Substantial efforts have been made, at national and global levels, to prevent human trafficking, protect trafficking victims, and prosecute perpetrators. While considerable literature is available on trafficking victims, there is scant research on perpetrators of human trafficking (or traffickers). Human trafficking cannot be suitably addressed if traffickers continue to be overlooked in research and services. It is important to explore strategies that could help reduce the criminal behaviors of traffickers and rehabilitate them. This article explores how traffickers could be both deterred and rehabilitated through evidence-based interventions similar to those used by law enforcement for other offenses, such as gang violence and drug trafficking. The article explores an innovative hybrid framework combining focused deterrence (FD), the risk–-need–responsivity (RNR) model, and the Good Lives Model (GLM) as a promising, integrative intervention strategy not only to deter but also to potentially support the rehabilitation of trafficking perpetrators. Potential challenges of this hybrid framework and strategies for overcoming them are examined. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

The crime of trafficking in persons (TPPO) with recruitment through social media is now a major problem in Indonesia, which exploits migrant workers in various online fraud operations. The Trafficking in Persons 2025 report recorded the handling of 3,354 cases related to online fraud in 2024, but only 314 individuals were officially recognized as victims. This upward trend is expected to continue in 2025–2026 with the mass repatriation of thousands of Indonesian citizens from Myanmar and Cambodia. This normative juridical research explores the inadequacy of legal protection contained in Law no. 21/2007, Law no. 18/2017, Law no. 31/2014, and the ITE Law. It was found that although the national legal system is quite complete, its implementation is hampered by low levels of digital literacy, weak responsibility of digital platforms, disharmonious coordination between sectors, and challenges in transnational electronic evidence. The low level of fulfillment of the right to restitution increasingly shows the state's failure to provide restorative justice. This research recommends the existence of special regulations regarding TPPO that focus on digital aspects and strengthening mechanisms.

Despite increased awareness of the psychological impacts of human trafficking, limited research in sub-Saharan Africa and Uganda has examined how survivors recover and adapt. Resilience, a dynamic process shaped by personal, relational, and structural factors, offers a strengths-based lens to understand post-trafficking experiences. This mixed-methods study explored the forms and sources of resilience among female trafficking survivors in Uganda. Quantitative data were collected from 350 women aged 18 to 35 receiving services from two NGOs: Uganda Youth Development Link and Set Her Free. Resilience was measured using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), with descriptive and bivariate analyses conducted to explore patterns and associations. Qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews were analyzed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s thematic approach. The average resilience score was 23.4 ( SD = 6.8); only 18.3% of participants scored ≥30, indicating higher levels of resilience-related capacities as measured by the CD-RISC-10. Older women and those affiliated with the Anglican faith exhibited significantly higher resilience-related capacity score ( p < .05), while no significant differences were observed by marital status or education. Thematic findings revealed five key sources of resilience: inner strength and self-motivation, emotional and relational support, vocational training and economic empowerment, belonging and community connection, and future-oriented hope. Survivors described drawing strength from self-belief, family, faith, peer networks, and practical skill-building opportunities. These findings highlight that resilience among survivors is shaped by both internal coping capacities and external support systems. Trauma-informed, survivor-centered interventions that integrate psychosocial care, economic empowerment, and community-based support can foster long-term resilience and recovery. A culturally grounded, strengths-based approach is essential for effective reintegration and prevention of re-trafficking.

ABSTRACT This study synthesizes peer-reviewed research on human trafficking linked to scam compounds in Southeast Asia (2020 to 2025) to understand their organizational, spatial, and coercive infrastructures. Applying a Qualitative Meta-Synthesis (QMS) protocol, it integrates findings from fifty publications. These outputs comprise forty-five journal articles, three conference papers, one book chapter, and one monograph. As a consolidated evidentiary base, this QMS constitutes the first systematic review to integrate scam-compound economies into broader research on trafficking and forced labor in Southeast Asia. The included studies employ qualitative, mixed-methods, and conceptual approaches, drawing on survivor interviews, NGO and law enforcement perspectives, and legal analyses. Results show that scam compounds function as industrialized socio-technical systems embedded within licit-illicit economies, exploiting digital infrastructures, deregulated Special Economic Zones, and migration precarity. Cross-study patterns highlight hierarchical divisions of labor, coercion, and liminal victim-offender roles. Divergences reflect local political economies and adaptive organizational forms. The synthesis situates scam compounds within the broader history of illicit economies. The study demonstrates the value of the QMS for advancing theoretical coherence in fragmented literatures on deviance.

