"Like cattle owners brand their cattle, he wanted to brand me in a way that I would never forget" (Alissa, 1). Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world, behind the illegal use of drugs and weapons. The main reason that many people are unaware of this criminal industry is because it is operated underground by highly skilled manipulators. Many people are mistaken when they think this is a life choice. Unlike prostitution, women who are trafficked are held against their will and face extreme mental and physical abuse by their traffickers. Human trafficking is a multi-billionaire industry earning hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Why is this industry quickly increasing? People are realizing that buying and selling children, women, and men is a profitable business with low risk, low investment, high-demand, and high-income. As a result of this expanding industry, sex trafficking is becoming the largest form of slavery. Slavery still exists today and is occurring in our society more than ever in history. .
Most victims, who are trafficked into the United States, are from foreign countries and are given the false hope of improving their life styles, only to be enslaved. Traffickers like to abduct children, women, and men from other countries because they are most vulnerable. This results in "lack of legal status and protection from the government, language barriers, limited employment options, poverty and immigration-related debts, and social isolation" (www.polarisproject.com). The majority of the victims are smuggled by traffickers of similar ethnic background. Unfortunately, traffickers use these victims' weaknesses to their advantage. They know that the children, women, and men are scared in a foreign country far away from home, do not have any money, and are unable to communicate with others. Most people do not understand the difference between sex trafficking and prostitution.