FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
COMFORT TATENDA NYAMANDE
R215577L
Political Science and Diplomacy (POSD)
SDLSSB401
Human trafficking refers to a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide
labour or exploit them usually without any payment. As a result, human trafficking can
significantly affect university students in various ways and this is so because their vulnerability
is often visible hence exploited. As young students navigate their academic pressures, social
dynamics as well as financial responsibilities they tend to be vulnerable hence become victims to
susceptible exploitation. Thus, discussion aims to explore these various ways in which human
trafficking is affecting University students and various ways in which they are lured into these
dangerous situations.
To start with, University Students are usually prone to financing problems and as a result they
fall Prey to human trafficking as they seek to emancipate themselves from financial issues. As a
result, one of the most common tactics being used by traffickers is the promise for lucrative
employment opportunities whereby a student seeking a part time job to sustain his or finances
may come across an enticing advertisement for work online or physically and the position may
offer high pay and flexible hours which will suit perfectly what the student will be looking for.
As such these job offers at start maybe legit but as one goes for interviews it may quickly turn
into exploitative situations such as sex trafficking or forced labour hence this will then affect the
psychological stature of students and some girls are even raped or even killed hence leading to
loss of lives. As such, traffickers leverage students who need financial independence hence
drawing them into precarious circumstances that will endanger them.
Furthermore, in this 20st Century where the digital age is more pronounced, social media and
online platforms serve as fundamental tools for traffickers. Many traffickers create fake profiles
and personas that resonate with the lifestyles and desires of University Students. These
traffickers often initiate contact through direct messages, offering friendship or romantic
romantic relationships. Once trust is established, these traffickers can manipulate students into
exploitative situation since the emotional connections fostered online can lead students to let
their guard down thus making them more vulnerable to exploitation. As such these students can
end up sharing inappropriate pictures with these strangers and might be blackmailed and in some
instances, they may be offered to offer sex to these strangers hence leading to down women
being downgraded on their status. As such, the anonymity and distanc3 provided by the internet
can further embolden traffickers thus making it easier for them to target and groom potential
victims.
In conclusion, human trafficking possesses a severe risk to university students who are often
targeted due to their aspirations, vulnerability and unique circumstances. Awareness and
educational campaigns about these tactics are crucial in Empowering students to recognize red
flags and seek necessary help is important. Universities should play a pivotal role in addressing
this issue by providing resources, support systems and provide adequate training to prevent
trafficking and protect their student populations. This then fosters a culture of vigilance and
support since educational institutions can help safeguard their students against the pervasive
threat to human trafficking.
References
Gordon, M. R. (2024). How human trafficking may affect university students and outline .... Retrieved
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Herrero-Villoria, C. (2024). How human trafficking may affect university students? - SciSpace. Retrieved
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Picornell-Lucas, A. (2024). Human Trafficking in Higher Education. Retrieved
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Patino-Alonso, C. (2024). [PDF] Campus Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit - AWS. Retrieved
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33a65d7c3bfe425483fb0c248a130824FINAL_Campus_Human_Trafficking_Toolkit_02172022.pdf.
Phillips, T. (2024). [PDF] Sex Trafficking Prevention Training for Higher Education Students. Retrieved
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