Globalization is threatening to change and destroy cultural diversity.
There are concerns that overwhelming power, cultures, and lifestyles in the industrialized world is undermining traditional modes of living and social mores. For anyone concerned about the value of tradition and of indigenous cultural modes, this is indeed a serious threat.
Criminals will often take advantage of existing societal or cultural norms to conceal their ultimate purpose—trafficking. The devaluation of women and girls in society and the entrusting of children to affluent friends are customary practices in many societies and can frequently lead to trafficking situations. As Bales explains:
Some parents sell their children not just for the money but also in the hope that the children will be escaping a situation of poverty and will move to a place where they can have a better life and more opportunities. In cultures that fear diseases like STDs, HIV, and AIDS, the fear of spreading these diseases may also influence traffickers selling victims to brothels for the purpose of sexual exploitation, because virgin children become attractive to brothel owners and their customers due to the belief that children are free from diseases.