Human trafficking is one of the major crimes universally, yet it is not an issue you hear about often. As Todres states in his article “Taking Prevention Seriously: Developing a Comprehensive Response to Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation” trafficking is “…a modern form of slavery, one that often targets children…” (8) that involves the taking, transportation, and harboring. America struggles with this hidden danger that puts the spotlight on the most innocent people in the world - children. “Each year, at least four million people are trafficked worldwide…” (31) Joshi explains, with an estimated 28 million victims worldwide. Although obtaining statistics on child trafficking is difficult, the numbers are gradually increasing. By focusing on prevention, protection, and prosecution, little by little, society could end child trafficking in America.

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The act of trafficking includes three elements which are acts, means, and purpose. Acts include the forced labor of a child, means include the use of force, and purpose includes the exploitation of prostitution. Different children are thrown into trafficking for various reasons, some being lack of education, wealth, or social inequality. Trafficking takes various forms, and each takes on various roles. Sex trafficking involves the force of sexual acts onto children including pornography, sex, or prostitution. Labor trafficking forces children into doing labor acts such as construction, cooking, and more. Child soldering involves forcing children to participate in armed situations, exposing them to violence and trauma at a young age. To prevent and protect children of America, society needs to understand where trafficking starts. Not all child trafficking is how it sounds as Todres and Diaz states in their article “Preventing Child Trafficking: A Public Health Approach” “…if an individual uses force, fraud, or coercion to recruit or obtain a person for the purpose of exploitation through forced labor or sexual exploitation, that individual has committed the crime of human trafficking.” (5) meaning a child could be trafficked while they are still at home. Most trafficking is done with someone the child knows whether it is a family member or a friend of a family member. Some trafficking is done willingly by children (under the age of 18). Traffickers convince the children that what they are engaging in is either a game or they are doing it as a job. Trafficking, as it sounds, is not always just sexual acts played, it is any type of forced labor whether it is construction, food processing, cooking, or cleaning. Regardless of if the child is doing it against their will or doing the act willingly if the child is under 18, it is still a crime.

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Prevention of child trafficking is a higher job than anyone can imagine but there are a few things society can do to help minimize this crime, starting with building support and boundaries from within your families. In the article “Rapha International | Healing, Hope, and Freedom for Survivors” explains how traffickers seek their victims based upon their family “Traffickers often exploit the needs of families, like lack of resources or education, to gain access to children…” (1). Traffickers look for cracks within your home life to see if your child will fit their roles. Social media has been a big part of child trafficking since modern days. Children tend to be unaware of the dangers of social media and feel as if everyone they encounter is a friend. Teaching children to veer away from strangers they meet on social media as well as examining what they do on social media could save their lives. Initiating awareness campaigns within communities to inform children, teachers, and parents about the dangers of child trafficking is a big part of prevention.

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Protecting children from trafficking involves ensuring safe environments at schools, in communities, and in various institutions. This is an important responsibility that involves numerous approaches. The damages of child trafficking on victims are devastating, both mentally and physically. In the United States, they passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 which was the first federal law passed to address human trafficking. Conducting safe environments for children to be in, making support centers for trafficking victims, offering counsel, and medical care, and helping rebuild their lives afterward are some ways to help protect society’s children. Providing more law enforcement to handle trafficking cases with care is extremely important while “… only 3 percent of emergency department clinicians had been trained to identify trafficking victims…” Todres and Diaz states in their article “Preventing Child Trafficking: A Public Health Approach” (14). Another way to reduce the risk of children getting trafficked is by helping foster and adoption centers. Many children who are trafficked are in foster care just trying to get a job and they do not know what the correct line of work is and what is not. Ensuring that trafficking survivors get the correct help they need afterward is equally as important.

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Forcing harsher punishments upon the traffickers will show how serious this crime is to the person who is committing it. The justice system must fully prosecute the traffickers of the law. Once the trafficker is found guilty, they must face a sentence that includes imprisonment, fines, and other punishment based on the laws and severity of the crime. During the prosecution, victims are placed are witness control to keep their security. The justice system must take precautions into protecting the victims and their identity to minimize trauma, “…victims and survivors of human trafficking suffer severe psychological and emotional trauma.” (7) Todres and Diaz state in their article “Preventing Child Trafficking: A Public Health Approach”. Doing child-friendly interviews while interviewing the victims will help them feel safer when describing this horrific event that happened to them.  Prosecuting these traffickers will lessen the number of traffickers there are and will over time eliminate child trafficking in America.

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Child trafficking remains the biggest distress in America with millions of children becoming victims every year. To protect the children of America, society must use multiple different approaches. By preventing, ensuring protection, and strengthening the prosecution of traffickers, society can create a more secure environment for children and be free from the worries of trafficking.