Usually one thinks of cattle or livestock when
they picture branding, but throughout history slaves have been branded to transform
their status from free individual, to owned property. Ancient Egyptian slaves were branded, as were
African slaves shipped to America. Today,
many may sigh in relief believing that man has progressed beyond such crude
acts of subjugation, but they would be appalled to discover that branding still
exists within the human trafficking industry.
Every year more trafficking incidents are brought to light and, in many
cases, the victims bear tattoos marking them as property of their oppressors.
Examples of tattooed trafficking victims continue to
appear in cases around the globe. In
Chicago, Daqunn Sawyer (P-Child) was convicted of sex trafficking 17 girls,
many of whom were underage. He renamed
the girls and forced them to get tattoos of his nickname, P-Child, or his
favorite slogan, “Chedda make it betta.”
In Madrid, police arrested twenty-two traffickers know as the “bar code
pimps,” due to the bar code tattoos printed on their victims. Pimps and traffickers tattoo their victims as
a way to psychologically control them and create a permanent mark of ownership. Dr Sophia Grant of Cook Children’s Medical
Center says that tattooing “strips the identity of the child (victim), and it
makes that child know, 'You are my property’.”
This psychological bondage can make it harder for victims of trafficking
to attempt to escape their oppressors.
Traffickers also use tattoos to let other pimps know to whom the girls
belong. In some cases, like in the
bar-code trafficking ring, traffickers will tattoo numbers that represent the debt
owed to the traffickers by the girls.
Debt can be used as a means of financial control and exploitation in
trafficking cases. Whatever form the
tattoo takes, however, it always symbolizes loss of power and freedom.
These trafficking
cases represent just a portion of those involving branding. In fact, since December of 2007, the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline has received nearly 150 calls across
the nation related to tattoos and human trafficking. As tattoos have become a
frequent indicator of trafficking, the term “distinguishing tattoo” now appears on lists published to help
people identify trafficked victims.
Authorities may also begin to look for tattoos of gang signs as markers
of trafficking. Recent trends show gangs
moving from the illegal drug trade into the trafficking trade because it is
both lucrative and perceived as a low risk illegal endeavor. Victims may have tattooed symbols of the
various gangs now involved in trafficking including the; Bloods, Crips, Folk,
Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, and Hells Angels. If such a large percentage of trafficked
victims have tattoos, wouldn’t tattoo artists be the most logical community to
employ in the fight against human trafficking?
The anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project thought so.
Recently Polaris Project
published an article in the National Tattoo Association newsletter. This article explains the human trafficking issue
and how tattoo artists can help by reporting any potential victims of trafficking
that come into their shops. Though this
is an important step in raising awareness within the tattoo community, to date,
it has been the only effort made.
Police, medical staff, truckers, and flight attendants, work in
industries where one comes into daily contact with trafficked victims, thus
they are receiving training on how to spot and respond to victims. Perhaps more tattoo artists could receive
training, and a new force could join the ranks of those fighting human
trafficking.
-Marianna Ernst, Intern
To learn more about tattoos
used in human trafficking go to:
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