HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The study examined the knowledge of and attitude towards human trafficking among public secondary school students in Benin City. To guide the study, six (6) research questions were raised, two (2) was answered directly and four (4) were turned into hypotheses and tested at 0.05 alpha level. The study was a survey research design. The population of the study consists of all the thirty three thousand, four hundred and twelve (33, 412) students in the forty five (45) public secondary schools in Benin City of Edo State. A sample of three hundred and sixty (360) secondary school students from nine (9) public junior and senior secondary schools in Benin City using the Multistage Sampling procedure was employed. The instrument used was a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two (2) test experts, one each in Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology of the Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was determined through the Cronbach’s Alpha statistical procedure. Thus, Cronbach’s Alpha value of .85 and .72 were obtained for students’ knowledge scale and students’ attitude scale respectively. The analysis was done using percentage, mean, standard
deviation and the t – test of independent sample statistics. The findings of the study based on the research questions raised and hypotheses tested revealed that the students in Benin City have a moderate knowledge of human trafficking as well as negative attitude towards human trafficking. Sex and age of students have no significant influence on students’ knowledge and attitude towards human trafficking. It was therefore recommended among others that the moderate level of knowledge by students towards human trafficking should be improved and that the positive attitude of students towards human trafficking in Benin City should be condemned and that relevant authorities or agencies such as National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Counseling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) should consciously make effort to set programmes of awareness on the dangers of human trafficking in secondary schools

Globally, human trafficking is a serious violation of human rights and the psychological and social functioning impacts millions of people in all society including Nigerians. Nigeria is a source and transit nation for human trafficking, with many victims originating from vulnerable neighborhoods like Okogbo in Benin City, Edo State (Adepoju, 2019). Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transit, housing, or reception of persons for the purpose of exploitation using force, deception, or coercion (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018). These people are taken advantage of in industries like commercial sex, manufacturing, domestic work, fishing, agriculture, and domestic work. 42% of victims are victims within their own nations, despite the fact that the majority of victims are trafficked across international borders (UNODC, 2016). 71% of the victims that have been found are female, and 28% are minors (UNODC, 2016).

This study investigated the impact of mass media campaigns against human trafficking in Nigeria. Employing a quantitative survey research design, data were gathered from 400 respondents across diverse demographics within Oredo local government. The study's findings revealed significant contributions made by mass media campaigns in raising awareness about human trafficking, challenging pre existing attitudes, and fostering positive perceptions. Additionally, the research confirmed the effectiveness of such campaigns in reducing the incidence of human trafficking, shedding light on their role in curbing this pervasive issue. The population-centric approach, focusing on Nigeria, served to unravel the complex dynamics of human trafficking awareness within this context, providing nuanced insights into its effectiveness. The convenient sampling technique facilitated data collection within a diverse population, ensuring both feasibility and robustness in the study. Data analysis was executed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27, with validity and reliability ensured through the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. This study underscored the pivotal role of mass media campaigns as influential tools in the fight against human trafficking. It offered a comprehensive understanding of their impact within the Nigerian landscape, offering valuable insights for policymakers, advocates, and organizations committed to addressing this grave issue. The research contributed to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence of the effectiveness of mass media campaigns in raising awareness, changing perceptions, and reducing the incidence of human trafficking in Nigeria. These findings carry significant implications for future campaign strategies and policies aimed at eradicating human trafficking in Nigeria and beyond.