by Selene Gonzalez
There is a cancer that is unfortunately well hidden and lurking in major cities across the state. Being a resident of California, the problem of human trafficking is a big and troubling reality. Human trafficking involves the coercion, force, or fraud to lure and enslave its victims, but many of these victims (children and women) are used for commercial sex trafficking. The vast number of cases reported in the state of California fall under the category of commercial sex. The National Human Trafficking Hotline stated that in the year 2018 about 1,656 cases of human trafficking were reported in California, and around 1,225 of those cases were confirmed to be for commercial sex trafficking. Sadly, most of the time these victims are youth who are displaced from their families and country of origin, are young and homeless youth, or are facing devastating poverty. But worse of all, most of these sex trafficking cases involve children.
Even though California enacted their first anti-trafficking law in 2005 to make it a felony, but illegal activity hasn’t decreased since the law has been passed. Being a modern form of slavery, human trafficking has escalated to a point where getting justice for those victims seems to be dwindling. Yet for there to be a light at the end of the tunnel, there needs to be more discourse about the subject. It’s an ugly truth that is a part of Californian’s reality and it shouldn’t get swept under the rug to be forgotten. Yes, this is a monstrous problem to tackle, but with the aid of government agencies whose purpose it is to resolve these heinous acts, one day this nightmare—that so many victims are suffering through—might finally end.
Fortunately, there are organizations for people to donate time, money, or both to. Once of them is called THORN. This organization focuses on child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. They highlight that in the 1990’s the problem of child abuse was diminishing, but with the internet coming on to the scene, the problem grew like a quick spreading cancer. THORN also highlights the fact that the U.S. is the number one producer of child pornography. A disgusting and sad fact, and as citizens of the United States, we must do our part in eradicating this disease. Just like cancer in the human body is attacked with treatments like chemotherapy, sexual human trafficking can be dealt with by being brought to social media, a place that information is quickly and easily spread. Awareness is the treatment, and bringing reality to the forefront should not be secret kept hidden in the shadows of society.
Sexual human trafficking is just like a cancer in the way it has widely spread globally, and it seems like there is no way to eradicate it. But thankfully there are organizations and projects that help and bring awareness to the issue. The internet has created the ease and growth of trafficking, therefore using the internet to counterattack the problem is a sensible conclusion. Discussing this issue on all social media platforms is a good way to spread awareness to the public because there is power in numbers and every voice counts to help those who don’t have one.
Thorn Social Media:
IG/Twitter : @thorn
FB: @wearethorn
YouTube: Thorn
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