Research Paper on Human Trafficking in Minnesota and Hawaii

Introduction

Human trafficking is still a significant problem in the USA and the whole world. The United States' 2015 and 2016 FBI Uniform Crime Report data on human trafficking reveals that different metropolitan areas have different frequencies of human trafficking offences. In this assignment, the rate of human trafficking offences (commercial sex acts and involuntary servitude) of Hawaii and Minnesota will be compared.

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The United States' 2015 FBI Uniform Crime Report data shows that Minnesota had more incidents of human trafficking than Hawaii. More specifically, Minnesota had 119 incidences of human trafficking. Out of the 119 occurrences, 77 were cleared. On the other hand, in Hawaii, 3 incidences of human trafficking offences were reported. None of the three cases has been cleared (FBI, 2015). To determine whether or not the rates change over time in Hawaii and Minnesota, it is important to examine human trafficking data of the subsequent years. The 2016 FBI Uniform Crime Report data shows that Minnesota registered increased number of human trafficking offences. More specifically, the number of human trafficking victims increased from 119 to 235. On the other hand, in Hawaii, the number of trafficking victims reduced from 3 to 2 (FBI, 2015).

Human trafficking in Minnesota is linked to the higher demand for commercial sex (Minnesota Human Trafficking Taskforce, 2014). The high demand consists of male individuals who buy women and girls for sexual purposes and a culture that encourages sexual exploitation. The commercialization of sex is driven by male sexual privilege and male sexual entitlement. The demand for girls and women sexual exploitation is further driven by the abundance of pornographic acts and many strip clubs, which have normalized women and girls exploitative acts. It is also worth noting to note that the Minnesota societies have tolerated and allowed for the dissemination of messages and images that portray girls and women as sexual objects. Moreover, these messages and images have led to the dehumanization of the females as commodities that are exclusively for men consumption. Because these messages are portrayed in different types of media on a daily basis, the youth grow up normalizing sexualization of women (Minnesota Human Trafficking Taskforce, 2014).

The Advocates for Human Rights (n.d.) have also linked human trafficking in Minnesota to various risk factors. One of these factors is poverty or lack of resources which increases the vulnerability of an individual to traffic. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the entrustment of poor children to wealthy friends and relatives has been linked higher susceptibility for trafficking. The UNODC has further noted that some parents may sell their children for monetary gains and also with the aim of escaping their present poverty situation. Moreover, Keller Law Offices (2018) has linked high rate of human trafficking in Minnesota to the presence of gangs and individual perpetrators. Majority of the victims of sex trafficking have been reported to be susceptible youths who are solicited for sexual acts by gangs. Most of these victims, teenagers, easily fall as prey because of their young age and their poor socio-economic background. Many of these teenagers are highly vulnerable runaways who inhabit the streets and thus do not have the monetary support or emotional support to escape sex trafficking once they have fallen victim ("Sex Crime Attorney | Human Trafficking Trends in Minnesota," 2017).

In Minnesota, human trafficking has also been reported to rapidly increase during Super Bowl weekend. This has been linked to a high number of male attendees who have money to spend on sexual activities. These men are capable of throwing in parties and a lot of cash with the sole purpose of soliciting for sex. Young girls have also been lured into sex trafficking through the promise of free alcohol and drugs. In most of these cases, teenagers are sexually assaulted at casino hotel parties. Luring of girls through the promise of free booze is common in rural areas of Minnesota, especially the northeastern part. Furthermore, the native Minnesota population has been reported to be at a higher vulnerability for sexual exploitation because they are victims of past oppression and historical trauma ("A Closer Look at Minnesota's Sex Trafficking Problem," n.d.).

Lastly, the high number of human trafficking incidents in Minnesota has been associated with a lack of stringent laws capable of stopping the spread of the vice. These laws have made sex trafficking hard to prosecute. Consequently, some of the perpetrators of the act have not been apprehended. For instance, even though there were 102 cases of trafficking involving child victims in 2013, only 32 convictions were made. The ability of the perpetrators of these acts not to get convicted may be one of the motivators for human trafficking in Minnesota.

Conclusion

Consequently, it is highly likely that the vice will not be curbed if stringent laws are not put in place. It thus means that lower rates of trafficking in Hawaii maybe associated with stringent laws and poor socio-economic status of victims.

References

A Closer Look at Minnesota's Sex Trafficking Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Minnesota-Life/A-Closer-Look-at-Minnesotas-Sex-Trafficking-Problem/

FBI (2015). Human trafficking offenses and clearances by state, 2015. Retrieved from https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/additional-reports/human-trafficking/table_2_human_trafficking_offenses_and_clearances_by_state_2015.xls

Keller Law Offices (2018). Minnesota digs deeper into sex trafficking trends. Retrieved from https://kellerlawoffices.com/sex-trafficking-trends/

Minnesota Human Trafficking Taskforce (2014). Demand. http://mnhttf.org/human-trafficking/demand/

Sex Crime Attorney | Human Trafficking Trends in Minnesota. (2017, September 5). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from https://kellerlawoffices.com/sex-trafficking-trends/