Part 1
Definition
If you read this, you can never ignore the reality of Child Trafficking again.
Human trafficking is the taking of an individual by force or coercion. This person can be an infant, child, teenager or adult. Both male and female victims are abused. 40% of street-kids are LBGTQ and many of them work in the sex industry. Young boys and girls are abused by pedophiles, women and men who prefer children rather than other adults.
Upward of 17,000 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States. More than 1.8 million children worldwide are trafficked annually.
More than 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry. Victims come from all over the social class but most are from the migrant, runaway or poor communities. Some victims are brought into the United States by their captors. Children make up 50% of trafficked individuals—boys and girls.
What does a trafficker look like?
A trafficker can look like your next door neighbor. Traffickers may be individuals or families or organized groups of criminals. Trafficking is lucrative so it attracts both the professional and non-professional criminal due to its low cost start up. It is estimated that human trafficking is the 3rd largest illegal industry worldwide.
Child pornography, child sex tourism and predator networks
Child pornography is international, national, regional and even exists on the local level. It is a multi-billion dollar business that includes high quality photos, books, audio tapes and movies. The images include children performing sexual acts and pedophilia. Pornography and its attendant conditioning, readies the child to enter the sex trade industry.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations estimates there are 750,000 predators online at any given moment and child sex tourism continues to grow. Travelers to South America head to Brazil where child sex is a booming industry. Thailand, China, South Korea and many other Asian countries encourage child sex as a way to bring in money from Western sex travelers.
Almost every country in the world has its own sexual predator network. These people know how to use the dark web to their advantage and the underground network for sex travelers continues to grow.
Predators exist on every street corner. They can be your priest, your neighborhood barber, your uncle and in some cases even a father or mother. Some children are born into the trade. The subject is not talked about or discussed because of the private nature of the abuse. Children make predators and pimps money because they are easily manipulated and they want to believe—need to believe, that the person taking care of them loves and cherishes them. Their ideals soon fall short.
Child trafficking is rarely discussed and hardly seen on television.
I went online to ask my Facebook friends whether or not they had seen any stories on child sex trafficking on the news lately. I often get opinions and views from my followers for use in articles I write, but only after they have given me permission
I texted:
This question pertains to these networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC.
How often do you hear about child trafficking on the news?
You can use: often, sometimes and never. Then you are free to add any comments.
Is child trafficking a concern on college campus'?
Is child trafficking a concern in the United States?
Jenn: Sometimes have heard about child trafficking on the news, more honest answer is rarely. Yes and YES are the answers to the others.
Elizabeth: I don't see anything about it. If people are missing, they say they've been kidnapped or abducted. Only when trafficking rings have been busted by authorities do I see it spoken of, usually on local news pages on social media. What I have learned has been through Church, intentional reading and research, and organizations that help these girls.
Note: There are more responses, but I do not yet have permission to use their comments. Part 2, on Thursday 3/29/2017
