You wake up to the door slamming open with men shouting at you, “Wake up! Get up!” Some even grabbing girls and pulling them to their feet. You and a bunch of the other girls are being pushed outside into the cold night. You’re running out when you meet another man who

is dragging and pushing girls up into the back of a box truck. Soon everyone is in squished together tightly. No one knows what is happening, where they are going, or if they will even make it back alive. This happens more often than you would think. Sex trafficking is starting to become more and more of an issue in today’s society. According to the the National Human Trafficking resource center, more than 3,500 sex trafficking cases were reported in one year alone. There needs to be more awareness about the severity of sex trade. If people are more aware, we could bring those terrifying statistics down. Because sex trafficking is becoming more of an issue, it’s important to understand what it means to be trafficked, how to avoid being vulnerable to trafficking, and being aware of programs created to assist those who have been victims.

Human trafficking is becoming more and more of an issue in today’s society, specifically sex trafficking. Many people may think they know what it is from hearing about it on the news or in an article, but truth is most people don’t really understand it. Homeland Security defines human trafficking as, “a modern day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.” This is relevant because Homeland Security works hard everyday to ensure that our homeland stays safe. They are seeing that human sex trafficking is starting to become more of an issue. Some may not be aware of the impact that human sex trafficking really has on our society. A 2014 study by Urban Institute discovered something terrifying, “Atlanta’s illegal sex industry brings in nearly $290 million a year (Ford).”  This study may be old, but this has only been increasing as more and more time goes on. This is just one place. Think about all the other places where innocent girls live are being ruined. According to an interview I had with Jessica Graham, a survivor liaison and services director of Survivors Ink, which is a company that allows victims to get rid of their brandings. She worked alongside Jennifer Kempton, the founder of the company and a victim herself. They believe there are more ways to spread awareness. Their company Survivors Ink believes,

The fight against human trafficking begins in your own backyard.  In fact, we have a division of our organization that reaches out locally to help the survivors in the city where we are based to spread hope and love, simply because we practice what we ask others to do.  By telling local non-profits that we exist or tattoo artists and removal providers that we need their help, you, each person can help a survivor in their city, look in the mirror and smile.

Human trafficking is something that happens all the time, way more than it should. If we become more aware of what is happening we could potentially help victims and prevent other women and young girls from falling into someone’s trap. Becoming a victim to human trafficking could really happen to anyone, however, there are a few things that could separate victims and that could make others more vulnerable than others.

There are many causes to human trafficking and there are ways to avoid it. Rafael Romo from CNN makes the claim, “U.S. and Mexican officials both point to a town in central Mexico that for years has been a major source of human trafficking rings and a place where victims are taken before eventually being forced into prostitution. The town is called Tenancingo (Romo).” This is a town where pimps are believed to be raised. A pimp is a man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking their earnings in return. People’s jobs are to take women and force them to sell their bodies. This is important to notice because Mexican officials believe that human trafficking originated here. CC Murphy who runs the Catch program says,

“There is a huge misconception about the choices women make. There are always men waiting for the girl whose father keeps hitting her or coming into her room at night, or whose mother is not present, or drunk, or high. These men often give them the first hope of love and protection they’ve ever had, and once they’re inside their heads – especially if addiction is apart of the dynamic – then the psychological and emotional manipulation is often more powerful than the physical stuff” (Kelly).

This is important because most of the men will play the women’s emotional mind set, specifically the girls who are vulnerable. Infact one statistic says, “The National Runaway Safeline in the States estimates that one third of all  teenage runaways will be approached by a potential exploiter within 48 hours of leaving home (Kelly).” The girls who are looking for someone to love them when they don’t feel like they are getting that at home makes it easy for men. The men are able to take that vulnerability and use it for their advantage. Rafael Romo interviewed Karla Jacinto who is a sex traffick survivor and victim. She says, “I came from a dysfunctional family, I was sexually abused and mistreated from the age of 5 by a relative (Romo).” It all started with her home life. The more someone is mistreated the more the feeling of love will overtake them. Specifically when you’ve been looking for it for so long and then finally retrieve it. Some may think the causes are already upsetting but the effects on a victims are even worse.

