Real Human Trafficking
Real Human Trafficking
Lavya - Year 9
Thai Sikh International School
Critical Thinking Research Project
Ms. Mary Jane Sevilla
17 June 2022
1
Introduction
labour or a commercial sex act. Millions of men, women, and children are trafficked each year
around the world. Children make up about 20% of all victims of human trafficking globally. 1 A
I want to talk about this topic because it is a major problem that slows the progress of our
society as a whole. When I researched about this topic, I found how cruelly people are treated
around the globe, and it forced me to consider the reasons people would even do such a horrible
thing. I want to show to the world the terrible atrocities some of us carry out in order to put an
end to it.
Anyone who is a victim of human trafficking might suffer physical, emotional, and
psychological harm. It has the ability to have a long-term effect on a person's life 2, perhaps
even ruining it forever due to the trauma involved. Trafficking victims are frequently subjected
to difficult and extreme physical conditions, such as excessive work, employment without
sufficient protection or equipment, and the use of force by their traffickers. Victims may also be
at risk for health issues like as HIV/AIDS, illnesses, and substance dependence. 3
Human trafficking is a crime that provides the traffickers with huge amounts of money. 8
It has high monetary gains for the traffickers while they have to put in zero to no effort. It is also
relatively low risk due to the fact that the victims are pressured by their traffickers to not inform
1
Stop The Traffik, “The Scale of Human Trafficking,” STOP THE TRAFFIK, June 21, 2017,
https://www.stopthetraffik.org/about-human-trafficking/the-scale-of-human-trafficking/.
2
Micah Hartmann, “Causes & Effects of Human Trafficking,” The Exodus Road, July 6, 2021,
https://theexodusroad.com/causes-effects-of-human-trafficking/.
3
“Understanding the Impact of Human Trafficking & Modern-Day Slavery,” Human Trafficking Search
(akanksha, August 3, 2017), http://humantraffickingsearch.org/impact/.
2
the police and since the traffickers force their victims into places and cultures with which they
are unfamiliar. 94
The purpose of this research is to show the effects of human trafficking on society,
economy, and people’s mental health.it is believed that 20.9 million people are trafficked
worldwide.5 On top of that, online recruitment grew by 22%. During the lockdowns, the net was
reported as the leading recruitment source for all forms of trafficking, as the percentage of
victims from common recruitment sites such as strip clubs (-46%), foster homes (-70%), and
schools (-38%) decreased dramatically. Most significantly, there was a considerable increase in
the number of potential victims who were recruited into trafficking using Facebook and
Instagram (120 percent). Over the previous year, there was a 125 percent increase in recruitment
I believe that human trafficking is something very damaging, causing mental and
physical trauma to its victims, that it has negative impacts on humanity and our society as a
whole.
Following the completion of this research paper, I hope to have a better understanding of
human trafficking and why it should be eradicated. I hope that this research report will help to
Human trafficking is prevalent in today's culture, yet most people are unaware of it.
Millions of individuals throughout the world are victims of human trafficking, which deprives
them of their human rights and values. The primary goal of this document is to educate
individuals about the hazards and dangers associated with human trafficking.
4
“‘Why Can't Victims of Trafficking Just Walk Away?" " Stop the Traffik,” STOP THE TRAFFIK,
February 21, 2020, https://www.stopthetraffik.org/cant-victims-trafficking-just-walk-away/.
5
Safe Horizon, “Human Trafficking Statistics & Facts,” Safe Horizon, April 29, 2020,
https://www.safehorizon.org/get-informed/human-trafficking-statistics-facts/.
6
“Analysis of 2020 National Human Trafficking Hotline Data,” Polaris, January 13, 2022,
https://polarisproject.org/2020-us-national-human-trafficking-hotline-statistics/.
3
In order to reach my aims, I will use the internet to find all the background information I
need, and along with that I also plan to use surveys to generalise how people perceive human
trafficking. I expect the outcome to be a reduction in the amount of human trafficking that takes
place as more people will be aware of the danger it poses and will know how to overcome it.
Context
Many people believe that survivors of human trafficking suffer from a variety of negative
consequences like mental illnesses. One reason for this is that studies and interviews of survivors
have revealed that the trauma induced by human trafficking leads to mental illnesses. One such
study that shows mental problems states that survivors suffer depression, hopelessness, sorrow
and unhappiness, and uncontrollable and sudden sobbing.7 This shows us that people who have
been trafficked and survived it have faced negative consequences in the form of mental trauma.
