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Human Trafficking is a crime that deprives millions of people of their dignity and freedom. An estimated 27.6 million are currently victims of trafficking worldwide, and, sadly, many of them are often hidden right in front of us. To properly tackle this crime, it will take a commitment from each of us to end human trafficking. Targeted awareness and outreach efforts are essential. National Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2023 - United States Department of State

 

The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which has 117 signatories and 173 parties, defines human trafficking as:

The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation or the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal, manipulation or implantation of organs... Human trafficking - Wikipedia 

 

Child Trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. Children are trafficked for purposes such as domestic labour, armed groups, criminal activity, and even adoption. Even if they escape, the physical and emotional trauma has a long-term impact – the fear, abuse and stigma that children can experience may make it difficult for them to reintegrate in society and rebuild their lives. | | (wvi.org)

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Human Trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar industry, which continues to prey upon the world’s most vulnerable countries and populations. Women, children, and increasingly a large number of boys are exploited each day and put into situations of forced labour, sexual servitude, forced marriage and debt bondage. Caribbean nations, many of which have weak political structures, poor governance, and heightened levels of poverty, crime and illiteracy are among the transit and destination countries affected by trafficking. A critical approach to understanding human trafficking in the Caribbean: The International Journal of Human Rights: Vol 24, No 10 (tandfonline.com)

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What forms/terms of Human and Sex Trafficking exist?

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Trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” are umbrella terms – often used interchangeably – to refer to a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex.  When a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion involved. Ritual Sex Abuse, pornography, prostitution, escorting, cyber trafficking, online grooming, online exploitation, exploitation, grooming, luring, stripping, exotic dancing, brothels, Illicit massage businesses, finesse pimping, guerilla pimping, survival sex, child sex tourism, forced marriage, forced labor, forced child labor, child soldiers, debt bondage, adrenochrome harvesting, organ trade/harvesting are all forms of trafficking in persons.

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Pornography - In material reality, pornography is one way women and children are trafficked for sex. To make visual pornography, the bulk of the industry's products, real women and children, and some men, are rented out for use in commercial sex acts. In the resulting materials, these people are then conveyed and sold for a buyer's sexual use. Pornography as Trafficking (umich.edu)

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Sex Trafficking - (Prostitution/Escorting) - is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. [1] Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. [2] Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. [3] Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. Sex trafficking - Wikipedia