The words "human trafficking" is heard frequently, and yet, when some are asked to explain the horrors of human trafficking and its victims, there is still an obvious sense of ignorance in the matter. These victims are bought and sold for labor and sexual purposes every day. Labor tends to consist of basic servitude and smaller labor demands. These labor demands are also on a much larger scale for purposes such as working on farms, in sweatshops, and different multinational corporations.

Trafficking for sexual exploitation is a whole different story. This has sadly and very oddly become one of the most private sects of human trafficking. Trafficking for sexual purposes can be for anything from prostitution, forced pornography, bride trafficking (sold into marriage), to sexual abuse. Knowing now what exactly it is that takes place during the process of trafficking, the question is: who are these people? It's commonly said that people only from impoverished and international countries are victimized. This myth is incorrect, and also includes virtually any kind of person as long as there is a profit to be made from potential victims.

Over the last 30 years, the frequency of human trafficking has led to certain trends in different locations throughout the world. During these 30 years, the United States has involved themselves accordingly, and helped establish the cause for anti-human trafficking along the way.

The prime locations of human trafficking in the world have shifted between largely depressed areas. In the 1970's, it was the most prominent in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. In the 1980's the wave shifted to countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and Ghana in Africa. By the 1990's, the hotspots of human trafficking had moved up and over to Europe and South America, into El Salvador and Guatemala. From there, it eventually resided in Brazil, Mexico, and The Dominican Republic.

After the 90's it then spread to countries such Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. In 2000, it finally shifted to Central Asia to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. Present day human trafficking resides most commonly in countries such as China, Russia, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States.

In late 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. This act became a landmark in anti-human trafficking because it employed the U.S. to use political and economic leverage to contain human trafficking globally. It requires the U.S. state department to give an annual evaluation of different government's performances in stopping human trafficking in their given countries.

Each country was evaluated on their laws, policies, and practices used to hunt and prosecute traffickers. The country was then ranked on a scale of 1-3. Number one indicated the nation had been meeting act standards. Receiving a number two meant controlling issues, but solutions were in progress. Finally, a number three resulted and issue with no solution pursued.

If the country was classified as a three, there was a public report released to the entire world, resulting in embarrassment ridicule. This prompted rethinking and planning on their part. A "number three" country will also be sanctioned by cuts to foreign aid, as well as opposition from the U.S. against any attempts for loans to their country.

Although the Unites States has obviously showed great promise and leadership in the fight against human trafficking, they still struggle with the issue on their own soil. It was estimated that 17,500 foreign victims are trafficked annually in the U.S. However, it's even more unsettling that the number of U.S. citizens being sexually trafficked within the United States is even higher at 200,000 people per year. As a result, many organizations were created to expose and battle this modern day slavery.