Case Two

Lucy is a 12 year old Thai girl who is forced to work as a prostitute in Japan shortly after reaching her 10th birthday. This is a common occurrence for many girls from Thailand. The number of ways this issue is morally wrong and devastating is outrageous. By becoming a piece of meat or and item sold you lose an important part of what makes you unique; your identity. In the article read it also mentioned men who are found and deported without being questioned if they were victims of trafficking is normal. If young girls like Lucy are not trafficked through porn, prostitution, or commercial sex, than the hard, gruesome labor expected from these individuals is nothing less than slavery.

It is against social justice in my opinion that the government undermines the Trafficking Victims Protection Act that could possibly save Lucy from emotional, mental and physical scars. It said that imprisonment started at a one year sentence in certain cases. I feel raising the minimum punishment will cause offenders to think if what they are doing is worth the consequences. I too find it asinine that men are not protected for labor trafficking. Those law enforcement officials who were compliant should receive equal punishment and definitely lose their badge.

Several Articles were mentioned in the Convention of the Rights of the Child that fit the link that was given to us to read:
Article 27 states: child have a right to standard living and adequate physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development
Article 32: "...Child should be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely hazardous or to interfere with the child's education or be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development"
Article 34 mentions it is unlawful for a child to engage in sexual activity
Article 35 says a child an not be sold or trafficked
37 and 39 mention children should be protected from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
and 42 states that these rights should protect children and adults alike.

According to the Ecological Model, the child being influenced by all the factors surrounding him or her. It is important where a child spends their time, the families influences, the community and how it supports the child and provides for a better life. A child of ten years of age is still learning the value of trust, building their identity and learning the importance of social connections. If everything around that child is based upon exploitation and sexual advertising many issues will lie ahead. The family could make a difference by finding other means to make money other then selling their children and the community can make a difference by turning in people they know that are doing such acts. Establishing more safe houses and becoming more strict with the criminal justice system and the punishment of preditors may be a start in the right direction.