With every cause there are effects and the effects that human trafficking can have on people are detrimental. Karla Jacinto a victim says, “He started beating me with a chain in all of my body. He punched me with his fists, he kicked me, pulled my hair, spit at me in the face, and that day was when he burned me with an iron. I told him I wanted to leave and he accused me of falling in love with a customer. He told me I like being a whore (Romo).” Not only is this young teenager being raped over 20 times a day, but she also has to deal with being abused, verbally, physically, and sexually. That isn’t something that you can just erase from your mind. In Karla Jacinto’s interview with Rafael Romo he reveals, “Karla gave birth at 15 to a girl – a baby fathered by the pimp who would use the daughter to tighten the noose around her neck. If she didn’t fulfill every wish not only was her life in danger but he would harm or kill the baby as well (Romo).” It is common for women who are put through the sex trade to become pregnant and have a baby. In fact on average 55% of women who are being sex trafficked become pregnant. This now allows the pimp to have even more control over the young girl which causes even more traumatic stress. Jennifer Kempton, a victim and sex trafficking activist was branded by her pimp. She says, “Even after she freed herself of the gangs, drugs and sex, the tattoos on her body kept her trapped in that life… unable to move on (Kelly).” Even though you may be free and starting to get your life back on track, seeing that tattoo every morning when you wake up will only make you remember what has happened to you. It will make you relive every awful moment over and over and over again. Many victims strive to forget their past and luckily there are programs that can help them.

There are different programs created to help victims who have had a extremely hard lives. The sad thing is many times, the women are the ones who suffer the biggest punishment. Most of the time the pimps get a fine and are off back into the world, whereas the women may face jail time and now have prostitution on their records. CC Murphy runs a program that is called Catch and he explains, “The Catch program offers women facing jail terms for soliciting and prostitution an alternative in the form of a 3 year residential recovery and a reintegration program (Kelly).” In other words this program is trying to help women who must suffer jail terms with an alternative choice. The jail terms are unfair to most children and women as most are forced into the sex trade and don’t have any other choice. Another program was started by Jennifer Kempton and that is called Survivors Ink. She started this program because, “A year ago Jennifer visited a small tattoo shop just outside her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, with a very different marking where the flower now blooms. Then the side of her neck was marked with a crude black crown and the words “King Munch” – the insignia of the dope gang that sold her for sex out of boarded-up houses in a poor suburb of Columbus (Kelly).” Like said before you can be freed from your previous life but that doesn’t mean that those memories aren’t still with you wherever you go. Jennifer wanted to help her pain and by doing so she took an ugly branding and turned it into a beautiful tattoo that she can look at. She may always be reminded of her past, but at least she was able to turn something ugly into a piece of art. Her company now helps multiple survivors from all over the world. Sacharay a victim who suffered the evil trade got help from a nonprofit organization, “The Living Water Center provided Sacharay with two things that didn’t seem possible a few years ago. A GED and a job (Ford).” Like mentioned before many girls have to go to jail and suffer. They also have prostitution on their records and that’s not something that you can just erase. Getting a job with that kind of record can be very hard, but when there are organizations like “The Living Water Center” more girls lives can be changed for the good.

The girls make it to a new destination where they are woken up once again but this time by officers. The officers take all of the girls, but the real question is are their lives really saved? Not only is this going to have a physical impact on the girls but the mental effect will be even greater. The girls would find out their punishments… if they will be sent to jail or if they will be of the fortunate and have an alternative option. Even if they spend their time the memories of their past will never be forgotten. It all starts with understanding human sex trafficking, the causes, the effects, and the different preventions and treatments available. As citizens of the world, being aware about the sex trade and spreading awareness is important. The more aware people are, the more others can be helped and know what to look for. The person living right next to you could be a victim or even a pimp themselves. It’s important that young girls are educated and understand this business so they know what to look for to avoid becoming another victim in the future.

Works Cited

Ford, Dana. “Sex Trafficking: The New American Slavery.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Mar. 2017, www.cnn.com/2015/07/20/us/sex-trafficking/index.html.

Kelly, Annie. “’I Carried His Name on My Body for Nine Years’: Tattooed Trafficking Survivors Reclaim Their Past.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Nov. 2014, www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/nov/16/sp-the-tattooed-trafficking-survivors-reclaiming-their-past.

Romo, Rafael. “Human Trafficking Survivor: I Was Raped 43,200 Times.” CNN, Cable News Network, 20 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/2015/11/10/americas/freedom-project-mexico-trafficking-survivor/index.html