ABSTRACT
Trafficking in human beings is a growing phenomenon with an expanding
body of literature. However, a gap is evident in this body of literature: original
research focusing on specific incidents of human trafficking. At this time, the
human trafficking literature is permeated with discussions of the sex trade, sexual
exploitation, organized crime, global socioeconomic problems and human rights.
While these issues are all pertinent to the human trafficking debate, the literature
requires maturation. This growth should occur with research that seeks to
understand the trafficking event through analysis of occurrences of human
trafficking: such is the aim of this study. This content analytic study examines
191 unique incidents of human trafficking, as reported in electronic international
print media, in order to analyze specific attributes relating to the trafficker, the
trafficked individual and the trafficking event.
Keywords: human trafficking; human smuggling; trafficking in persons;
transnational crime; illegal immigration
Subject Terms: human trafficking; human trafficking--law and legislation;
human trafficking--case studies; human trafficking government policy;
human trafficking prevention; human smuggling; human smuggling—
prevention; illegal immigration
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Convention