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Ambir Walton

Mrs. Cramer

Comp. Period. 2

14 April 2022

Dangers of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking started during the time of African American trade. After the official end of

slavery, human traffickers continued to kidnap, steal, and sell humans of all races for labor and sexual

purposes. Most people who are trafficked are women and children, with the occasional young men. The

frightening thing about human trafficking is that it is a very real issue and government officials struggle

to produce solutions to prevent it. Human trafficking can be prevented through knowledge about

human trafficking and taking measures to protect yourself.

Traffickers often give signs to whom they plan to take and being aware of these signs is a great

way to avoid the dangers of being taken. Traffickers are mostly found in cities and target young women

and children the most often. They will sometimes put things on your vehicle that lets other traffickers

know that you are a target. Some will hide under your car to slash your ankles to make it easier to take

you. Some traffickers are bold and will trick you into their house or vehicle. Nowadays, traffickers will

use social media to trick you into trusting them and take you when given the chance to meet or when

you give them personal information. Although most people associate this with targeted rape, traffickers

will also put poison in your drink that will make you more susceptible to kidnapping.

If you plan to move to a larger area or city, taking precautions against human trafficking could

be the difference between being safe and your own doom. Being safe on social media is a good place to

start. Some suggestions are never giving away your location to anyone that you may not personally

know. If you plan on meeting up with someone that you are unfamiliar with, suggest meeting at a public
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place and tell a friend or family member where you are going. Extra safety measures could include

cameras at your front door, extra door locks, or a safety keychain consisting of pepper spray, a window

breaker, and occasionally, a hidden knife or taser. Explaining to your children the dangers of human

trafficking and producing a plan on ways to avoid it is a way to secure your families safety when you may

not be present. Some suggest having a safe word between your children and other family members.

Phone apps like Life 360 help track your child to assure they are where they’re supposed to be. Taking

these precautions lessen your chance of being stolen.

Knowing these things help protect you but recognizing signs of human trafficking may save tons

of lives. Human trafficking victims appear to be malnourished and and may have physical injuries from

abuse. They tend to avoid eye contact and social interaction. There is a very high chance that if a victim

appears in public they will be escorted by their captor or being watched by them. These captors use

control and manipulaion to keep their victims defenseless. If you were planning to approach the victim,

be cautious and wise, but most of all, trust your instincts. These victims are anxious and fragile and have

most likely been threatened to avoid answering certain questions. But by recognizing these signs,

instead of approaching yourself, you could call authorities and give information on the victims and/or

captors which would help the cops capture the culprit and save the victim.

Human trafficking is an ongoing threat that can be avoided and sovled if enugh people took the

right precautions against it. By acknowledging human trafficking and preparing yourself for the threat,

you could ultimately save yourself and potentially help save others.
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Works Cited

Feingold, David A. "Human Trafficking." Foreign Policy, no. 150, Washingtonpost.Newsweek

Interactive, LLC, 2005, pp. 26–32, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30048506.

"Human Trafficking." Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, edited by Patrick L. Mason, 2nd ed.,

vol. 2, Detroit, MI, Macmillan Reference USA, 2013, pp. 365-70. Gale in Context: High

School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX4190600229/SUIC?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-

SUIC&xid=4483e393. Accessed 22 Mar. 2022.

Logan, T. K., et al. "Understanding Human Trafficking in the United States." Trauma, Violence,

& Abuse, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan. 2009, pp. 3–30, doi:10.1177/1524838008327262.

Skinner, Claire. "Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling." Immigration and Migration: In

Context, edited by Thomas Riggs and Kathleen J. Edgar, vol. 1, Gale, 2018, pp. 387-92.

In Context Series. Gale in Context: High School,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3662200081/SUIC?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-

SUIC&xid=1bc17f67. Accessed 25 Mar. 2022.