Human Trafficking Around the World

April 1, 2013
A meticulous academic study grasping the vast scope of an evolving global problem. Journalist Hepburn (co-author: Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over, 2006, etc.) and Simon (Public Affairs and Law/American Univ.; co-author: Immigration the World Over, 2003, etc.) carefully define the many forms of human exploitation, which are shockingly prevalent from the poorest to the richest countries. The authors have sifted through documentation increasingly available--such as the Trafficking in Persons Report compiled annually by the U.S. State Department, studies by the United Nations, NGOs, newspapers and court cases--and have chosen 24 countries that offer a representative sampling of the worldwide "trafficking scenario" in terms of economics, geopolitics and culture. Many countries are only now being compelled to address the problem, and the issues of definition plague official statistics and efforts at enforcement. For example, labor trafficking (such as debt bondage) is as much a part of human exploitation as sex trafficking, though not often included in the same statistics. The authors group the countries not geographically but by a thematic commonality. For example, the United States, Japan and the United Arab Emirates are all hugely wealthy countries attractive to traffickers because of their need for inexpensive labor and the allowing of visa loopholes that encourage the enslavement of foreign migrants. The influx of victims trafficked to the Gulf Region after hurricanes Katrina and Rita provide cases in point, as does the reluctance by Japan to address its "hyperthriving" sex industry and yakuza (organized crime) network. Other themes around which countries are grouped include stateless persons, such as the hill tribe people of Thailand and the Palestinians; unrest and displacement (Iraq, Syria); gender apartheid (Iran); social hierarchy (China); and muti murder, or the abduction and murder of people for the purpose of harvesting body parts (South Africa). The authors also consider what happens to traffickers and victims after apprehension. Difficult reading at times, but immensely well-documented and useful.

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September 1, 2013

Journalist Hepburn and professor Simon (public affairs, American Univ.; coauthor, with Hepburn, Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over) offer an excellent, authoritative study of human trafficking of all varieties in 24 countries, along with an examination of attempts by those countries to combat the profitable worldwide slave trade of men, women, and children. Organized by country, this work delves into the lives of both traffickers and their victims, provides an understanding of the forms of trafficking that exist today (e.g., forced labor, organ trafficking, sex tourism) and why they are profitable, and analyzes steps taken by various nations in their fight against human slavery. Thoughtful and sound suggestions for legislative policy as well as cultural tools to end human trafficking in its various forms are provided. Similar works include Louise Shelley's Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. VERDICT Superior and well written, this is the rare resource that is both scholarly and approachable, making it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of international human trafficking and the human slave trade as a growing worldwide problem.--Reba Kennedy, San Antonio

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