Please provide feedback for the two discussion assignment in 100 words each.

Discussion #1

I looked at the "Human Trafficking/Involuntary Servitude" article done by the FBI and also the "Understanding and addressing violence against women" pdf by the World Health Organization. Human trafficking is a human slavery that usually involved forced labor, commercial sex trafficking, and domestic servitude (FBI, n.d.). Trafficking can come in different ranges such as agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, forestry, construction, domestic servitude, cleaning and hospitality services (World Health Organization, 2012). People from the United States and other countries are both victims to human trafficking. There are no restrictions to it (FBI, n.d.). Men, women, and children can all be a victim to human trafficking (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018). All countries, genders, and people at younger ages are at risk for human trafficking.

I watched the video Cargo: Innocent Lost. The video provides the viewers with the facts that 2 million people are trafficked around the world annually while 27 million people are in slavery around the world. This video was made in 2007 so just imagine how much those numbers may have increase over the past 11 years. One of the narrators stated that the traffickers who are in charge of human trafficking "know how to identify a kid." Traffickers to go to kids who look life they are lonely, vulnerable, or who have possibly been abused and try to get them to feel accepted. In society there is just a demand for sex. Another narrator says that in some network one woman will see 5-10 or sometimes even 25-30 men in one day depending on the network. That is absolutely disgusting! Not every person who is a victim to human trafficking are sex traffic victims, but 70% of the victims are.

Watching the video just gives me an overall sketchy vibe. It is so crazy to think that this stuff happens in the real world. One of the narrators stated that the traffickers "use other people to make a profit." "Using people" just does not sit well with me. I think this whole topic is absolutely disgusting! The people who have become victims to sex trafficking are human beings too and do not deserve to be in this mess. Human traffickers are everywhere in our world and people need to be aware of that and take precautions. One thing that surprised me overall was that human trafficking is believed to be the third-largest criminal activity in the world.

Discussion #2
Human Trafficking is the practice of illegally transporting adults and children from one area to another, often for the purpose of exploitation. In many instances, the victims of human trafficking are taken from their homes and forced into performing labor or sexual practices. Populations at risk include those living in extreme poverty or in a situation where living standards have been disrupted from events such as civil war, natural disasters or government upheaval.

Risk factors include the items listed above, along with people who are forced to leave an area based on various unstable situations. Other risk factors include mental illness, addiction issues, identification with a gang and simply being leveraged in a number of different ways, including financially. Whenever large populations essentially become migrants, they often become vulnerable and are easy targets for others to exploit. Different types of human trafficking include forcing people into various labor, performing sexual acts or forcing people into military combat.

I viewed the "Not for Sale" documentary. The documentary highlights the expansive nature of what is modern slavery. Staggering numbers are presented that show the tens of millions of people around the world - mostly children - that are forced into labor and sexual exploitation. The documentary makes the case that today's human trafficking epidemic is greater than American slavery before the American Civil War. The main focus of the documentary is showing the tremendous efforts of abolitionist organizations around the world who fight to rescue these victims and bring them back to a life of freedom.

I was amazed by the numbers presented in the documentary. While I'm aware of the issue of sexual trafficking, I usually associated the practice with certain regions of the world. I was not aware that this epidemic affects nearly every part of the world, including areas that are geographically close to me. Also, I was surprised by how many people are forced into what is essentially slave labor. I think the most upsetting connection here is that many people in power and businesses rely on this slave labor in order to turn profits.

I reviewed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report on Human Trafficking. Some numbers that surprised me including the amount of trafficking that consisted of sexual exploitation (79%). Also, the idea that mainly women are the ones who control a lot of sexual trafficking of other women surprised me. Typically, I think of such a practice as a male-dominated activity. Finally, statistics on forced labor may be misleading, as such practices are commonly underreported. In this sense, the numbers of people forced into labor may be much higher (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2017).

As for my hypothetical friend that is going backpacking around Europe, I would alert them that human trafficking is not just something seen in movies or can only occur in remote places around the globe. I would show them examples from the documentary or via online resources highlighting how the practice occurs both globally but also in major cities around America. As for safety, I would encourage my friend to never travel around areas by themselves - rather always staying in large groups. Other tips could include to be cautious before volunteering for various groups that may have sinister motives, registering with the local U.S. embassy and to wear various types of tracking tags at all times. Finally, this friend needs to guard their passport at all times.

As for the scenario where I suspected a person to be a victim of human trafficking, I would consider if the person exhibits signs of physical abuse or is reluctant to be by themselves. I would also pay attention to how the person interacts. According to U.S. Department of State guidelines, a suspected trafficking victim often answers questions in a scripted, rehearsed manner - as if their exploiter has previously told them what to say (U.S. Department of State, 2017).

I would ask the suspected victim such questions as where they sleep, eat, go during the day, if they're enrolled in school, if they have a passport, etc. As for immediate action, I would call law enforcement/911 immediately. According to the U.S. Department of State, I would not try to personally rescue the victim - for fear of the person attempting to retaliate and/or the trafficker attempting to reclaim the victim (U.S. Department of State, 2017).