Child Trafficking Essay -- Legal Issues, Sexual Exploitation, Forced L

Child Trafficking â€Å"The global market of child trafficking is at over $12 billion a year with over 2 million child victims† (â€Å"Stop Child Trafficking Now† 1). This statement from the article â€Å"Stop Child Trafficking Now† describes how serious this crisis is nationwide. Child labor, illegal adoptions and child prostitution are the three forms child trafficking typically exists as (â€Å"Riverkids Project† 1). There has been a rising number of Cambodian children being trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor because of poverty, unemployment and lack of education; however organizations such as the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) are trying to raise awareness of this crisis. There is a rising number of Cambodian children being trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Human trafficking is a major crisis that is rapidly growing, affecting many young women of Cambodia. In just one year the number of young women involved in prostitution grew from 6,000 to 20,000 trafficking victims (â€Å"No Trafficking† 3). In 2006 it was estimated 30,000 Cambodian children had been exploited in the sex trade (â€Å"Global Crime Case: The Modern Slave Trade† 1). Studies have shown although not all sex workers are human trafficking victims 1 in 5 women and girls working in brothels have been trafficked (â€Å"SSF Cambodia† 1). It is estimated 50 percent of Cambodia’s population comprises children younger than 15 years of age (â€Å"No Trafficking† 4). End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) reports as many as one third of the trafficking victims in prostitution are children (â€Å"Human Trafficking† 2). There are around 158 million children aged 5-14 engaged i... ...n Trafficking Data Sheet† 2). There are many organizations within the nation that are gaining awareness for child trafficking. Child trafficking is a rapidly growing crisis forcing young women of Cambodia into sexual exploitation and child labor. This issue is cause by many factors including the lack of education and high levels of poverty; however, there are many organizations such as the Somaly Mam foundation trying to gain awareness of this crisis. Citizens of the United States can help bring awareness to child trafficking by teaching young women of this issue. As stated by the article â€Å"Child Labor-Killing the Age of Innocence,† â€Å"Thus, one should be careful when saying that the future of the country lies in the hands of children, for the very hands holding the key to growth are clamped down in the innocence phase† (â€Å"Child Labor-Killing the Age of Innocence† 2)