Brianna Eberl

SAEL 200 (004)

11 Dec 2015
Writing Assignment 3
Human Trafficking: Opposing an Inhumane Industry

Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world, second only to drug dealing

(Facts about trafficking, 2015). Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery in which

individuals are subjected to forced labor or sexual exploitation through force, fraud, or coercion.

Although it is illegal everywhere, human trafficking occurs in every country, enslaving an

estimated 35.8 million people worldwide (Findings, 2014; Learn, 2015; The problem, 2015). In

the U.S alone, an estimated 60,100 people, or 0.019% of the population, are victims of human

trafficking, and between 14,500 and 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the country

yearly (Facts about trafficking, 2015; United States, 2014). Although some people may view

human trafficking as a distant problem, it is still a very real issue in the United States and in

South Carolina. Like any industry, human trafficking functions on the principles of supply and

demand. Although most current efforts to address human trafficking focus on decreasing supply

through education programs, rescue and restoration of victims, and punishment of traffickers,

rescued victims will simply be replaced by others unless something is done to address demand. A

discussion of the abuse suffered by victims and the policies that have historically been used to

address human trafficking can provide a framework for understanding how the systems of

consumerism and pornography perpetuate human trafficking in the United States. Human

trafficking can be shown to be at odds with the United State’s core values of freedom and the

sanctity of human life. Unless citizens begin to recognize the impact of their purchases and

decisions on human lives, and the government formulates and enforces effective policies to

prevent exploitation, the United States risks undermining its own key values.
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Human trafficking is a serious human rights issue because it dehumanizes individuals,

undermining their dignity and security. In the United States, individuals are exploited for

commercial sex or forced labor in a variety of settings including brothels, online, in businesses,

at hotels, in restaurants, at truck stops, and through domestic service (Facts about trafficking,

2015; Sex trafficking, 2015). Traffickers prey on people’s financial or emotional insecurities,

luring victims with false promises of jobs or romantic relationships (Sex trafficking, 2015).

Human trafficking affects the most vulnerable members of society namely women, children,

minorities, immigrants, the disabled, and the poor (Sex trafficking, 2015). Victims of human

trafficking commonly suffer physical, emotional, and verbal abuse (The victims, n.d.; Nicole’s

story, 2015). Traffickers often criminalize victims by forcing them to take drugs and engage in

other illegal activity such as recruiting others, which further increases stigma against them

(Nicole’s story, 2015).

Although slavery has been an issue throughout human history, national and state policies

to specifically address the exploitation associated with human trafficking have only been put in

place in recent years. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the U.S government

first declared human trafficking a criminal offense and classified anyone less than eighteen years

old who was sexually exploited a victim regardless of whether force or coercion was used

(Littrell, 2015). In 2012, legislation was passed in South Carolina that characterized human

trafficking as a felony punishable with up to fifteen years in prison (Wilson, 2014). Then in June

of 2014, a South Carolina task force was established to enforce laws and implement

recommendations based on research findings on human trafficking (Wilson, 2014).

While important, legislation against traffickers will not eliminate human trafficking as

long as there are systems in place that contribute to demand for it. The increasing desire in
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American society to get things without having to work much for them and a sense of entitlement

drives the consumerism that helps to perpetuate human trafficking. In keeping with the American

dream and desire for economic success, many Americans would rather import goods from other

countries than make them there, but they may not realize that low prices often cost human lives.

Many of the goods Americans buy, from produce to electronics, have been produced using

forced labor, often in developing countries with weaker law enforcement and labor laws (What?

Slaves work for me? 2013). According the Trafficking in Persons Report (2015), exploitation

can occur at every level of the supply chain. In the case of electronics, forced labor is utilized in

the mining of raw materials, the assembling of individual parts, and the production of the final

products (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2015). In 2010, reports came out about inhumane labor

practices in Chinese companies that supplied materials to Apple. The companies were forcing

employees to work excessive overtime, employing underage workers, and using and improperly

disposing of chemicals that were toxic and caused several deadly explosions (Duhig & Barboza,

2012). The appalling conditions even led more than a dozen workers at Foxconn factory in

Shenzhen, China to commit suicide (Winsor, 2015). In response to the situation, one former

Apple executive admitted, “We’re trying really hard to make things better, but most people

would still be really disturbed if they saw where their iPhone comes from” (Duhig & Barboza,

2012). Another study by Responsible Resourcing Network revealed that popular companies

Forever 21, Costco, Sears, Urban Outfitters, and All Saints have done little to address issues with

their cotton supplier in Uzbekistan, which had formerly forced nearly two million children as

young as seven years-old to pick cotton for ten hours a day for two to three months out of the

year (Chua, 2014).

