Combating Human Trafficking in the United States: Causes, Misconceptions, and Indicators

Human trafficking is one of the biggest human rights issues today, with millions of men, women, and children being trafficked across the world. Of those millions of people, it’s estimated that roughly 14 to 17,000 foreign nationals are brought into the United States each year, in addition to our own citizens recruited into the industry. The largest issue that hinders the ability to combat human trafficking is the research surrounding this problem. There are many misconceptions about human trafficking, especially the fact that many people do not believe it is happening in the U.S. Modern day human trafficking takes many forms. Individuals may be held against their will with no way to support themselves. Some may be forced into prostitution and separated from the rest of the world. The hidden victimization surrounding human trafficking allows predators to offend without notice. This makes it even more important to bring awareness and knowledge to the subject, because it can happen to anyone, anywhere, maybe even the people in your own community. This thesis will provide information on human trafficking in the United States, including; statistics, causes, misconceptions, and indicators of human trafficking. It will also review current efforts to stop human trafficking, while providing new solution ideas. The hope for this thesis is that it will impart new information, bring awareness, and give everyone the opportunity to be part of the fight to stop human trafficking in their own way