Forensic significance of the victim’s personality in proceedings on child trafficking in the context of armed conflict. The article examines the forensic significance of the victim in criminal proceedings concerning child trafficking in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine. The author emphasizes that the victim is a key element in both the criminal-law and forensic characterization of the crime, as their social, psychological, age-related, and material characteristics determine the mechanism of the offense, the perpetrator’s motives, the selection of the victim, and the formulation of effective investigative hypotheses. The article analyzes the legal definition of the victim according to Part 1, Article 55 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and international standards, including the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. Distinctions between the criminal-law, criminal-procedural, and forensic approaches to understanding the victim are examined, as well as the specifics of procedural status and the emergence of the rights and duties of the victim. Special attention is given to children as the most vulnerable category of victims, considering their age, social, and legal characteristics, as well as the specifics of abduction, exploitation, and trafficking under wartime conditions. Analysis of criminal proceedings indicates that entries in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations concerning child trafficking are mostly related to sexual and labor exploitation. The study highlights the high level of latent crimes, the transnational nature of illegal child transfers, the use of complex exploitation schemes, and digital technologies for coordinating criminal activity. It is concluded that effective investigation of these offenses requires a comprehensive approach that combines forensic methods with international legal mechanisms, inter-agency coordination, and specialized measures for child protection. The results of the study may be applied in criminological and forensic research, law enforcement practice, and legislative regulation in combating human and child trafficking.

National Strategy to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking and Social Welfare Policy Development

This article presents an adaptive neural network method for the automated detection, reconstruction, and prioritisation of multi-stage criminal operations in the digital environment, aiming to protect human rights and ensure the legal security of digital evidence. The developed method combines multimodal temporal encoders, a graph module based on GNN for entity correlation, and a correlation head with a link-prediction mechanism and differentiable path recovery. Sliding time windows, logarithmic transformation of volumetric features, and pseudonymization of identifiers with the ability to utilise privacy-preserving procedures (federated learning, differential privacy) are used for data aggregation and normalisation. Unique features of the developed method include an integrated risk function combining an anomaly component and graph significance, a module for automated forensic packet generation with chain of custody recording, and a mechanism for incremental model updates. Experimental results demonstrate high diagnostic metric values (AUC ≈ 0.97, F1 ≈ 0.99 on the test dataset after balancing), robust recovery of priority paths (“path_probability” > 0.7 for top operations), and pipeline performance in PII leak prioritisation and human trafficking reconstruction scenarios. The study’s contribution lies in a practice-oriented neural network method that integrates detection, correlation, and the collection of legally applicable evidence.

Human trafficking is considered as one of the most challenging forms of exploitation due to the difficulty in accurately detecting the exact number of victims. This type of crime operates at both the domestic and international levels, affecting every country as a source, transit, or destination for trafficked individuals. This article argues that during crises such as COVID-19, armed conflicts, or climate change, traffickers have successfully adapted their modus operandito exploit vulnerable populations for profit maximization. The pandemic led to a rise in cybersex trafficking in India, where traffickers targeted young children through online platforms. The war in Ukraine escalated the vulnerability of refugees, looking for safety in other countries, making them main targets for trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation. Climate change has had a devastating impact on the Venezuelan population, forcing many to seek any form of employment, thus becoming exposed to trafficking. The article identifies thatan obstacle to efficiently address the issue of human trafficking occurs due to the lack of clear definition of such definition as well as the existence of gaps in both domestic and international legislations. It further examines that, during the time of crises, more stringent legal frameworks and a harmonised international response are necessary to effectively handle the strategies adopted by traffickers.By analysing these crises, the article emphasizes the need for stronger legal frameworks and coordinated international responses to address the evolving strategies of traffickers during periods of disruptions.

Identifying and supporting trafficked individuals: provider and community organization perspectives on existing sociotechnical approaches.