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Pornography, so prevalent in our society and a $100 billion business, is also closely

related to the $32 billion human trafficking industry (Lillie, 2014). Traffickers often use

pornography to train victims in the type of acts they are to perform. Victims may also be forced

to make pornography, which perpetrators can use to blackmail and shame them (Lillie, 2014).

Hughes (2004) notes that movies and other media commonly portray commercial sex and

prostitution in a positive light, increasing the public’s acceptance of it. Bob Healy, a

spokesperson for Columbia-based anti-trafficking organization, Lighthouse for Life, suggests

that pornography fuels the demand for commercial sex, changing men’s values so they desire

more and increasingly younger victims (Personal communication, November 17, 2015).

Americans directly contribute to the perpetuation of human trafficking, not only by

importing people into the country, but also by their prevailing inclination toward consumerism

and the practice of pornography. For this reason, they have an ethical obligation to address the

issue. Philosopher Peter Singer (1972) speaks to this, arguing that if people can prevent harm to

others without sacrificing anything morally significant themselves, they should act. The

consumerism and sexualization of American society can pose as a form of “tyranny of prevailing

opinion and feeling” that philosopher John Stuart Mill says imposes its will on others, and in the

case of human trafficking, literally keeps people enslaved (Mathias, 2007, p. 44). The media,

including movies, advertisements, TV, and music exemplifies this by promoting the message that

“it is all about me and what I want,” an idea that contributes to the demand for human

trafficking. As a country, America claims to esteem freedom and the sanctity of human life as

some of its most fundamental values; however, perpetuation of labor trafficking through the

purchase of cheap products and support of the thriving commercial sex industry that drives sex

trafficking undermines these professed values.

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Since many Americans don’t realize the influence of slave labor in the products they

purchase, effective solutions should promote public awareness. One website,

ChainStoreReaction.com, enables consumers to sign and send a prewritten letter to influential

companies requesting them to respond to a survey regarding human rights policies in their supply

chain (Home, n.d.). The United States Department of Labor also maintains a list of items along

with their source countries, which it believes may have been produced by child or forced labor

(List of goods, 2015). Another organization, Made in A Free World also created an interactive

survey that answers the question “How Many Slaves Work for You?” (What? Slaves work for

me? 2013). Each of these websites help make consumers more aware of the impact of their

purchases so they can choose to buy goods that weren’t made using forced labor, ultimately

decreasing demand for further human trafficking.

Recognition, however, is not sufficient in itself since it does not always lead to action.

Singer (1972) recognizes this when he notes, “Discussion, though, is not enough. What is the

point of relating philosophy to public (and personal) affairs if we do not take our conclusions

seriously?” (p. 229). Not many people would argue that human trafficking is an inhumane

practice or would want to keep people enslaved; however, economic costs may prevent both

companies and individuals from taking action. When faced with accusations in 2010 concerning

the unethical labor practices of its suppliers in China, Apple responded that they were committed

to addressing any discovered abuse; however, former executives admitted that this did not

always happen due to the significant expense of finding new suppliers (Duhig & Barboza, 2012).

Individuals also may not have the means or desire to pay Fair Trade prices, which for some items

like chocolate and coffee, are significantly higher than low quality, mass-produced items and

similar to prices of gourmet products (Resource library, 2015). Philosopher Charles Taylor also
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argues that the way in which we recognize others in addressing abuse is important. Many people

do not know how to engage with the issue of human trafficking and do not see how their efforts

can make a difference. They see victims as distant, faceless statistics rather than human beings.

Taylor (1994) notes that this type of misrecognition can be extremely harmful, contributing to

victims’ self-deprecating view of themselves and preventing them from forming positive

identities.

Government policies and positive consumer recognition can help to minimize these

barriers to action aimed at decreasing forced labor in supply chains. One such policy is the U.S.

government’s practice of subsidizing Fair Trade companies to decrease costs for consumers and

allow them to be competitive in the world market (Kurjanska & Risse, 2006). Singer (1972)

agrees that the government has such a responsibility to address injustice but notes that the

government will not take action against abuse unless its citizens show that they care about the

problem. Singer also speaks to the issue of whether people have a responsibility to address

injustice if it is physically distant from them. He says that although physical proximity may make

people more likely to help others, because of the increasing ease of global communication and

transport and the universal nature of human rights, distance should not be a factor in determining

moral responsibility (Singer, 1972). Organizations that emphasize consumers’ responsibility to

decrease labor trafficking through their purchases, such as Chain Store Reaction and Made in a

Free World, also help bring the issue closer to home by enabling consumers to see how they are

directly assisting someone on the other side of the world. Additionally, many recent films and

documentaries, such as In Plain Sight and Call + Response, make the potentially distant and

abstract issue of human trafficking come alive for people and highlight specific actions that they

can take to affect change.

