Traffickers' "F"ing Behavior During a Pandemic: Why Pandemic Online Behavior has Heightened the Urgency to Prevent Traffickers from Finding, Friending, and Facilitating the Exploitation of Youth via Social Media

Authors

Nicola A. Boothe-Perry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Abstract

During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, millions of native Africans were tricked into slavery. Today trans-continental deception continues, ensnaring victims from every corner of the world, many of whom are vulnerable children deceived and enslaved through violence and abuse. Ranked as the second most prevalent criminal enterprise, human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise in the United States and across the world, with many of the victims recruited, solicited and exploited via social media. The correlation between this social media exploitation and the use of technology during the 2020 pandemic (hereinafter referred to as "Pandemic Online Behavior" or "POB") highlights the need for action to mitigate the number of child trafficking victims.

Recommended Citation

Nicola A. Boothe, Traffickers' "F"ing Behavior during a Pandemic: Why Pandemic Online Behavior Has Heightened the Urgency to Prevent Traffickers from Finding, Friending and Facilitating the Exploitation of Youth via Social Media, 22 GEO. J. GENDER & L. 533 (2021).