By Jasmine Salvesen
Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of organized international crime according to a BYU professor''s soon-to-be published article.
After five years of researching national and international issues relating to children and families, Jini Roby''s article, 'Women and Children in the Global Sex Trade: Toward More Effective Policy,' will appear in the journal International Social Work this December.
'Trafficking is the buying and selling of human beings for profit,' Roby said. 'In the case of the U.S., we address both labor exploitation and exploitation via commercial sexual abuse of women and children.'
According to Roby''s article, trafficking is considered a modern form of slavery and is the third most serious illegal trade after drugs and weapons. The human trafficking industry produces $7 billion a year.
The U.S. State Department estimates 800,000 to 900,000 humans are trafficked across international borders each year globally, not counting the trafficking that goes on inside countries. Each year, it is estimated 1.2 million women and children enter the sex trade alone.
Roby said women and children are trafficked for sexual purposes and commercial sexual exploitation all over the world. She said a lot of it occurs because of economic conditions and cultural norms about the value of women and female children.
'I hope that people will become more aware of the exploitation that occurs along with the dimension of exploitation that involves women and children,' Roby said. 'I hope we continue to push forward with mechanisms that will protect and that people will participate in assisting the victims wherever they may be, not necessarily just in the U.S., but globally.'
Roby said trafficking is a negative effect of globalization.
'Because of economic globalization, a lot of people are taking advantage of the people who are vulnerable because of their poverty and their cultural ideology of devaluing women and girls,' Roby said.
When there is the buying and selling of humans, fraud, coercions or duress are usually involved. The source uses misrepresentation, and sometimes force as a recruitment tool to bring victims into the industry, she said.
'By the time the victims learn of the true nature of the work, it is too late to turn back because they are in a strange country where they often do not speak the local language or know how to receive help,' Roby said. 'They are often threatened to have their illegal status exposed to the authorities and serve prison terms.'
She said there is more the U.S. can do to curtail the growing international trafficking problem by focusing on the victims.
'One of the things I think the U.S. law is missing is that it''s not a victim-friendly law,' Roby said. 'It''s a law enforcement tool. We use a law to convict the big violators, while in the mean time, the victims are not well protected because they are a tool in law enforcement and conviction.'
The trafficking market is always driven by the demand, Roby said. The U.S. creates a demand by contributing to the global problem both by having victims illegally brought into the country and also by the numbers of men who engage in sex tourism.
'We need to go even deeper because if there wasn''t the demand, there wouldn''t be the supply,' Roby said. 'There are local cultures who make it socially acceptable for men to have relationships outside of their marriage and cultural norms that say it''s OK that women are objects to be used and bought.'
Before the problem can be corrected, Roby said it will take people researching the issue and coming to an understanding about the detrimental crimes going on around them. Victim-centered education, basic services, legislation and enforcement, along with international cooperation to convict the criminals, are essential in making a dent in this problem.