Human Trafficking

Name: Dominic Teo

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_in_human_beings#Overview

Topic or Subtopic I read about:

Human Trafficking, its overview.

Date I Started Reading: 6^th May 2008

Date I finished Reading: 6^th May 2008

Was It Useful? My Reflections and Thoughts:

This site is really useful, with lots of information about my topic, human trafficking, with facts and information about the basic information.

Notes and facts (These should be in your own words – avoid plagiarism)

Human trafficking is very different from human smuggling.

In human smuggling, people voluntarily request a smuggler with a fee, with no illegal agreement, when they reached their destination, they are free.

However, in human trafficking, the victim is enslaved, or the terms of their debt bondage are highly cruel, taking away the basic human rights of a human being.

Victims are tricked and are allured by false promise or physically forced by dishonesty, intimidation, feigned love, isolation, threat and use of physical force, debt bondage, and even force feeding of drugs.

In some areas, Russia, Eastern Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, and Columbia, trafficking is controlled by large international crime organizations.

However, majority of this trade is done by small groups which specialize in a certain area, like recruitment.

This trade is very profitable, since the start up capital is low and prosecution is rare.

Victims are usually from poorer areas, ethnic minorities, or are often runaways or refugees.

Some poor parents may sell their children, to pay off debts or gain income, are deceived that their children will have a better life.

Women form 80% of the human trafficking are especially vulnerable to sex exploitation, they are often allured by false promises, and then are forced to become prostitutes, pornography, or escort services, in which escape is hard and dangerous.

Men are also trafficked for unskilled labor, including sweatshops, forced marriages, etc.

Children are also trafficked for physical and sexual exploitation, and some cases child soldiers.