The Dangers of Human Trafficking

There are an abundance of stakeholders interested in this issue, primarily because of its catastrophic effects on the lives of human trafficking victims. The United States (US) government, state and local governments, foreign governments, private and non-profit organizations, and everyday citizens are the entities this research is aimed towards. This inclusion is necessary because human trafficking occurs globally, and a governmental response is needed to put perpetrators of these crimes in the hands of justice. Private and nonprofit organizations are able to provide victims and their families with relief services that will aid in recovery and additional assistance. The general public should be made aware of the dangers of human trafficking, as all too often victims are unsuspecting of potential dangers around them. The values these organizations hold are that of human dignity, respect, and commitment to doing what is right. Human trafficking should not exist in the world at all, and the fact that its appearance continues to make headlines is a detriment to our society.

In 2013, at the opening of a new shelter for victims of human trafficking, former mayor of St. Paul Minnesota Chris Coleman stated the following: “this is our response, as a community, to say we are not going to sit back and let this happen” (Cohen, 2013). While the effort to eradicate human trafficking at a global level is in the hands of multiple individuals in different countries, this sentiment behind Mayor Coleman’s remarks echo what everyone in the movement is hoping to accomplish. That is, we as individuals will not allow such brute and savage crimes continue to resonate within our communities. Those who work against this effort are part of the problem. There may be some differences, however, with the aims between the government and those of nonprofits. The government, while being considerate of the victims, would be more concerned with the security and intelligence aspect of ending human trafficking. Private and nonprofit organizations, on the other hand, would be more cognizant of helping the victims on a personal level and ensuring they are taken of. In this sense, the aims of the audiences are somewhat different, but the objective to eradicate human trafficking is a consensus shared my all stakeholders.

As before mentioned, the research for this project will be geared toward government agencies (ex: FBI, CIA, DHS), state and local governments, foreign governments, private and nonprofit organizations, and the general public. This is because each entity has a vested interest in the eradication of such a monstrous institution. All audiences would agree human life and respect are values and interests at the forefront of this mission.