There Needs to Be a Stronger a Punishment for

Traffickers
By: Alexis Mejia
The trafficking of children is a form of modern day slavery. Its victims are
recruited, transported, transferred, or used as a form of exploitation. Children are
forced to work in sweatshops, as domestic slaves, as beggars, in wars as
soldiers, in traveling sales crews, in the commercial sex industry in brothels, strip
clubs, and escort and massage services. It is a problem happening in the U.S but
worldwide as well. Over
2 million women and
children are sold into
slavery each year,
worldwide. 300,00
children are sold
annually in the U.S.
(UNICEF, 2014). Every
year, human traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits by the violation of
human rights of millions
of people around the
world. Human trafficking
alone is seen to be one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world.
Cook Children (n.d.) Human Trafficking Prevention. Human
Trafficking. Retrieved from:
http://www.cookchildrens.org/HealthInformation/SafetyPreve
ntion/human-trafficking/Pages/default.aspx
Common people have the misconception that the trafficking of children
only happens to children in poverty, but it can happen to any child regardless of
race, class, education level, age, or gender. Children are the ones targeted the
most due to the fact they are vulnerable beings that under false promises and
force can be fooled to do anything. According to UNICEF, millions of
children are forced into labor, battle or prostitution and often
they are denied
their human
rights to safety
and security,
(2014). I believe
the reason why it I
so
easy for traffickers
to get away with
this is because
U.S. laws as well as the policies against human trafficking of other countries is
not as strong as it
should be.
Traffickers punishments are seen to be minimal compared to their terrible
crimes. It takes a few seconds to kidnap a child but years
to prosecute a trafficker (innocentsatrisk.org, 2006).
YTGA. (n.d.) Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of
Children. Retrieved from: http://ytga.com/index.php?p=campaign&id=2
What needs to be done to combat this global crime that is affecting every
country is to start with each countries government. Laws aside from being
placed in favor of the prosecution of human traffickers need to be enforced
strictly without any loose ends. There needs to be some type of agreement
between cross-border countries to help prevent human trafficking and ensure
these children are taken safely to their homes. There also has to be an
understanding as to what child trafficking is, lines tend to get blurred when
government officials address the issue of child labor laws are discussed, they

seem to encourage children to work. They see it as a good thing, they are
helping their families, but in reality these children are working long hours in
horrible conditions, when they should be in school getting an education. Aside
from creating and enforcing laws against human trafficking, the common people
also have be informed and educated in their view of children and how forcing a
children to work and beg is a crime. Many families living in poverty sell their
children to traffickers without knowing their children will be sold for sexual labor
rather than working at a factory or at a wealthy household as promised. A last
factor to help this issue is assistance to its victims, there needs to be programs
and special assistance that defends these children victims rather than seeing
them as guilty for a crime they were forced to do by traffickers.
YTGA. (n.d.) Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children. Retrieved from:
http://ytga.com/index.php?p=campaign&id=2

To help combat human trafficking, trafficked
children need to be viewed as victims rather than
criminals, families need to be educated in ways they
could protect their children from human trafficking and
laws as well as agreements between cross-border
countries and nations have to be reached. Without dealing with
these issues the trafficking of children will continue to happen and children will be
at risk of being taken from their families.







Reference Page:
Cook Children. Human Trafficking Prevention. Human Trafficking. Retrieved
April 25, 2014, from:
http://www.cookchildrens.org/HealthInformation/SafetyPrevention/human-
trafficking/Pages/default.aspx
Innocents at Risk. What Still Needs to be Done. Innocents at Risk. Retrieved
April 25, 2014, from http://www.innocentsatrisk.org/human-
trafficking/what-still-needs-to-be-done
UNICEF. Stop Child Trafficking and Exploitation. Protect Children from
Exploitation & Help Child Soldiers. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from
http://www.unicefusa.org/work/protection/
YTGA. Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children. Retrieved
April 25, 2014, from http://ytga.com/index.php?p=campaign&id=2