HUMAN TRAFFICKING
FIRST TERM E-LEARNING NOTE
SUBJECT: CIVIC EDUCATION
CLASS: SS 3
WEEK FOUR
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Human trafficking is the recruiting, transporting, receiving and harboring of people in exchange for money. It is a global issue that affects millions of people around the world and involves everything from forcing someone into labor to forcing them into prostitution.
There are many different factors that can contribute to human trafficking, including poverty, war, lack of political stability, and a lack of educational and economic opportunities. Some common tactics used by traffickers include force or coercion, fraud, abduction, and deception.
There are many different organizations working to combat human trafficking, including governments, NGOs, and international organizations. Some of these groups focus on raising awareness about the issue, while others aim to prosecute traffickers and help victims recover from their experiences.
Domestic trafficking is targeted towards bringing young boys and girls into cities for force labour as house helps. It is important to know that human trafficking is both a domestic and international crime. It is a serious situation that is growing at an alarming rate.
Human trafficking is a violation of human rights and the traffickers use their wealth and power to deceive and force the poor, less privileged, ignorant and vulnerable people in the society into all kinds of human exploitation that violates the fundamental human rights of the people involved.
While there are many challenges in the fight against human trafficking, there are also many ways that we can all contribute to ending this global issue. For example, we can speak up when we see signs of trafficking or support organizations working to raise awareness and help victims recover from their traumatic experiences. Together, we can help put an end to human trafficking once and for all.
Human trafficking could be done domestically or at the international level. Most international trafficking activities are targeted towards taking young ladies abroad through illegal means for the purpose of forcing them into prostitution.
Overall, human trafficking is a global issue that affects millions of people around the world. It is important for all of us to be aware of this issue and do our part in helping to combat it. Whether through raising awareness or supporting organizations working to help victims, there are many things we can do to help end human trafficking.
CAUSES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
1. Poverty
One of the major factors that contribute to human trafficking is poverty. Many people living in developing countries are poor and cannot find opportunities for work or education, making them vulnerable to traffickers who may offer them false promises of better jobs or a higher education.
2. Lack of political stability
Another contributing factor to human trafficking is war and political instability. People who live in countries that are experiencing unrest or conflict may be forced to flee their homes and become displaced, leaving them vulnerable to traffickers who offer false promises of safety or better opportunities.
3. Lack of educational and economic opportunities
A third factor that contributes to human trafficking is a lack of educational and economic opportunities. When people do not have access to good education or decent jobs, they may be more likely to turn to traffickers for help in supporting themselves and their families.
4. Force or coercion
One of the most common tactics used by traffickers is force or coercion. Traffickers may use threats, violence, intimidation, or other manipulative methods to control and dominate their victims.
5. Fraud
Another common tactic used by traffickers is fraud. They may use false promises or misrepresent themselves in order to trick people into trusting them and then exploit that trust for their own profit.
6. Deception
Deception is another method that traffickers often use to deceive and manipulate their victims. This can include lying about the nature or conditions of the work being offered, hiding important information from their victims, and other forms of trickery.
7. Emotional manipulation
In addition to physical and psychological abuse, many traffickers also use emotional manipulation to control and dominate their victims. They may gaslight their victims, manipulate them with guilt trips, threaten violence against their loved ones, or other forms of emotional abuse.
8. GREED
People who are not contented with what they have or those who want to accumulate fast wealth may find themselves engaged in human trafficking.
9. LOW SELF-ESTEEM
Some people due to low self-esteem or loss of sense of worth and self-confidence may fall victim of human traffickers who will promise to help them but what they actually do is to exploit them.
10. CORRUPTION
Human traffickers bribe government officials with money and material things so that they can continue to carry out their business without being caught or hindered by government agencies.
11. IGNORANCE
Vulnerable members in the society can easily be deceived by human traffickers who will promise them greener pastures and better lifestyles in the cities or abroad and because everybody wants a better and improved life, they innocently follow these traffickers only to discover that their intention was to exploit and use them to make money. Some of these people may even be forced to take oaths not to disclose their secret or try to escape.
12. WAR
During prolonged war, children are forced to join the army and are trained to carry guns and ammunitions. Although this may not be done for money, it is also a form of human trafficking e.g during the second world war, some Africans were trafficked to Europe so as to fight in the war.
Despite many initiatives to fight human trafficking, this global issue continues to affect millions of people around the world. As we work together to raise awareness and support those affected by human trafficking, we can help put an end to this terrible crime once and for all.
EVALUATION
- Define human trafficking.
- State the causes of human trafficking.
- Identify some of the tactics used by traffickers.
- Explain why human trafficking is such a serious problem.
Human trafficking is the illegal trade in people, typically for the purposes of forced labor, sexual exploitation, or organ removal. Some of the main causes of human trafficking include poverty, lack of educational and economic opportunities, force or coercion, fraud, deception, emotional manipulation, and greed. Traffickers use a variety of tactics to control and manipulate their victims, including physical and psychological abuse, force or coercion, fraud or deception, and emotional manipulation. Due to the serious nature of this global problem, it is important for all of us to take action against human trafficking by raising awareness about this issue and supporting those affected by it.
EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
- PHYSICAL OR PSYCOLOGICAL ABUSE: One of the main effects and consequences of human trafficking is physical or psychological abuse. Victims may experience physical violence, sexual assault, threats against themselves or their family members, deprivation of food or sleep, and other forms of coercion or manipulation. They may also experience long-term psychological effects such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma-related disorders, and other serious mental health issues.
