Abstract
The paper aims to study the nature of human trafficking, its statistical data, the main perpetrators of this crime, and the interventions San Diego County initiates to minimize the occurrence rate. The complexity of the definition of the crime is analyzed according to its multi-faceted and secluded character. The statistics show that San Diego is one of the most highly exposed to child trafficking areas in the USA.
The organizations launched in the county embrace legal, public, educational, and social spheres to enhance prosecution of the criminals and support for the victims and their families. The researcher utilizes literature sources and legal organizations’ reports to construct a coherent overview of the problem of human trafficking in San Diego and its threats to child welfare. The paper consists of an introduction, the consecutive sections addressing the definition of the issue, its legal background, the occurrence of child trafficking, and the interventions initiated by the authorities to fight the threat.
Introduction
Human trafficking, especially its manifestation in children, is a problem of worldwide concern. This criminal activity imposes many difficulties on the USA due to the high rates of this kind of crime on the territory of the country. According to the statistical data, “27 million people are trafficked each year worldwide, with approximately 18,000 victims in the U.S.” (“Human Trafficking FAQs”). The perpetrators of human trafficking forcefully enslave children and adults for unpaid labor or sexual services. The underground profit made on such illegal activities is immense and needs to be addressed by the authorities in different regions of the USA. The current paper concentrates on the analysis of the problem of human trafficking as a severe threat to child welfare in San Diego, California.
As a violation of human rights and the form of child abuse, human trafficking is a crime that exposes children to forced labor and commercial sexual activity. Despite numerous discussions by legal authorities, government, and social researchers, there is still a gap in the competent identification of the effective ways of detecting and fighting human trafficking. The high level of crime occurring in San Diego and the threat to child welfare aggravate the need to recognize and combat human trafficking on the local, governmental, and global levels to ensure the population’s safety.
Human Trafficking Definition
Human trafficking has existed for a long time and has emerged as a severe threat to the well-being of societies all over the world. Different approaches to the definition of crime emphasize its complex nature. Human trafficking exists in various manifestations and embraces different population layers, including adult men and women or children. This issue is regarded as the modern type of slavery on the basis of the lack of a person’s consent to be forced to work under oppression and illegal captivity (“Human Trafficking FAQs”). The 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act initiated in the USA provides a broad definition of criminal trafficking.
The crime is interpreted as “the recruitment, transport, receipt, or harboring of a person that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion” (Weitzer 225). According to Weitzer, the complexity of the nature of the crime imposes difficulties in the correct definition of the issue (224-225). Human trafficking is often connected with smuggling and slavery that, in the researcher’s opinion, need to be separated (Weitzer 224). However, the majority of perspectives on the crime address it from the point of view of the forced enslavement.
Indeed, the US authorities responsible for the elimination of the crime use the terms “trafficking” and “slavery” interchangeably, thus embracing a bigger number of victims (Weitzer 227). The main types of human trafficking are sex and labor trafficking. Define sex trafficking, it is “the exploitation of a person by means including coercion or deceit to engage in commercial sexual activity, prostitution, exotic dancing, or pornography (“Human Trafficking FAQs”).
This type of enslavement largely engages children and is regarded as child abuse. Labor trafficking is the exploitation of an individual by “coercion or deceit for labor services” with little or even the absence of payment (“Human Trafficking FAQs”). Because children under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to sexual activity, the crime obtains more severity in legal prospects.
The Legal Background of the Issue of Human Trafficking
The legislative branch of power in the USA recognizes human trafficking as a serious crime. For the past few decades, more than a hundred nations have “enacted laws criminalizing human trafficking” (Weitzer 224). This felony is a violation of human rights to be free, which is addressed as a crime by federal and California law (San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council 5).
The overall estimation of the number of labor trafficking victims in San Diego country is 38,458, as mentioned in the 2012 San Diego State University Report (San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council 6). Such a high rate of victimization emphasizes the acuity of the problem at the state level and attracts the efforts of legal authorities to combat the threat and ensure the provision of rights.
Human Trafficking of the Minors in San Diego
Children under the age of 18 are widely exposed to abuse related to sex and labor trafficking. According to Weitzer, sex trafficking is generally recognized and statistically proven to be more prevalent than labor enslavement (227). Child sexual slavery in San Diego resulting in pornography and prostitution is identified as one of the top 13 intensity areas of the USA (“Human Trafficking FAQs”). The underage victims of this crime could be exposed to domestic violence and abuse in addition to foreign trafficking. Due to the geographical positioning of California, child trafficking abroad is a widespread issue.
Such a high level of this crime occurrence in San Diego should be a reason for an acute awareness of educators and parents of the possible indicators of the issue. The main signs include running away, physical signs of abuse, depression, aggressive behavior, discussions of sex- and prostitution-related topics among children (“Human Trafficking FAQs”). Thus, there exists an urgent need to implement specifically developed programs on the basis of appropriate organizations to eliminate the threat of child trafficking in San Diego.
San Diego County’s Attempts to Fight Human Trafficking
In San Diego, there exist many organizations aimed at the prevention and investigation of the cases of labor and sex exploitation violations, as well as the support and treatment of victims of this crime. For example, The Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Unit employs investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates to enhance the effectiveness of detection and prosecution of the criminals involved in the unlawful activity (“Human Trafficking FAQs”).
Other organizations include the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division under the guidance of District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, church organizations, and San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council. They address the felonies committed against all citizens in general and against children in particular.
Among other interventions, the organizations initiate the implementation of screening tools to identify needed services. They also launch programs for expanding services and placement conditions for victimized children, as well as enhancement of data collection on the basis of Child Welfare Services (San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council 16). Overall, San Diego County provides a vast scope of interventions aimed at fighting against the threats of human trafficking and contributes to the general state achievements in this area.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the problem of sex and labor human trafficking is a global issue that victimizes millions of people annually in different countries of the world. Child abuse as the result of the minors’ forced involvement in this activity is increasing in its rate throughout recent decades. San Diego, as the location situated in the bordering state, is estimated as an area with a high rate of child trafficking.
The organizations such as San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council and Child Welfare Services collaborate to fight the threat. They develop programs initiating prosecution of the criminals, investigation of the felonies, and support for victims. Overall, there exists a wide range of current and future interventions that anticipate the minimization of human trafficking rates in the region.
Works Cited
“Human Trafficking FAQs.” San Diego County District Attorney, n.d. Web.
San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council. San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council Report. 2014. Web.
Weitzer, Ronald. “Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery.” Annual Review of Sociology, no. 41, 2015, pp. 223-242.