By looking at all this evidence we can see that survivors of human trafficking suffer from a
Many people believe that survivors of human trafficking suffer extreme physical trauma.
One reason people believe that is because of the things the victims have to go through. Dr. Ligia
7
“Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide,” OVC TTAC: Office for Victims of Crime Training &
Technical Assistance Center, August 3, 2017, https://www.ovcttac.gov/taskforceguide/eguide/4-supporting-
victims/44-comprehensive-victim-services/mental-health-needs/.
4
Kiss, lecturer of social epidemiology, says “We had very high levels of violence reported, as
well. We had almost half of the sample reporting physical or sexual violence, or both of them.
Almost half the men reported physical violence. And 44 percent of the adult women interviewed
reported sexual violence. Among children these numbers are very high, as well, with 36 percent
of children reporting either physical or sexual violence or both,”.8This quote shows us that
people who have been trafficked and survived it have had to survive severe physical trauma and
violence. By looking at all this evidence we can see that survivors of human trafficking suffer
extreme physical trauma. In conclusion, we can see that human trafficking has various negative
However, human trafficking is a very profitable business. This is because it earns the
traffickers millions of dollars every year, while others suffer. The evidence for it is provided by
the ILO which states that in the private sector, forced labour creates an annual profit of $150
billion dollars.9This shows us that human trafficking is a highly profitable and lucrative crime,
giving the traffickers such high amounts of cash that they cannot not traffic. Along with the fact
that traffickers don’t have to work at all, except forcing their victims to work. All this evidence
Along with being profitable, human trafficking is also very low risk. One reason this is
because victims are scared of their traffickers. The prospect of deportation, threats, fear of
retaliation, and other penalties, are things that cause victims to be hesitant to expose the
traffickers. 10 This shows us that there are many parts to human trafficking that make it a low-risk
8
Joe DeCapua, “Trafficking Victims Suffer Mentally, Physically,” VOA (Trafficking Victims Suffer
Mentally, Physically, February 19, 2015), https://www.voanews.com/a/human-trafficking-health-
19feb15/2650476.html.
9
“Ilo Says Forced Labour Generates Annual Profits of US$ 150 Billion,” Economics of forced labour: ILO
says forced labour generates annual profits of US$ 150 billion, May 20, 2014, https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-
ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_243201/lang--en/index.htm.
10
“Why Is Human Trafficking Said to Be a Low-Risk and Highly Profitable Criminal Activity?
Delatnost?,” atina, August 3, 2017, http://www.atina.org.rs/en/why-human-trafficking-said-be-low-risk-and-highly-
5
crime when compared to others, and that traffickers use fear and violence to control their
victims. This makes trafficker easy to carry out too. All this shows us that human trafficking is
also very low-risk for the traffickers. In conclusion, this shows that human trafficking is
profitable along with being very low-risk for the traffickers allowing it to easily be one of the
Method
The secondary research approach will be used to acquire background material and
discover different viewpoints on the topic, whereas the primary research method will be a single
questionnaire.
To obtain the information I required, I relied heavily on the Internet for background
material. I used an online tool to check the date of the sources to guarantee that my sources are
current. My main sources are Stop The Traffik and Safe Horizon, sources I considered as
credible, since they are non-profit organisations. As a result, I judged the material to be
trustworthy, credible, and current. I explored numerous viewpoints from the sources and
included them in my study to ensure that my report was free of prejudice and inaccuracies. As a
result, I judged the material to be reliable, reputable and recent. I explored numerous viewpoints
from the various sources and included them in my study to ensure that my report was free of
prejudice and inaccuracies, even though it was hard to do so due there being few pros of human
trafficking.
My primary method will be an online survey conducted using the website google forms.
Teenagers, adults, middle-aged persons, and the elderly will be the target of my research.
Respondents will come from all across the world. The grounds for selecting such a group are to
profitable-criminal-activitydelatnost.
6
provide a variety of experiences depending on different time frames. As a result, their replies
will be distinct.
The questionnaire will consist of 7-10 questions that will first determine the respondents'
age group, gender, and then their level of awareness about the subject.
