Trafficking in human beings: Socioeconomic and cultural factors

• Main Author: Pajić Nataša
• Format: Article
• Language: srp
• Published: University of Belgrade - Faculty of Security Studies, Belgrade 2017-01-01
• Series: Godišnjak Fakulteta bezbednosti
• Subjects: trafficking in human beings; causes of trafficking in human beings; poverty; migration; cultural practices
• Online Access: https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/1821-150X/2017/1821-150X1701237P.pdf

The subject of this article are socioeconomic and cultural factors that contribute to trafficking victimization. These factors have been identified as key factors in many papers. Regarding this, debates on the role of poverty have been singled out in the academic discussions. Hence, the aim of this article is to systematize the most important insights of theoretical reflections on socio-economic and cultural factors that cause or contribute to people being vulnerable to trafficking, as well as findings of empirical studies that have examined this relationship. The main research method used in this paper is literature review. Aft er introduction and presentation of main theoretical reflections on the causes of trafficking in human beings, the focus of this paper is placed on key socio-economic and cultural factors favoring the phenomenon of trafficking. Findings of previous empirical research and existing theoretical generalizations point to the conclusion that the above mentioned factors, especially poverty, significantly contribute to the emergence and growth of trafficking, but the key to understanding the vulnerability of individuals to trafficking lies in understanding the interaction between these factors, as no factor is per se sufficient for the emergence and development of human trafficking.