Child Trafficking in the
US
Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labor and exploitation.[1]: Article 3(c) This definition is wider than the same document's definition of "trafficking in persons".[1]: Article 3(a) Children may also be trafficked for the purpose of adoption. Child trafficking is considered for organized crime facilitated and committed by multiple actors at the destination, transit, and source trafficking points. This crime is estimated to be the third greatest international criminal business that is generating almost 150 billion US dollars every year (Greenbaum, Katherine, and Jonathan 160). Child trafficking in the US is a market of crime which shows significant human rights violations where victims are dealt as commodities, traded, sold, bought, and utilized for meeting the demand for pornography, human organs, slavery, cheap labor, and sex all around the country. In this crime, the demand for children is due to terrorist activities, carpet weaving, mining, pornography, sex tourism, and cheap labor (Cockbain and Kristen 95). Similarly, the demand for young girls is for domestic work, pornography, and commercial exploitation of sex. However, the demand for boys in child trafficking is due to drug trafficking and bonded or forced labor (Gibbs, Sue, and Marianne 436). Child trafficking in the US is worse than any other crime as it could lead to many other serious crimes in society therefore more significant efforts are required to overcome this dangerous act in the community.
Some researchers believe that murder or robbery is the most dangerous criminals in the US however, it has been observed that child trafficking is becoming the source of several major illegal activities in this country (Greenbaum, Katherine, and Jonathan 161). Children are one of the most significant targets of human traffickers. Due to poor socio-economic situations, it is easy to trap or deceive children. These traffickers then force such children to work as a sex worker or as a free labor. It stops such child laborers from getting an education, going to school, and raising up into well-educated citizens that could result in a significant impact on the economy (Gibbs, Sue, and Marianne 436). Moreover, there is also a huge demand for kids for their commercial exploitation of sex that includes online as well as offline sexual abuse like explicit materials of child sexual abuse, and children utilization for pornography. Such children are also forced to survive conditions of inhuman living that could result in illnesses like malnutrition, stunted growth, respiratory disease, and different life-threatening diseases like STIs and HIV (Cockbain and Kristen 96). It has been observed that the profits that enterprises earn from child labor are significantly higher due to the wages paid to them are not equivalent or negligible to an adult worker however, this profit earned does not contribute positively to the economic development and health of the nation.
Many researchers argue that child trafficking could not impact the economy of any country. However, the reality is that child trafficking is becoming the major source of economic gains and losses in the US. It has been observed that such kind of child trafficking could also result in irretrievable human resources loss and deductions in revenue (Greenbaum, Katherine, and Jonathan 160). Trafficking yields no revenue or taxes and can lead to loss of net revenue due to money-laundering and tax evasion. Due to child trafficking, there would be a lower human accumulation capital and lower participation rate in the labor market (Gibbs, Sue, and Marianne 437). In some countries, child trafficking can influence the children's future productivity that may lose education access or suffer problems of health where the support of family is lost and parent is trafficked. There would be lesser individuals available to care for the family with very few resources that have a significant economic impact on these families. As a result of child trafficking, non-monetary loss of economy-like impacts related to health can be important as victims of child trafficking and their families suffer from its consequences. Since trafficking could cause premature death, there is a significant possibility of a loss of the victim's future productive capacity (Greenbaum, Katherine, and Jonathan 162). Similarly, the future impact of welfare needs and untreated health will be significant and, in several cases, communities and families are required to take on the extra-economic, social, and human burden (Cockbain and Kristen 97). Furthermore, the effects of corruption and bribery are known to accompany practices of trafficking can also destabilize regimes of regulatory authority and their supportive infrastructure.
As a significant organized crime with all its power of finance, human trafficking has an interlocking and complex negative impact on preservation of natural family, among economic, political, social, and human spheres. The impact of public health due to child trafficking is also very costly. These costs can hinder the growth and development of the nation. The victims of sex trafficking are at a significantly higher risk of infections that are transmitted sexually. Moreover, some common issues of health reported by the victims of child trafficking include back pain, stomach pain, headaches, and problems of mental health like psychiatric conditions, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression (Cockbain and Kristen 99). These problems related to victims of child trafficking can lead to several hindrances to quality and stable life that could impact the economic security and long-term wellness of victims of human trafficking.