Human trafficking, particularly of women, is one of the most serious violations of human rights. Bangladesh, due to its geopolitical location, the socioeconomic status of its women, and its insecure borders with neighbouring countries on all sides, is a common country of origin and transit for human trafficking. The main objective of this study is to determine the pathways of women trafficking in Bangladesh, and explore the vulnerabilities of victims. To conduct this study, an exploratory qualitative research design was employed, with participants selected from the Dhaka Metropolitan Area. The findings of the study reveal that the majority of victims are young and come from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background. Traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of these women by offering false promises of employment and a better lifestyle, ultimately leading to sexual exploitation. During this process, trafficking groups organize themselves and seek assistance from border security forces, middlemen, and politicians, using various deceptive methods to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. Additionally, unlike traditional trafficking methods, traffickers now utilize social media and digital platforms to target their victims. Most victims endure rape, gang rape, drug injection, threats of murder, extreme physical and mental torture, and are denied access to basic necessities. Policy implications of the study include strengthening border security, addressing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, enhancing law enforcement efforts, regulating digital platforms, and providing comprehensive support services for trafficking survivors to prevent and combat human trafficking.

This paper analyzes the vulnerability of refugees and the subsequent risk of them becoming victims of human trafficking, focusing on forced labor, from a human rights perspective. The act of seeking refuge and the right to migrate are fundamental human rights, as is the right to decent work. However, the systematic violation of these rights affects thousands of vulnerable individuals, including men, women, and children. These people are potential victims of human rights abuses, particularly labor rights, which violates human dignity. The vulnerability of refugees is aggravated by the State's inaction in implementing public policies for labor inclusion and adequate support networks, which facilitates recruitment into forced labor. Human trafficking is closely related to forced labor, as its primary purpose is to provide labor for economic exploitation. The research was conducted using the deductive method, employing bibliographic and documentary review procedures to deepen knowledge in the categories of migration, refugees, human trafficking, and human rights. It is imperative to identify ways to confront these offenses, prioritizing the defense of human dignity and the effective implementation of public policies.

The present day is characterized by a difficult period for the state, caused by the introduction of martial law in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the Approval of the Decree of the President of Ukraine ”On the Introduction of Martial Law in Ukraine» dated 24.02.2022 No. 2102-IX [1]. The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that fundamental human rights and freedoms, in particular the will, honor, and dignity of the individual, which are guaranteed by the Basic Law of the state — the Constitution of Ukraine — are being violated both by the aggressor state and by the citizens of our state. In modern society, the criminal law protection of the freedom, honor, and dignity of the individual is of great importance and occupies a special place in the criminal law system of Ukraine. In the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the CC of Ukraine), liability for infringements on the freedom, honor, and dignity of a person is detailed in Articles 146–151-2, which cover such criminal offenses as unlawful deprivation of liberty or abduction of a person, enforced disappearance, hostage- taking, child substitution, human trafficking, exploitation of children, use of a minor child for begging, and other acts that infringe on the freedom, honor, and dignity of a person. These criminal offenses not only cause significant harm to a specific person, but also undermine the foundations of security, morality, and social justice in society. The article examines the legal mechanisms for protecting the freedom, honor, and dignity of individuals in the context of Articles 146–151-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In particular, the main focus is on problematic issues of criminal law protection of what is most valuable for a state governed by the rule of law—the freedom, honor, and dignity of individuals. The structure and composition of crimes that infringe on the freedom, honor, and dignity of the individual are analyzed. Ensuring an effective mechanism for the criminal law protection of the freedom, honor, and dignity of the individual is one of the key areas of development of the rule of law, the establishment of the supremacy of law, and respect for human rights. Therefore, scientific research into the problems of criminal law protection of freedom, honor, and dignity of the individual in the context of Articles 146–151-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is relevant and necessary. A comprehensive analysis of current legislation and law enforcement practice will make it possible to identify the main directions for improving the effectiveness of the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Georgian model of civil confiscation of illegal and unjustified assets as a modern instrument for combating profit-driven, organised and corruption-related criminal activity. It is argued that under conditions of high latency of certain criminal offences, difficulties in proving individual criminal episodes, and the widespread use of financial and corporate mechanisms to conceal the origin of income, traditional criminal-law instruments often prove insufficient. In this context, civil confiscation acquires independent significance as a property-based response aimed at eliminating the material foundation of unlawful activity. The normative framework of the Georgian model is examined, primarily on the basis of the Law of Georgia on Organised Crime and Racketeering of 20 December 2005 No. 2354-RS in systematic connection with the Civil Procedure Code of Georgia. It is shown that this model is characterised by procedural autonomy from criminal proceedings, a high level of normative detail, and a complex legal structure. Georgian legislation combines a broad functional understanding of property subject to confiscation, an expanded circle of subjects, differentiated legal regimes of assets (racketeering, illegal and unjustified), and a multi-level system of proof. Special attention is paid to the analysis of unlawful acts that allow the application of civil confiscation, including racketeering, activities of the «thieves’ world», drug trafficking and aiding in its distribution, illegal and unjustified enrichment of public officials, human trafficking, money laundering and terrorist financing. It is demonstrated that this list reflects a risk-oriented approach aimed at depriving organised and profit-driven criminal activity of its economic basis. The concept and scope of property subject to confiscation are analysed. It is shown that confiscation covers not only primary criminal assets but also derivative income, corporate rights and the property of third parties – family members, close relatives and associated persons. The decisive criterion is not the proof of a specific criminal offence but the absence of evidence of the lawful origin of the assets. Procedural features of civil confiscation are examined, including the distribution of the burden of proof depending on the legal regime of property and the role of courts in ensuring the proportionality of interference with property rights. The article concludes that the Georgian model of civil confiscation represents a modern and effective mechanism for combating organised, profit-driven and corruption-related criminality, combining the efficiency of asset recovery with procedural guarantees of human rights. Certain elements of this experience – in particular, the functional approach to defining confiscatable property, the expanded circle of subjects and the flexible system of proof – may be used by other states, including Ukraine, in improving their own mechanisms for confiscating illegal and unjustified assets in accordance with national legal traditions and human-rights standards.

