Introduction
From the point of sociological imagination, the problem of human trafficking can be best comprehended as an intricate network of poverty, globalization, gender, and systemic vulnerabilities. It generally refers to the forcing and exploiting of people into labor or sexual means and is hence enforced through force, fraud, or coercion (Foster, 2016). Forced labor trafficking refers to laboring under threats or being compelled to work under duress.
In contrast, commercial sex trafficking refers to the exploitation of individuals who labor in the sex industry. Here, such forms of exploitation of human beings prosper in habitats where there is a demand for cheap labor or sexual services and where there exists an interplay of lack of social, economic, or legal protection of individuals (Haney et al., 2020). The resources that have been made available bring out the varied nature of human trafficking in terms of its magnitude and the complex networks that augment its cause (Budds, 2016). It dispels myths by considering the varied manifestations of human trafficking and how it operates within the context of different societies. They further emphasize the need for a more nuanced understanding of the issue beyond the stark dichotomous portrayal of victims and perpetrators.
Risk Factors
Several key drivers make people more vulnerable to being trafficked, including socio-economic deprivation and lack of literacy, social exclusion, conflict, and migration. For instance, with such sources being restricted for them, women, children, migrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals thus become more vulnerable groups than the rest. This happens because of the scarcity of these restricted resources, systemic discrimination, and social exclusion (Leon-Guerrero, 2019).
Moreover, interestingly, there is a particular nexus here between gender inequality and trafficking: structural patriarchalism brings about a condition where the commodification of women and their bodies and labor remains disproportionately predisposed to exploitation (Knafo, 2013). Furthermore, economic globalization further bolsters these dynamics through the creation of conditions for exploitation in transnational supply chains and across borders with ease of movement of trafficked individuals (Recknor et al., 2020). Under globalization, the erosion of the traditional community support systems only compounds the vulnerability of an individual to trafficking networks. The above presents an interconnectedness of factors that calls for a more holistic approach to human trafficking, grounded in addressing root causes and systemic inequalities at a global level.
The different social challenges that have a hand in human trafficking are also presented in the form of risk factors. The systemic poverty and income disparities continue to breed vulnerability to exploitation, affecting large sections of the population, which is especially pronounced for the marginalized(Yankah, 2016). Notably, the problem is compounded by the absence of strong governance and adequate legal protections, which enable players to operate without recourse to the law and leave victims unprotected (Leon-Guerrero, 2019).
The cycles of exploitation in the region, therefore, are directly related to the cultural norms prevailing towards supporting gender-based violence and discrimination, especially against women and girls. An integrated approach that looks at the systemic root causes is needed to help address these intersecting social problems that combine to create fertile ground for the multiplication of human trafficking networks (Haney et al., 2020). From the discussion above, it is clear how addressing these root causes could make society prevent and address human trafficking effectively.
Human trafficking mostly impacts women and girls, and this is indeed rooted in the prevalent gender inequities in social configurations. Women and girls are more vulnerable to exploitation across sectors, including domestic work, agriculture, and sex trade (Knafo, 2013). This vulnerability is occasioned by systemic discrimination that curbs their access to economic opportunity and perpetuates a patriarchal norm that devalues their labor and autonomy.
Sexual assault, together with intimate partner violence, makes up a gender-based violence category that further aggravates the risk of trafficking among women and girls (Foster, 2016). These systemic injustices thus come to the fore when considering the complexity that embodies gender inequality vis-à-vis human trafficking, going beyond just a few mitigating measures to effectively tackle the common form of exploitation (Yankah, 2016). Thus, the only manner through which the demystification of these vulnerabilities that women and girls encounter while being trafficked and bringing about a just and equitable future could be made possible is through the empowerment of systems that recognize a gender relation balance.
Conclusion
Economic globalization means that human trafficking will spread further by the construction of environments ready for exploitation in global chains of supply. There is an increase in demand for cheap labor and sexual services from multinational corporations, which means the traffickers can take advantage of people in such chains of supply (Leon-Guerrero, 2019). Such cross-border economic disparities thus expose the migrants to networks of exploitation and human trafficking as they migrate in search of employment to more affluent nations(Budds, 2016).
More so, digital technologies have facilitated an extensive reach to potential victims in the sense of recruitment and exploitation of victims from one country to another country using online platforms that provide anonymity and facilitate communication (Haney et al., 2020). Beyond that, traditional social support systems and ties in communities are breaking under the forces of globalization, increasingly leaving people isolated and vulnerable to being exploited and abused by these networks for human trafficking. Such dynamics illustrate the role of economic globalization in furthering this cycle of human trafficking on a global scale.
References
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Haney, K., LeBeau, K., Bodner, S., Czizik, A., Young, M. E., & Hart, M. (2020). Sex trafficking in the United States: A scoping review. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 17(6), 714-748.
Knafo, S. (2013). States, cities lead in reversing failed war on drugs. HuffPost.
Leon-Guerrero, A. (2019). Social problems: Community, policy, and social action (6th ed.). SAGE.
Recknor, F., Gordon, M., Coverdale, J., Gardezi, M., & Nguyen, P. T. (2020). A descriptive study of United States-based human trafficking specialty clinics. Psychiatric Quarterly, 91, 1-10.
Yankah, E. (2016). When addiction has a white face. The New York Times.