Capstone Paper Outline - Logan Cunningham

Purpose: To educate Americans on the epidemic of human trafficking that surrounds them and

discuss other educational programs to increase American awareness of the dangers of human

trafficking

Thesis: In order to better inform individuals on the epidemic of human trafficking in the United

States, the standard of ignorance and culture of tolerance of the American people must be

addressed. By implementing programs, as well as increasing funding for human trafficking

education and prevention, Americans will gain a better understanding of the dynamics of human

trafficking, inadvertently breaking down the trade of innocent Americans one step at a time.

I. The Basics of Human Trafficking

a. Human trafficking can be defined as “(a) the recruitment, harboring, transporting,

supplying, or obtaining a person for labor or services through the use of force,

fraud, or coercion for the purpose of involuntary servitude or slavery” (Logan, et

al., 2009).

b. Human trafficking is an epidemic in the United States, but in more ways than one

would assume. While 22% of the human trafficking that occurs in the United

States is forced prostitution, an astonishing 68% is forced labor exploitation,

something that most Americans contribute to without even realizing it.

c. Culture of Tolerance in the United States

i. “each of these countries maintains a ‘culture of tolerance’ that supports

flourishing sex trafficking markets. Although the markets are distinct in

each nation – shaped by factors such as history, language, and laws – they
 all require some level of tolerance within the community in order to exist”

(Kotrla, 2010).

ii. Despite the plethora of people and organizations attempting to aid in

resolving the issue, the amount of people who are ignorant or tolerant to

the issue heavily out numbers them.

d. “human trafficking in the US rose by 35.7 percent in one year” (Cone, 2017).

i. This is an astonishingly high rate, seeing as most people throughout the

United States don’t even realize that human trafficking occurs within their

country.

II. Sex Trafficking in the United States

a. “cases of international sex trafficking have increased public awareness about

human trafficking in the United States, yet many people remain unaware that

more U.S. citizens are victims of sex trafficking than are foreign nationals”

(Kotrla, 2010).

b. Degree of difficulty in identifying victims

i. “victims [of sex trafficking] may be more difficult to identify for several

reasons [such as] the covert nature of the human trafficking activity,

language and cultural beliefs, lack of victim knowledge about their rights,

isolation, and fear” (Logan, et al., 2009)

c. Media’s creation of unrealistic expectations

i. While sex trafficking often receives more attention in the United States

than other forms of trafficking, the unrealistic nature of its portrayal in the
 media creates unrealistic expectations of the sex trafficking industry

within the American people.

ii. “While prostitution is illegal, except in the state of Nevada, the sale of

pornography (aside from child pornography), and strip clubs are legal but

highly unregulated. Strip clubs, which are usually zoned in certain areas,

are often used as a front for prostitution” (Hepburn, et al., 2010).

III. Forced Labor Exploitation in the United States

a. “domestic, food and care services, garment, and agricultural slavery make up

46.2% of trafficking cases” globally (Hepburn, et al., 2010).

b. Criminal Justice System’s lack of attention

i. “between 20 and 60 percent of the people in the sex trade that were

surveyed said that they had been raped or assaulted by the police in the

past year alone” (Thrupkaew, 2015)

ii. Thrupkaew exposes the criminal justice system for their lack of assistance

when it comes to the issue of human trafficking, claiming that they are too

often part of the problem, rather than the solution.

c. Signs for Identification

i. “when the individual in question: is not free to leave or come and go as he

/ she wishes, is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips, owes a

large debt and is unable to pay it off, or was recruited through false

promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work”

(Recognize the signs, 2018).

 ii. Despite extensive lists and staggering statistics such as these, forced labor

prostitution is still under-analyzed throughout the United States, allowing

it to grow into a larger issue rather than begin to be resolved.

IV. Education for Americans

a. Thorn

i. Uniquely equipped non-profit that “join[s] forces with the sharpest minds

from tech, non-profit, government, and law enforcement [...] to stop the

spread of child sexual abuse material and stand up to child traffickers”

(Thorn, 2018).

ii. “[They] build powerful projects, lead new programs, maintain essential

resources, and develop awareness campaigns to attack the issues from all

sides” (Thorn, 2018).

iii. Through their work with more than 350 volunteers and members of the

tech community, 20+ international NGO partners and 40+ tech partners,

and over 5,000 law enforcement officers in all 50 states and over 18

countries, Thorn is fostering an extensive form of education throughout

the United States that other organizations have not achieved. By working

with such a broad expanse of individuals, Thorn is able to increase

education rates on sex trafficking in the United States, something that is

desperately needed.

b. Prevention Project / Richmond Justice Initiative

i. “The Prevention Project curriculum is Richmond Justice Initiative’s

award-winning, signature prevention education program. Richmond

 Justice Initiative (RJI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to

educate, equip, and mobilize communities to be a force in the global

movement to end human trafficking” (Richmond Justice Initiative, 2017).

ii. “The Prevention Project curriculum exists to not only prevent trafficking

from occurring, but also to create and equip student leaders to be a part of

the solution, bringing lasting change for our communities and beyond”

(Richmond Justice Initiative, 2017).

c. Disconnect between the human trafficking industry and the education level of the

American people

i. Issues within the Justice System

1. “select staff in nearly all of the law enforcement organizations that

participated in [the] study received training on human trafficking”

(Wilson & Dalton, 2007).

2. “only four of the departments indicated that they had personnel

assigned to deal exclusively with issues involving human

trafficking” (Wilson & Dalton, 2007).

ii. Many of these services are available, but respondents contend that they are

not adequately funded. […] While victims of trafficking have many

resource needs, [despite the lack of funding], the service providers

interviewed indicated a strong desire to reach more victims” (Wilson &

Dalton, 2007).

iii. The lack of education on the epidemic of human trafficking throughout the

United States furthers the disconnect between the American people and
 the victims of human trafficking, making it all the more difficult for those

without experience with the trade to understand its harsh reparations.

V. Conclusion

a. Overall, this epidemic of modern slavery has been ostracized by judges, police

officers, health professionals, and average Americans alike, allowing for the trade

of innocent human beings to flourish right under the noses of those who are

supposedly keeping Americans safe. Due to a lack of civic education, Americans

are being shielded from the truths of human trafficking and the grave danger it

imposes on a much more personal level than many would like to believe.