafficking History

3000 BC – 300 AD Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, and Persian cultures had slavery, forced prostitution, and sexual exploitation.

1441 African Slave trade began with men exploited for labor in Europe and Caribbean, while women were used for labor and sexual exploitation.

1619 First slave in the United States

1865 13th Amendment passed, which outlawed slavery

1885 Criminal Amendment Act rose the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 in Britain, which brought worldwide attention to forced prostitution of children around the world.

1949 The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others established by the United Nations

1998 Shared Hope International was created by Congresswomen Linda Smith to rescue and restore women and children facing the issues of women and children trafficking

2000 U.S. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) was passed by Congress to declare that sex trafficking is the “modern day slavery”

2001 War Against Trafficking Alliance is formed to fight sex trafficking in specific regions around the world that have high levels of children and human trafficking. WATA helps create local and national alliances to face the problems of trafficking and restoration of victims of sex exploration.

2003 and 2005 TVPA was reauthorized by the U.S. Congress allocating more funds and additional measures to continue fighting trafficking

2005 United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children to combat the exploitation of person, especially women and children. The United States was the 95th country to ratify the protocol.

2008 William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act was passed by Congress to enforce tougher criminal penalties for traffickers and increases protection and services for U.S. citizen and foreign national victims in America

From the beginning of time men, women, and children have been sold into human trafficking. People have been pushed into labor and prostitution all around the world. Countries with low economic strength have problems with women and children being pushed and pulled into trafficking. The lack of governmental structure to protect and prevent children trafficking is crucial. When minority groups are present it is common for them to be forced into prostitution and trafficking. Around the world women and children as a whole feel trapped into the sex trade. They feel it is the only way for them to help their families survive.

Prostitution and slavery is still evident in our society in the United States and throughout the world. We encounter children trafficking throughout different media avenues. Personally I see trafficking occurring around the world, mostly emphasized outside of the US. I have the understanding that it happens in third world countries where they have no other choice. As an American we are free and have many opportunities for freedom. Outside of our free country, women and children become subject to discrimination with little hope for change. Young girls feel they have no other choice, but to sell themselves for money to survive. Children are trafficked around the world to supple the demand for prostitution. In most cases the children are taken without consent. These developing countries try to change their culture, but with such demands from powerful western nations they see no way out.

It is important that people understand the importance and the reality of the situation. Putting children trafficking into perspective and making it real for our generation is the most crucial part. Children around the world feel there is no other way but to sell themselves because of culture, social standings, and frame of the situation.

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