Human trafficking is nothing less than later day slavery. The scourge of trafficking in fellow human beings, once thought to have been eliminated with the end of slavery in the 19th century, has recently surfaced in a new form but with a similar goal: the forced use and abuse of others. An estimated 800,000 people a year (mostly women and children) are lured by coercion or trickery into leaving their homes for another country, where they are used in forced labor, sexual exploitation or both. Some of the women find themselves in situations where they are repeatedly raped and beaten. Dire poverty causes many teenagers to run away from home hoping to find freedom and a more prosperous life, but they do not realize there is no way for a young girl to survive on her own. Some parents sell their own daughters into virtual slavery for a small sum of money!
People trafficked to the U.S. come primarily from Thailand, Mexico, the Philippines, Haiti, India, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, and have been found in all 50 states. People need to know why this human trafficking happens, who the victims are, why they become victimized, who the predators are, signs and red flags to watch for and how to respond if you come in contact with a victim. Many times, victims have the misconception that it is their fault they have gotten into the situation in which they find themselves, or they think they owe a debt and that it will eventually be paid off. A small sampling in a 2007 study by the Wisconsin Office of Justice found that there were 204 victims of trafficking; of that number, 124 were for sexual exploitation and 16 were mail order brides.

State legislation must be inclusive. On March 19, 2007, Governor Doyle signed SB292, the bill on human trafficking. Although this was a good first step, much more is needed. This bill covers only the response to victims and perpetrators, and does not cover a study of the extent of trafficking in the state of Wisconsin, protection for the victim, prosecution of the perpetrators, mail order brides and sex tourism. Further study and action is needed. To learn more, visit these websites: www.triadladderofhope.org; www.notforsalecampaign.org; and www.humantrafficing.org.