How did Slavery Shape Modern Society?

Slavery has never been abolished from America’s way of thinking. (Nina Simone) Slavery still exist till this day, from forced labor, sex trafficking, debt bondage, child soldiers, and domestic servitude. Although slavery was abolished in 1865 in the United States, slavery continues to be a worldwide issue from forced child labor, sex trafficking, and debt bondage. Thousands of people suffer every year resulting in injury, kidnapping, and even death so the question remains does slavery still exist to this day? Today one of the main forms of slavery is sex trafficking, which is when women, men and children are forced to commit sex acts.

According to endslavery.org Worldwide, its estimated that there are 4.5 million victims of sex trafficking. Traffickers often use false identity to subdue their suspects such as false job opportunities, modeling gigs, and dating services. According to antislavery.org 72% of people exploited in the sex industry are women. In order for traffickers to make their victims comply they use drugs, abuse, and torture. Since 2007 there have been 22,191 sex trafficking cases inside the United States. (polarisproject.org) Men, women, and children that are victims of sex trafficking have physical and emotional trauma that last a lifetime. They also have issues with drug addiction, apprehend diseases such as HIV/AIDS and can’t function a normal life. Another form of slavery is Child labor, children have been working under the age of sixteen since the 1900’s.

Children would work long hours in dangerous factory environments resulting in disease, injury, and even death. Children were used because they were small in size and could fit into areas adults could not, they were easier to control and even received less payment for their work. Although, laws have been passed to stop child labor it still continues to be an issue in the U.S and international areas. A majority of children are forced into child labor due to the fact that their families are poor and child labor is a main resource to receive money. Children are used for cheap labor work, war, and sex trafficking. According to Antislavery.org 151.6 million are estimated to be in child labor, and 114 million of those children are below the age of 14. Children have been exploited worldwide, in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo soldiers raid villages and rape, torture, and kidnap children for war purposes. According to webrelief.int 300,000 children are believed to be serving as soldiers in armed conflicts worldwide. Millions of children suffer everyday and the unfortunate part is that these children have a very limited chance of freedom or saving once their gone. Another form of slavery that still exist today is debt bondage, which is when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt that is owed. Debt bondage has existed throughout history it was used throughout Africa and South East Asia when people owed money, they worked on plantations just to pay off the debt.

At times the debt they owed would be so much it would carry out into the next generation of children to be paid off. (Anti-slavery.org) Debt Bondage is very common when it comes to foreign individuals who are seeking a new life in a new destination. For example, when an immigrant is looking to come to the U.S to start a new life, traffickers over charge to illegally bring them into the U.S. These individuals having barley any money to feed themselves make an agreement to work in order to be brought to a new destination. Traffickers then make these individuals work in farms, factories, and mills for years just to pay off a debt that would never lead to a free life. Families are torn apart sold and traded to benefit the needs of other for entertainment, work, and war. Although there are organizations that help spread the word of human trafficking, individuals lack the capability to notice the signs of everyday abuse. Not every individual who suffers from slavery today will be saved or have the chance to live a regular life once they are freed. Although slavery may not be visible today doesn’t mean its not happening right in front of you. Slavery is camouflaged in the background of society and will continue until people open their eyes to the imperfect world we live in.

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