What is $100 worth to you? A Nano Ipod, Nike running shoes, a smart phone, a three month gym membership?
$100 is the average price of a prostitute. This is not a girl in a developing
nation trying to survive on the street; this is the price of the girl down the
street. Yes, your street. She is 1 of 17, 500 people trafficked in the United
States annually. Not 1 in 17, 500 people in total, but 1 of the 17,500
people that will be trafficked in the United States this year alone, 2012. This is a
$9.5 billion dollar industry in the US, third to illegal drug sales and secret
arms dealing. No state is immune to this crime. The main targets are woman and
children, who are forced into sex or labor trafficking.
"Human trafficking can
only work if the victims remain invisible to the public eye. We have to remove
the veil of ignorance." - Anna Rodriguez, FL activist
On March 31, 2012 gang
members of the Crips in Alexandria, Virginia were arrested for running a sex
trafficking ring in a local suburb. Now, some of you may be imagining a suburb
full of crime and delinquency like we normally relate communities such as
Harlem with. Kids wondering aimlessly through the streets, stabbings reported
nightly, impoverished families trying to get by and schools just hoping half of
their students will make it to graduation day. However, this Northern Virginia
suburb is described as one of the wealthiest areas in the United States. Nice homes, good families and top schools. Up to
800 girls are estimated to be involved in this trafficking ring, starting as
young as 16. Girls were pulled in by men they met on facebook, at the high
school and at local transit stops. The
gang members flattered these girls and told them they would make some quick
money. When one girl found out what she had been coerced into she tried to
back out. Her head was slammed against a window and her forearm cut, then she
was raped by multiple gang members. Girls made anywhere from $20-$100 for each
act and were allowed to keep half of the profits. As rarely seen in sex
trafficking, these girls were NOT runaways or misfits. These were good girls
forced into sex rings and threatened to stay.
This is the 16th
case of human trafficking in the Eastern Virginia district this year. Not 16
victims, 16 separate cases. This is only one example of human trafficking in one small portion of the United States.
Additional
articles you can read regarding this case of trafficking and others:
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
The most powerful tool to
combat human trafficking is to know what to look for and who to report
suspicious persons too. It happens all around us and most people never see it
or hear of it, which only enables traffickers in their work.
The most comprehensive site
with information on how to become involved is http://www.humantrafficking.org. HumanTrafficking.org presents people with information
on how to identify a person in forced labor. The below information comes directly from their website:
Recognize the types of trafficking and common locals:
- Sex Trafficking
- Massage parlors
- Escort services
- Adult bookstores
- Modeling studios
- Bars/strip clubs
- Labor Trafficking
- Sweatshops (where abusive labor standards are present)
- Commercial agricultural situations (fields, processing plants, canneries)
- Domestic situations (maids, nannies)
- Construction sites (particularly if public access is denied)
- Restaurant and custodial work
Know the visible indicators of traffickers:
- Heavy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted.
- Victims live at the same premises as the brothel or work site or are driven between quarters and "work" by a guard. For labor trafficking, victims are often prohibited from leaving the work site, which may look like a guarded compound from the outside.
- Victims are kept under surveillance when taken to a doctor, hospital or clinic for treatment; trafficker may act as a translator.
- High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by a stream of men arriving and leaving the premises.
Recognize indicators of a victim of trafficking:
- Living with Employer
- Poor Living Conditions
- Multiple People in Cramped Space
- Inability to Speak to an Individual Alone
- Employer Holding Identity Documents
- Signs of Physical Abuse
- Submissive or Fearful
- Unpaid or Paid Very Little
- Under 18 and in Prostitution
Know the profile of a trafficked victim:
- Health Characteristics
- Malnutrition, dehydration or poor personal hygiene
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Signs of rape or sexual abuse
- Bruising, broken bones, or other signs of untreated medical problems
- Critical illnesses including diabetes, cancer or heart disease
- Post-traumatic stress or psychological disorders
- Other important signs
- Does not hold his/her own identity or travel documents
- Suffers from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade and frighten the individual
- Has a trafficker or pimp who controls all the money, victim will have very little or no pocket money
Questions to ask a suspected victim of trafficking:
**Please note: Asking a suspected victim should
be done with great caution and sensitivity. You do not want to cause more harm
to the victim and for that reason a victim may be hesitant to answer.
- Can You Leave Your Job if You Want?
- Can You Come and Go as You Please?
- Have You Been Hurt or Threatened if You Tried to Leave?
- Has Your Family Been Threatened?
- Do You Live With Your Employer?
- Where Do You Sleep and Eat?
- Are You in Debt to Your Employer?
- How did you arrive at this destination?
- Do You Have Your Passport/ID? If Not, Who Has It?
Know where to report a suspected trafficker or trafficked
victim:
- Department of Health and Human Services-sponsored, toll-free, 24 hour NATIONAL HOTLINE: +1-888-3737-888
- Department of Justice-sponsored, toll-free, 24 hour Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line: +1-888-428-7581
- Your local police or state FBI department
- Contact Polaris Project who has a 24 hour hotline for trafficking victims or suspected victims, operating nationally and servicing calls in 170 different languages: 1-888-3737-888 http://www.polarisproject.org/
Other ways to get involved:
- Most states have nongovernmental organizations combatting trafficking in their state. Contact your local NGO fighting trafficking to volunteer or donate.
- Be an advocate and tell a friend.
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