Trafficking children, women, and men is a serious crime as it violates fundamental human rights. It takes place when those vulnerable are forcefully abducted, threatened, or via means of deception, are inhumanly exploited. Age, gender, nationality are inconsequential when it comes to human trafficking, with almost 20% of victims worldwide, being children.
The majority of us are ill-informed about the problem at hand as the menace of human trafficking mainly goes undetected. It is believed that only a mere .04% of such cases are identified internationally.
The vast and growing network of human traffickers is mind-boggling, and it has become a profitable venture with them annually netting in roughly $150 billion. Let us begin by decoding the five common myths surrounding this harsh reality:
Myth 1: Trafficking Implies Only Sex Trafficking
Though almost half of those trafficked are sexually exploited across genders, around 24.9 million are also trapped into doing forced labor, including children. They are made to do heavy-duty manual work for many hours at a stretch and hardly paid.
Another mushrooming industry is the massive demand for organs. Here, healthy organs are deceitfully removed, illegally transported, and subsequently sold in the black market at exorbitant rates.
Myth 2: Does Not Happen in the Countries Like the US and the UK
Low-income regions are certainly more at risk when it comes to human trafficking, but, it will be unrealistic to exclude superpowers from this scary state of affairs. Even the USA and the UK are not spared.
50,000 is the rough estimate of people trafficked into the United States every year. Many of these instances do not even get reported with victims having to suffer in silence.
Myth 3: Women and Young Girls Are Worst Affected in Trafficking
Another common myth is that grown-up men and boys of tender ages are not prone to human trafficking. The truth is this section of the society mainly goes unnoticed with trafficked women garnering maximum attention.
Females account for 71% of the trafficked population, of which 20% are young girls. Since men are mostly the sole breadwinners of their family, they allow themselves to endure the exploitation for the sake of a paltry remuneration.
Myth 4: Trafficking Always Begins with Kidnapping
Traffickers are so adept at what they do and use different tactics to make you fall into their trap. The victims, in such cases, are not always kidnapped. There are instances wherein unsuspecting individuals fall for such traps by responding to advertisements promising secure and well-paying jobs.
At times, even a relative can deceive you into believing a worthwhile employment opportunity awaits you at the other end, whereas the reality is in stark contrast. Victims may also get enticed by proceeding with what appears to be a promising matrimonial proposition.
Myth 5: Victims Seek Help at Opportune Moments
People who experience abuse and exploitation are often threatened about the consequences of approaching authorities for help. Hence, they tend to live a hopeless existence in constant fear.
They might also blame themselves for their present condition. All these aspects make it even more challenging to identify and curtail such crimes.
Resolve to address this grave issue of human trafficking by acquiring a deeper understanding of its intricacies.
