7 Human Trafficking Statistics
…that should motivate us to do something about it.
1. The number of slaves in the world today is far greater than ever before in history. (Skinner, E. Benjamin. 2008. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. New York, NY: Free Press.)
While we can celebrate the fact that great people like William Wilberforce and Abraham Lincoln (and many others) appeared on the stage of history and stood against the trans-Atlantic slave trade, this is no time to relax and fold our hands, because the latest human trafficking statistics tell us the grip of slavery is stronger than it ever has been—and it is growing.
2. Sex Trafficked Victims…Approximately 75-80% of human trafficking is for sex. (Aronowitz, Alexis A. 2009. Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human Beings. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group.)
What Is Human Trafficking? It is worse than murder! The open assault on this generation is mind-boggling. Who among us wouldn’t cringe at the thought of having our child or teenager raped? How much more would it tear our hearts out to know they were being raped every day up to 10 times a day, with no end in sight? Human Trafficking Facts are faces of real people, out there, who are suffering deeply. Something must be done to stop this madness!
3. It is estimated that 30,000 people die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect while being trafficked for sex. 80%of those enslaved are under 24, and some are as young as six years old. ( Millions Suffer in Sex Slavery.” NewsMax. April 24, 2001. Accessed: December 26, 2010)
Whether we form teams of people who go in and redeem and rescue these victims one by one, or stop the bleeding through educational and other preventative means, these precious lives must be saved.
4. A human trafficker can receive up to 2000 percent profit from a girl trafficked for sex. The pimp can often turn around and sell her again for a greater price because he had trained her and broken her spirit, which saves future buyers the hassle. A 2003 study in the Netherlands found that, on average, a single sex slave earned her pimp at least $250,000 a year. (Skinner, E. Benjamin. 2008. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. New York, NY: Free Press.)
If we can come understand the value of each of these precious lives to the degree that a trafficker understands his or her profit margin, then maybe, together, we can stop this madness and turn this situation around! As we search for human trafficking solutions, none can be carried out effectively without a lot of people seeing the need and working together.
5. The highest ranking source countries for human trafficking–piling up human trafficking statistics daily– include Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, China, Thailand, and Nigeria. (Skinner, E. Benjamin. 2008. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. New York, NY: Free Press)
How To Avoid Being Trafficked For Sex
We at Justice For Youth are working in Moldova and Ukraine with a preventative strategy geared to rescue young people from slavery. BEFORE they are trafficked. By placing posters in each school and conducting large group assemblies warning students of the dangers and tactics of trafficking, we are able to prevent thousands or would-be victims from being trafficked. You can join us in the effort and adopt a school for only $19!
6. Recent human trafficking statistics from the UN and elsewhere reveal that slaves are more cost effective for the trafficker than they have ever been in history. The population explosion has created an abundant, on-going supply of victims, and globalization has made people more vulnerable and easily enslaved. (Skinner, E. Benjamin. 2008. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. New York, NY: Free Press)
While traffickers see an opportunity to make easy money off priceless lives, we must ask ourselves how much are WE willing to pay to stop the traffickers from succeeding? Here is one of the human trafficking solutions we have come up with: the JFY Adopt A School Program. You can join us in the effort and adopt a school for only $19! That comes down to pennies per student.
7. Data on human trafficking reveals that sex traffickers often recruit children because not only are they young, innocent and more unsuspecting than adults, but there is also a high demand for young victims. Traffickers target victims on the telephone, on the Internet, through friends, at the mall, and in after-school programs. (“Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.” ABC News/Primetime. February 9, 2006. Accessed: December 26, 2010)
Young people need to be armed with the wisdom and knowledge to avoid and even report traffickers. This is our goal: to empower the young people in Moldova and Ukraine to stand against the evil of human trafficking! You can join us by clicking one of the buttons below: