Eastern Kentucky University
The Future of Human Trafficking Legislation: A Policy Analysis
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Homeland Security with a Threat Specialist concentration
Minor
Disaster Management
2nd Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
2nd Student Major
Psychology with a Forensic Concentration
KY House District #
81
KY Senate District #
34
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Dr. Brian Simpkins
Department
Department of Safety & Security
Abstract
Current legislation and policies are not effective enough to fight human trafficking as it continues to change and evolve worldwide. Human trafficking is not just sex trafficking; labor trafficking, organ trafficking, people smuggling, and forced criminal activities. This evolving and changing global issue continues to grow into a highly profitable "business." Overseas, many countries struggle to handle this issue, and some countries do not handle it at all. The United States has a major human trafficking problem that will continue to worsen unless there is a change in the government. The U.S. Congress should be more focused on the growing problem of human trafficking. By overseeing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Congress can pass legislation and policies to help DHS handle this issue. Human trafficking has been something that DHS and other agencies/departments have looked at and continue to work on. Still, there are no effective policies to help with the current human trafficking by proposing policies focused on cyber trafficking, federally funding programs to bring awareness of human trafficking in schools and erasing criminal records of victims of human trafficking who were forced to commit other crimes while being trafficked. Using the methods of simple matrix and pros, cons, fixes allowed for transparency to be seen. In addition, being transparent and open about legislation focused on human trafficking will enable people to understand this issue and bring light to the issue, which is the goal. The solution to the current legislation problem is implementing the Federally Funded Human Trafficking Awareness Programs inside the schools. The programs allow children, adolescents, and teens to be aware of the potential signs of human trafficking, the possible ways traffickers lure children into human trafficking, and how to be safe on the internet to prevent becoming a potential victim of human trafficking.
The Future of Human Trafficking Legislation: A Policy Analysis
Current legislation and policies are not effective enough to fight human trafficking as it continues to change and evolve worldwide. Human trafficking is not just sex trafficking; labor trafficking, organ trafficking, people smuggling, and forced criminal activities. This evolving and changing global issue continues to grow into a highly profitable "business." Overseas, many countries struggle to handle this issue, and some countries do not handle it at all. The United States has a major human trafficking problem that will continue to worsen unless there is a change in the government. The U.S. Congress should be more focused on the growing problem of human trafficking. By overseeing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Congress can pass legislation and policies to help DHS handle this issue. Human trafficking has been something that DHS and other agencies/departments have looked at and continue to work on. Still, there are no effective policies to help with the current human trafficking by proposing policies focused on cyber trafficking, federally funding programs to bring awareness of human trafficking in schools and erasing criminal records of victims of human trafficking who were forced to commit other crimes while being trafficked. Using the methods of simple matrix and pros, cons, fixes allowed for transparency to be seen. In addition, being transparent and open about legislation focused on human trafficking will enable people to understand this issue and bring light to the issue, which is the goal. The solution to the current legislation problem is implementing the Federally Funded Human Trafficking Awareness Programs inside the schools. The programs allow children, adolescents, and teens to be aware of the potential signs of human trafficking, the possible ways traffickers lure children into human trafficking, and how to be safe on the internet to prevent becoming a potential victim of human trafficking.