“It's impossible to protect all girls from guys like me, because that's what we do. We eat, drink and sleep, thinking about how to trick girls into doing what we want” (Knapp). This chilling quote from a short documentary contains the exact words of a former pimp. Human trafficking, as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “an organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as commodities to be controlled and exploited (e.g. forced into prostitution or forced labor).” This definition does not cover the ways in which people are drawn into this chaos; persuasion, some forced and some even grow in that environment. Most Americans know this because it is an international problem that does not concern them; some don't even know what human trafficking is. The truth is that human trafficking happens all around us; it could even happen in your hometown. In the United States alone, in 2008-2010, “federally funded task forces initiated investigations into 2,515 suspected cases of human trafficking” and of these 2,515 incidents “8 in 10…were classified as sex trafficking, and approximately 1 episode out of 10 was classified as labor trafficking” (Banks). The confirmed cases have led to 144 known arrests. In the video Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking, the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) states that human trafficking is the “second largest and fastest growing illegal industry.” TYLA also states that “trafficking is often mistaken for a solely international problem, but the number of American children at risk of trafficking is ten times greater than the 18,000 international victims of trafficking across U.S. borders each year.” Human trafficking is known as the modern slave trade. The... middle of the paper... many states pass laws to combat human trafficking." USAToday. USAToday, August 15, 2013. Web. November 20, 2013. Banks, Duren and Tracey Kyckelhahn. "Characteristics of Suspicious Incidents of Human Trafficking, 2008-2010." Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Bureau of Justice Programs, April 28, 2011. Web. Nov. 19, 2013. Knapp, Jeff. “‘Chosen’ Review: Documentary Sheds Light on Local Sex Trafficking.” Clark College Independent RSS2, May 22, 2013. Web. Nov. 19, 2013. Texas Young Lawyers Association, prod. . Unknown: Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking - TYLA. Texas Bar Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 November 2013.CNN, prod. Amber Lyon: Selling sex?:Compare Craigslist. CNN. Cable News Network, 13 August 2010. Web. 20 November 2013.CNN, prod. Amber Lyon: Child sex trade still thriving online. Cable News Network, February 5, 2011. Web. November 20. 2013.