By: Jordan Coll / Assistant News Director
“All of you live here in this world, we live in an underground world that you can’t even begin to fathom,” said a victim of human trafficking to Sambra Zaoui, former FIU alumni and assistant professor of social work at Barry University who spoke on the matters dealing with the systematic overview of sex trafficking.
The system of human trafficking has lent itself to having voiceless victims and has resulted in the sexual exploitation of younger children.
80-90% of all commercially sexually exploited children, youth and adult women were sexually abused prior to their recruitment, according to The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking.
“Humans are being placed price tags,” said Zaoui.
ASEZ, which stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z,” is an organization geared towards hosting agents of change, hosted a forum to discuss human trafficking on Feb.27 at the College of Business.
The discussion of human rights and a call to action was emphasized throughout the entire forum in finding ways to rescue these victims by providing functional and stable lifestyles.
The event included several speakers such as Zaoui, assistant professor of social work at Barry University; Paul Masforroll Lieutenant of the FIU Police Department; and moderators Sheena Murdock and Anthony Ventura.
“It comes down to a matter of communication and bringing awareness which is the first step towards action,” said FIU student and volunteer member, Nahely Molina.
The floor opened up with Professor Sambra who discussed her presentation on the systematic overview of sex trafficking. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others, according to Sambra.
“We know that everyone is susceptible but we know that there are people more susceptible than others,” said Sambra. According to U.S. federal law, any child under 18 years of age found in any commercial sex act is automatically identified as being trafficked.
“This is a billion-dollar industry, there is no way that a billion-dollar industry exists without a network sustaining it, many people are gaining from it,” said Sambra.
In her lecture, she emphasized the tendency of sex traffickers coming from dysfunctional family backgrounds resulting in their abusive behavior.
These signs are often a result of parental divorce, household violence, household member incarceration, and sexual and physical abuse.
1.7 million children run away from home each year, according to The National Incidence Studies of Missing, and Throwaway (NISMART).
With children leaving their homes, they become what Professor Sambra phrased as “couch surfing” looking for a roof over their heads and a sense of safety in their lives. Often, children under these conditions are left in a vulnerable state –which sex traffickers take advantage of.
“This is not a gender issue, women are overrepresented for sure, we know, but it is not a gender issue this is a human rights agreed assault on human life and we cannot take it lightly,” said Sambra.
This video was later played explaining more on how ASEZ is contributing on a global scale in ensuring the humanitarian issues are being met.
The second portion of the forum led to Lieutenant Paul Masforroll discussing on the criminalization of sex traffickers and possible ways to identify early signs of one.
“Human trafficking is tied as the second and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world just behind the drug trade,” said Masforroll.
He discussed behaviors that are associated with sexual offenders that deal with both smuggling and trafficking children.
“32 billion dollars are generated in the trafficking industry alone,” said Masforroll.
A distinction is made between the two.
“Smuggling is transportation-based and requires more of a border crossing which is quite different from human trafficking as it is a crime against a person, it is exploitation based, there really isn’t a border crossing requirement and it’s involuntarily,” said Masforroll.
The common theme brought up by both Professor Sambra and Lieutenant Paul Masforroll is the necessity of love and fulfillment kids out on the streets are looking for.
“Having programs that promote the nature of a mother’s love is quite critical in rescuing these kids who are victims of sexual trafficking,” said Sambra.
The forum then continued with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) a document stating that the signers will be entering a partnership with ASEZ in support of its outreach programs.
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