The 13th Amendment

        The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States.  It declared that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (U.S. Constitution Amendment 13).  152 years ago, slavery was abolished, but today, we find that human slavery is a sickening reality.  At this moment, men, women and children are being trafficked and exploited all over the world.  Although slavery was abolished, human trafficking is now the modern-day slavery and is becoming a problem.  Unfortunately, victims of trafficking seldom escape and may end up dead or with diseases.  

        Every year, millions of people are transported across borders and sold like commodities or trafficked within their countries for the sole purpose of exploitation, violating the basic human rights of victims (What is Trafficking in Persons?, 2010).  “Trafficking in persons” or “human trafficking” are terms used for activities involving one person obtaining or holding another person in compelled service.  Compelled services include: involuntary servitude, slavery, debt bondage and forced labor (What is Trafficking in persons?, 2010).  Trafficking violates the autonomy of its victims, through repeated acts of violence or threats of violence, manipulation and psychological control for exploitation.  Exploitation include prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (United Nations, “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking,” article 3(a).).  Human trafficking is considered one of the largest growing human rights concerns of the 21st century.  It is caused by depressive economies and limited opportunities and without intervention it will only continue to thrive.

        Trafficking involves forcibly moving a person from one place to another and forcibly using their services with the intention of trading them for commercial gains.  Forcible means that the action is against the person’s will or false claims were made for consensus.  Consensus is obtained from social conditioning of victims causing them to not be aware of being exploited.  Human trafficking includes sex trafficking, child labor and immigrant labor.  Because of the failing economy, increasing demands for slaves and low cost labor has set up a massive economic opportunity for traffickers and also for people to look for a better life or opportunity outside of their country or homes.  The industry generates an estimated revenue at about $150 billion annually, according to the International Labour Office, a United Nations agency.  Apple reported the biggest corporate profit in 2015, $53.4 billion, to put that into perspective.  Security of State John Kerry said, “In the 21st century we should never ever allow a price tag to be attached to the freedom of another human being” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2016/01/22/modern-day-slavery-multi-billion-dollar-business/79160918/).

        Under United States law, sex trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.  Its victims are majority women and girls, but can also involve men or boys.  In order to be punishable, the offense must (1) involve a person under 18 years old who has been induced to perform a commercial sex act or (2) an adult who has been so induced by the use of force, fraud or coercion.   Most victims are lured into the industry because of promises of a good job in another country, a false marriage proposal turned into a bondage situation, being sold into the sex trade by parents, husbands, boyfriends or being kidnapped by traffickers.  Although men, women and children are victims of trafficking, women and girls are the majority of whom are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation.  Approximately 14,500 to 100,000 women are trafficked into the United States every year.  Sex trafficking creates a billion dollar industry.