Human Trafficking And The Victims Protection Act Of 2000

In today’s society, human trafficking is a war that is fought all over the world. This form of modern day slavery affects people of all genders, specifically women and children. This is a global issue that is known throughout the world. For purpose of this paper research was done and, human trafficking will be addressed by the social impact and statistics in the United States, the Victims Protection Act of 2000, the human facts for human trafficking, as well as the overall importance of mental health services after dealing with such a traumatic ordeal. Women and children are recruited by pimps and peers appearing to be friends in malls, schools, at bus stops or as runaways on the street. Once victims are befriended, they take the†¦show more content†¦(Weaver, Erin, 2014) â€Å"Human trafficking deprives people of their human rights and freedoms, it is a global health risk, and it fuels the growth of organized crime. The impact of human trafficking goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches (The United States Attorney s Office Northern District of Iowa, 2015)†. According to the United Nations, human trafficking can be defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation. Human trafficking occurs in every state of the nation and most victims of sex trafficking include U.S. citizens and noncitizens. In the United States, estimates suggest that over 300,000 women and children become victims of commercial sexual exploitation in relation to human trafficking. Sexual exploitation plays a huge part on individual victims, who often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, passport theft, and even death. The impact of human trafficking on victims can take many forms and can have a lasting effect on the victim’s quality of life. Women and children are smuggled across national borders and forced in factories and brothels and made to perform sex ac ts against their will. One