It has been observed that some researchers debated that terrorism is the major source of child trafficking. However, in Unites States that is not the case. Sadly, important role trafficking is played by our own Social Services, known as CPS or DCFS. When most people hear “the state took my kids,” their minds jump to the worst conclusions. These cases are quiet and the courtrooms are closed, so I do not blame many for thinking if parents did not want to get sober or were beating their children or looking the other way while they were abused, or some other such nightmare scenario you see on the Lifetime channel. Those kinds of cases happen, but far more common are the ones where parents do their best their economic status is not good enough for CPS and their child is highly adoptable and, in that way, trafficked through forced adoption.
When children are left without families to make them feel loved and cared about, and are moved from one placement to another while in state custody, the attention they crave and stability they desire can be easily met by a trafficker. Children can find themselves seduced by the stability and love the traffickers offer, and can be blinded to the fact that they will only be used for financial gain. Youth in foster care have a history of having a “paycheck” attached to them as they move from placement to placement. In many cases, the child or youth is aware of their financial value and they tie their own sense of worth to a dollar amount, instead of recognizing their intrinsic value. This mental state is one that traffickers easily prey upon. Other factors that put youth in foster care at a higher risk to be manipulated by a trafficker include: feelings of hopelessness and depression, the trauma they have experienced, also being involved in the juvenile probation system, and having run away from their group or foster home. In fact, traffickers will often send one of their loyal girls, known as a recruiter, into different group homes to target new girls and convince them to leave or run away from the group home.
Although the US has made effective efforts to establish policies against human trafficking and assist its victims that are overcoming the economic impact of child trafficking, however, still there are some shortcomings in these efforts, particularly in the relationship among states and the federal government. The capabilities of the state in prosecuting the individuals involved in child trafficking and protecting its victims are limited due to insufficient resources. There is a lack of collaborative efforts among federal agencies and states to address the problem of child trafficking particularly when funding is pivotal to implement dependable and comprehensive efforts of anti-child trafficking and prosecutions (Gibbs, Sue, and Marianne 439). Similarly, states are also unable to provide temporary residency to the foreign victims of child trafficking. Some NGOs have also reported that law enforcement agencies are reluctant to offer a visa to the victim of child trafficking, and lengthen their time before these victims get immigration relief and benefits (Cockbain and Kristen 99). This problem of visa issuance could lead to unemployment for several human trafficking victims that could have a significant impact on the economy.
Conclusion
Child trafficking is considered one of the most significant issues of society. Many different families all around the US are facing family separation due to significant economic, social, and cultural issues. There are several pieces of evidence that prove that human trafficking is a source of several other crimes in society and possess a significant threat to the economic security of the nation. Current policies are playing a vital role in fighting against child trafficking and overcoming its economic impact. However, still there are many limitations which are causing hindrance in the complete eradication of this crime. Therefore, there is a need to overcome limitations and maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards those who play an important part in this RICO scheme, especially for those who work in government agencies and are part of Dependency/ Juvenile courts and are supposed to protect our children and not hurt them. I hope that soon, we will see more people in our country stand for all children, no matter the race or economic status.
Works Cited
Cockbain, Ella, and Kristen Olver. "Child trafficking: characteristics, complexities, and challenges." Child Abuse and Neglect. Academic Press, 2019. 95-116.
Gibbs, Deborah A., Sue Aboul-Hosn, and Marianne N. Kluckman. "Child labor trafficking within the US: A first look at allegations investigated by Florida’s child welfare agency." Journal of human trafficking 6.4 (2020): 435-449.
Greenbaum, V. Jordan, Katherine Yun, and Jonathan Todres. "Child trafficking: Issues for policy and practice." The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 46.1 (2018): 159-163.