Abstract The existence and development of feminist scholarship and practice have been revisited by feminist anthropologists and sociologists exploring it among the gendered cultural and historical dynamics of the Caribbean. Feminist Caribbeanists’ pioneering efforts that fit within this theoretical family have challenged the Global North status quo to shape new ways of “doing feminism.” Kamala Kempadoo's trailblazing efforts take up this mantle and expand feminist possibilities. This article traces the evolution of Caribbean feminisms, attending to the dynamics and contentions using the voices of foundational feminist Caribbeanists as context. It celebrates Kempadoo, foregrounding examples of how she has been central to cementing this work and disrupting exogenous discourses. Through these examples, I highlight the intersectionality of Caribbean feminisms, cite feminism as a “decoding tool” for social phenomena and explore the need to continue Caribbeanist scholarship. Standing on Kempadoo's shoulders, it introduces excerpts on how my own work is influenced by and expands Caribbean feminisms through Indigenous methodologies, amplified voices, and critical literature. In essence, the article argues that feminist anthropology as a discipline can gain much from applying Caribbean feminisms. Though not homogenous, Caribbean feminisms continue evolving and deserve recognition as a unique knowledge producer.

Human trafficking is a critical public health issue, yet most undergraduate nursing programs lack education on its identification and response. Traditional didactic methods may not fully engage students or prepare them to recognize and support victims. Faculty integrated a structured, off-site clinical day focused on human trafficking into the community health nursing clinical course. Guided by the SOAR (Stop, Observe, Ask, Respond) framework, students engaged in small-group activities, modified reverse case study scenarios, NCLEX-style question development, and reflections. Faculty observed increased engagement, critical thinking, and application of trauma-informed principles. Clinical instructors and students reported the session as meaningful and relevant, with requests for similar sessions on additional topics. The integration of a focused clinical day proved to be valuable and a sustainable teaching strategy for preparing nursing students to recognize victims and respond. This intervention aligns with national calls to incorporate trafficking education into nursing curricula.

Purpose This short conceptual paper aims to alert future contributors of research papers concerning exploitation to the uniquely exploitative nature of psychopathic people, including in their management and leadership roles. The paper offers guidance to researchers in the field of economic exploitation and inequality, suggesting that they should not overlook the personality-based explanations for such behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A search within the search engine “Google Scholar” for papers linking psychopathy to exploitation and exploitativeness was made in August 2025. This revealed five relevant papers. To achieve methodological robustness and ensure a comprehensive search was undertaken, a similar search was conducted within one of the current author's own databases, which contained 4,143 papers. This author is an acknowledged world leader in corporate psychopathy research, and keeps up to date with the relevant literature, and so this database should contain the most relevant papers. Twenty-five additional papers were thus identified and are discussed herein. Findings Potential and actual links between psychopathy and varied forms of exploitation, such as environmental exploitation, workforce mistreatment, exploitation of host populations within tourist destinations, illegal drug distribution, human trafficking, coercive pornography production, and gambling, are discussed. Areas for further research are suggested. Practical implications People with psychopathic personalities may be involved in a wide variety of exploitative activities, perhaps in conjunction with other antecedents of exploitation. Future research should take this association into account in designing further studies concerning exploitation. Originality/value In an academic environment where personality can be downplayed in favour of group and organisational dynamics, this paper reminds academic research colleagues of the important role the psychopathic personality can play in all forms of exploitation.

