Human Trafficking: The Local Becomes Global

Abstract

Human sex trafficking is the prostitution of persons by force, coercion, or threat; it is also the prostitution of young persons. Most victims are female, and many have been initially deceived about the labor services that they are to provide. Once in prostitution, many victims find it hard to escape. It is hard to identify victims of trafficking; they may not even be seen or recognized as needing assistance, and they may hide from the police or service officials trying to help them. The victims may also be identified merely as illegal immigrants or prostitutes or otherwise dismissed as homeless, poor vagabonds. For the past decade, the United States and other nations have increasingly taken notice of the problem of human sex trafficking in the hopes of working together to end it. The U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report attempts to characterize nations and their efforts to combat human trafficking on the global stage.