- COERCION AND FRAUD: Traffickers may also use various forms of coercion or manipulation to control their victims, including blackmail, threats of harm to themselves or others, debt bondage, fraud or deception, and emotional abuse. For example, traffickers may threaten a victim’s family members, manipulate their emotions, or tell them that they owe the trafficker a certain amount of money and must work to pay off this debt.
- LACK OF EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES: Many victims are also lured or forced into trafficking due to a lack of educational and economic opportunities in their home countries. Poverty, growing inequality, political instability, and other social factors can contribute to the vulnerability of certain groups of people to human trafficking.
- IGNORANCE: Another common cause of human trafficking is ignorance or naivete on the part of potential victims. Traffickers often prey on vulnerable individuals who are desperate for a better life or have been misinformed about their situation. They may use false promises of a good job, marriage, or other opportunities to lure people into their networks.
- DELAY IN THEIR EDUCATION AND HUMAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT: Children who are trafficked and forced into child labour are usually denied their right to education in order to become useful to themselves in the future.
- VULNERABILITY TO SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES: Girls who engage in prostitute are prone to being infected with sexually transmitted diseases such as syphyilis, gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS. These diseases are capable of cutting their lives short and can reduce their productive contribution to the society and increase medical expenses.
- UNWANTED PREGNANCY: Victims of human trafficking are mostly faced with unprotected sex which could result into unwanted pregnancies. Some of these girls when they give birth will throw the child away or abandon the child with their parents without adequate care.
- STIGMATIZATION: People who are trafficked are usually stigmatized especially when they are deported back to the country from abroad.
- DEATH: Some children who are used as house helps are violently beaten to death while some die of ill health because they are not properly taken care of.
Finally, it is important to remember that human trafficking is a complex issue with many causes and consequences. In order to truly combat this problem, we must continue to raise awareness about the issue and support those affected by it in any way
GENERAL EVALUATION
- What is human trafficking?
- Explain the causes of human trafficking
- State the effects of human trafficking.
- What is rule of law?
- Who propounded the principle of rule of law?
- Outline five causes of human trafficking.
- Explain five ways of preventing human trafficking in Nigeria.
- What are the effects of human trafficking?
1. What is human trafficking?
a) The use of force or coercion to control another person for the purpose of exploitation
b) The illegal sale or trade of human body parts
c) The recruitment, movement, and/or harboring of people through the use of fraud, deception, or coercion
d) All of the above
2. What are some common causes of human trafficking?
a) Poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and social instability
b) Political corruption, organized crime, and economic inequality
c) Gender-based discrimination, familial pressure, and cultural expectations
d) All of the above
3. What are some common effects or consequences of human trafficking?
a) Physical or psychological harm to victims, increased vulnerability to drug abuse or addiction, and loss of autonomy over one’s life
b) Increased rates of unemployment, poverty, and homelessness among survivors of trafficking
c) Stigmatization from society and difficulties securing legal employment in the future
d) All of the above
4. What is rule of law?
a) A set of laws that govern a country or community, ensuring that all members are treated equally and fairly
b) A system of government in which law is the supreme authority and all individuals are subject to the same laws, regardless of power or wealth
c) The principle that no individual should be above the law, including those who hold positions of political or economic power
d) All of the above
5. Who is most commonly affected by human trafficking?
a) Women and girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
b) Children and teenagers who have been exposed to violence, abuse, or neglect at home
c) Men and boys recruited through false job offers or promises of educational opportunities abroad
d) All of the above
6. What factors can act as additional risks for someone who may become a victim of human trafficking?
a) Poverty, lack of access to education or employment opportunities, and unstable social systems
b) Political unrest, organized crime networks, and repressive government regimes
c) Gender-based discrimination, societal expectations of conformity and submissiveness, and lack of legal protections for victims
d) All of the above
7. How has rule of law been used as a tool to combat human trafficking?
a) By ensuring that all individuals are treated equally and fairly under the law regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status
b) By increasing access to education and job training programs for at-risk communities affected by trafficking
c) By empowering survivors with legal protections against traffickers and support systems for recovery from their experiences
d) By improving cooperation and coordination between law enforcement agencies at the international and national levels
8. What are some of the key challenges that policymakers, activists, and organizations working to combat human trafficking still face today?
a) Limited government funding for anti-trafficking initiatives, lack of political support from authorities, and societal stigma towards victims of trafficking
b) Criminalization of migration and smuggling, lack of access to education or job opportunities, and cultural attitudes that normalize exploitation or violence against women
c) Deep-rooted social norms around gender roles, traditional beliefs about childhood development, and weak legal protections for survivors of trafficking
d) All of the above
9. How can we work together to address these challenges and ultimately end human trafficking?
There is no single answer to this question, as there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the prevalence of human trafficking. However, some potential solutions include increasing funding for anti-trafficking initiatives, working with law enforcement agencies at both the international and national levels, raising public awareness about the issue, and supporting survivors through access to education, employment opportunities, and legal protections. Ultimately, it will take a concerted effort from policymakers, activists, organizations, and individuals around the world working together to combat this global issue and build a more just and equitable society.
- A person who engages in trafficking business is called ______ (a) controller (b) business expert (c) trafficker
- The following except _______ are causes of human trafficking (a) poverty (b) greed (c) high self- esteem
- Which of these is not a challenge faced in Nigeria in an attempt to stop human trafficking? (a) Increase in prostitution (b) Porosity of our national borders (c) Adequate law on prohibition of human trafficking
- All are consequences of human trafficking except (a) death (b) unsecured future (c) improved health
- Those who are mostly victims of human trafficking are_______ and ______