ABSTRACT Human trafficking of women and children (HTWC) has always been a global concern and a persistent social issue in China. But feminist critiques of HTWC’s media representations are insufficient in understanding the underlying gendered power dynamics and ideologies, especially in non-Western, local socio-political contexts. Drawing on the anthropological notion of “transforming patriarchal configurations,” which focuses on the interplay between gender and generational inequalities, this study takes China’s state media as a critical and illustrative case. It systematically explores how HTWC’s representations engage with patriarchal values embedded in Chinese society. This study analyzes 117 news articles from People’s Daily (2011–2024) with critical discourse analysis and content analysis. The findings reveal a nuanced picture. The ambivalent subordinations between society, families, and individuals reframe personal suffering as collective tragedies for families and society. Structural causes like gender inequality are systematically downplayed in favor of discourses prioritizing patriarchal familial values and social order, echoing the state’s intent to preserve existing patriarchal family structures and maintain social stability, thereby legitimizing the very gendered hierarchies that potentially exacerbate HTWC. This study contributes to understanding how state media’s discourses shape patriarchal configurations and offers insights into media representation research of HTWC and gender violence more broadly.

ABSTRACT Although persons with disabilities are among those who are vulnerable to human trafficking – and trafficking can result in people acquiring a disability – scholarly and practitioner understanding of this issue is still emerging. Our research in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand provides important insights into this issue, highlighting that disability shapes vulnerability to trafficking in specific ways and that this takes place within the context of broader patterns of poverty, inequality and injustice. Increased poverty and barriers to education and livelihoods, alongside discrimination and social stigma further constrain the choices persons with disabilities are able to make and exposes them to risks of exploitation and trafficking. This intersects with their individual disability. Our findings have several implications for counter-trafficking efforts that support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of “promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies.” These include the need to address structural factors such as access to education, employment and livelihoods, and social protection. More specifically, efforts could focus on educating persons with disabilities about their rights, raising awareness of disability among those involved in frontline counter-trafficking efforts, and collecting accurate data on disability among victims of trafficking to inform national policymaking and practice.

ABSTRACT The Commonwealth Caribbean has a history of being ‘governed from outside’. While colonisation is usually associated with European metropoles, this paper argues that the Caribbean anti-trafficking in persons field has been subject to the US government as a neo-coloniser. This exogenous influence harms more than it helps. The article shows how vulnerable the region is to US dictates through financing and soft power. To solidify this argument, the work applies post-colonial discourse analysis to empirical fieldwork and anti-trafficking campaigns. The paper concludes that the region must extricate itself from this dependency using a more Caribbean-centric approach to address trafficking in persons.

Human trafficking in Indonesia's border regions is closely linked to illegal or non-procedural migration practices, particularly in Nunukan Regency, which borders Malaysia. This situation is exacerbated by a highly centralized governance structure, which limits the role of local governments in responding to the rapid and informal nature of migration and human trafficking. This study aims to analyse the policy framework for handling human trafficking crimes in the context of illegal migration, highlighting the limitations of local government authority in a decentralized system. This study uses a literature review and qualitative policy analysis based on documents, including laws and regulations, national and regional policies, relevant academic literature, and reports from international organizations. The analysis was conducted using a transnational governance framework and the concept of delegated authority. The results of the analysis show that there is a governance gap in the supervision of non-procedural migration, data collection on migrant workers, cross-border coordination, and initial protection of victims of human trafficking due to the dominance of central government authority. These findings are analytical and normative, not empirical, and show that the limitations of local governments' roles are a consequence of the policy's institutional design. This study concludes that the development of a limited, accountable delegated authority scheme has the potential to strengthen local governments' roles in border areas in addressing the link between illegal migration and human trafficking, and recommends further empirical research to test its effectiveness in implementation.