Permission from our Critical Thinking teacher is required before I conduct my survey so
that I may examine the accuracy and relevancy of my survey questionnaires. The questionnaire
Furthermore, I feel that using these approaches, the legitimacy and validity of my project
Conclusion
Human trafficking is a profoundly harmful practice that causes emotional and physical
anguish to its victims, as well as bad consequences for mankind and society as a whole.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, human traffickers use and exploit
people's vulnerabilities to seduce them into forced labour and sex trafficking. Human traffickers
prey on those who are looking for a better life, who are unemployed, have an unstable family
situation, or who have been sexually or physically abused in the past. Traffickers entice victims
with promises of a high-paying career, a loving relationship, or new and exciting prospects, then
employ physical and psychological abuse to keep them under their control.11
11
“The Traffickers,” National Human Trafficking Hotline, September 26, 2014,
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-trafficking/human-trafficking/traffickers.
7
Based on the survey data, we can see that most individuals believe that to protect yourself
from human trafficking they have to be wary of their surroundings, and they also have to stay
away from strangers. This implies that they do not know how to protect themselves from being
trafficked. However, the National Human Trafficking Hotline states that the people should assess
the current risk and identify any existing or future safety issues, along with trying to develop
According to Dr. Kiss, human trafficking has devastating effects on the victims. Nearly 60%
of the individuals Dr. Kiss interviewed, for example, showed depressive symptoms. Post-
traumatic stress disorder was also prevalent, with over half of the participants experiencing
anxiety. She also stated that there were also reports of extremely high levels of violence. Almost
half of the respondents said they had experienced physical or sexual violence, or both. Almost
half of the guys said they had been physically abused and 44 percent of the women reported
sexual violence.13
Ultimately, this research shows that human trafficking has various and extreme negative
effects on its victims. Both primary and secondary data collected showed human trafficking as
negative. Morals and ethics are a prime determinant, thus placing this view towards people. This
12
“Safety Planning Information,” National Human Trafficking Hotline, January 12, 2019,
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/faqs/safety-planning-information.
13
Joe DeCapua, “Trafficking Victims Suffer Mentally, Physically,” VOA (Trafficking Victims Suffer
Mentally, Physically, February 19, 2015), https://www.voanews.com/a/human-trafficking-health-
19feb15/2650476.html.
8
research paper shows the terrible consequences of human trafficking on human life, and the
Bibliography
DeCapua, Joe. “Trafficking Victims Suffer Mentally, Physically.” VOA. Trafficking Victims
Suffer Mentally, Physically, February 19, 2015. https://www.voanews.com/a/human-
trafficking-health-19feb15/2650476.html.
DeCapua, Joe. “Trafficking Victims Suffer Mentally, Physically.” VOA. Trafficking Victims
Suffer Mentally, Physically, February 19, 2015. https://www.voanews.com/a/human-
trafficking-health-19feb15/2650476.html.
Hartmann, Micah. “Causes & Effects of Human Trafficking.” The Exodus Road, July 6, 2021.
https://theexodusroad.com/causes-effects-of-human-trafficking/.
Human Trafficking Statistics & Facts. Safe Horizon, April 29, 2020.
https://www.safehorizon.org/get-informed/human-trafficking-statistics-facts/.
Human Trafficking Statistics & Facts. Safe Horizon, April 29, 2020.
https://www.safehorizon.org/get-informed/human-trafficking-statistics-facts/.
Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide. OVC TTAC: Office for Victims of Crime Training &
Technical Assistance Center, August 3, 2017.
https://www.ovcttac.gov/taskforceguide/eguide/4-supporting-victims/44-comprehensive-
victim-services/mental-health-needs/.
Ilo Says Forced Labour Generates Annual Profits of US$ 150 Billion. Economics of forced
labour: ILO says forced labour generates annual profits of US$ 150 billion, May 20, 2014.
https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_243201/lang--en/
index.htm.
Safety Planning Information” National Human Trafficking Hotline, January 12, 2019.
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/faqs/safety-planning-information.
Stop The Traffik. “The Scale of Human Trafficking.” STOP THE TRAFFIK, June 21, 2017.
https://www.stopthetraffik.org/about-human-trafficking/the-scale-of-human-trafficking/.
Understanding the Impact of Human Trafficking & Modern-Day Slavery. Human Trafficking
Search. akanksha, August 3, 2017. http://humantraffickingsearch.org/impact/.
9
Why Can't Victims of Trafficking Just Walk Away? “Stop the Traffik.” STOP THE TRAFFIK,
February 21, 2020. https://www.stopthetraffik.org/cant-victims-trafficking-just-walk-
away/.
Why Is Human Trafficking Said to Be a Low-Risk and Highly Profitable Criminal Activity?
atina, August 3, 2017. http://www.atina.org.rs/en/why-human-trafficking-said-be-low-risk-
and-highly-profitable-criminal-activitydelatnost.
Appendices
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