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As with forced labor, effective solutions to combat the sexual exploitation side of human

trafficking must also attempt to decrease demand. Existing solutions to address sex trafficking, in

accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, focus on decreasing supply by

prosecuting traffickers and providing restoration services to victims, but they do little to penalize

those who purchase commercial sex, colloquially known as “Johns”. In South Carolina, a first

time offense of illegally purchasing commercial sex can incur a fine of up to $200, which is one

of the lowest penalties in the country and similar to the price of a traffic ticket (Personal

communication, November 17, 2015). Although the advent of the Internet has dramatically

increased the ease with which people can be trafficked and exploited, the laws have not been

changed since 1986. Operations to break up multi-state human trafficking rings do little to

disrupt the system as a whole and can cost taxpayers billions of dollars since they require trained

law enforcement, investigators, and others. Legislation, such as that which Bob Healy is

currently working on to amend the SC criminal code and increase the penalties for Johns who

solicit commercial sex, address the root of the problem. A survey of one hundred Johns in

Boston revealed that deterring them may even be as simple as ensuring that buying sex from

minors results in them being put on the Sex Offender’s Registry (Personal communication,

November 17, 2015).

While stricter penalties on people who buy commercial sex would arguably decrease

demand for it, some contend that a distinction needs to be made between those who buy sex

illegally from human trafficking victims, and those who buy it from prostitutes in places were it

is legal, such as some counties in Nevada (Gregorio, 2015; 100 countries, 2015). For this

reason, legislation to punish John’s is closely tied to the controversial issue of the legalization of

prostitution (Gregorio, 2015). Supporters of legalized prostitution also argue that programs to
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educate Johns on how to identify human trafficking victims would be sufficient to enable human

trafficking victims to be rescued (Gregorio, 2015). Additionally, in discussing his legislation to

punish Johns, Bob Healy noted that laws are useless unless they are enforced (Personal

communication, November 17, 2015). South Carolina already has very strong laws to decrease

the supply for human trafficking, but these have not been well implemented, and it is unlikely

that this new legislation would be better enforced unless it receives significant community

backing. This is primarily due to the high cost of prosecution efforts. Since sheriffs hold elected

positions, they are not likely to spend significant time and effort to address an issue unless they

are supported by their constituents, and currently, there is little community pressure for laws

against Johns (Personal communication, November 17, 2015).

The issue of how exactly to prosecute Johns to increase the demand for human trafficking

is controversial, and depends on whether an individual believes prostitution should be legalized.

Nevertheless, as discussed above, the distinction between human trafficking, pornography, and

prostitution is not very clear, since they are highly connected, associated with the same types or

abuse, and often utilized by the same individuals. Additionally, The assertion that educating

Johns will allow them to distinguish between human trafficking victims and prostitutes and thus

be part of the solution is implausible because the purchase of commercial sex implies an attitude

of devaluing and objectifying people. The root of the problem is a desire for personal pleasure at

the expense of others. While current human trafficking laws are often poorly implemented,

community awareness efforts can encourage constituents to use their democratic rights to support

these laws and ensure they are enforced. Taxpayers should be informed about the ways in which

laws targeting demand will ultimately decrease costs for rescue interventions and restoration
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services. Bob Healy noted that lobbying by the faith-based community is an especially

significant source of support (Personal communication, November 17, 2015).

When reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, every school child concludes by proclaiming that

that the United States is a nation with “liberty and justice for all”; however, in the case of human

trafficking this is simply not true. Not only is the United States a major destination for foreign

trafficking victims, but the desire for cheap, imported products and the acceptance of

pornography contribute to the demand for it. Since human trafficking is such a widespread,

financially profitable business, efforts to combat it must focus on the demand that drives it in the

first place. Several websites acknowledge this need by providing information to consumers about

products made with slave labor, allowing them to make more ethical purchases. Additionally,

laws that inflict stricter penalties on those who purchase commercial sex, such as those being

promoted in South Carolina, can also prevent human trafficking. Americans should use their

freedom of choice to promote the freedom of those who don’t have such a choice.
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