Citation

Viuhko M. Int. J. Comp. Appl. Crim. Justice 2018; 42(2-3): 177-193.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Society of Criminology's Division of International Criminology, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis)

DOI

10.1080/01924036.2017.1391106

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Human trafficking has been extensively discussed, studied and debated over the past 20 years, but many misleading images and stereotypes still exist regarding trafficking, its victims and its perpetrators. Trafficking is often framed as a problem of organised crime. The article problematises (1) the stereotypical images of perpetrators and (2) the involvement of organised crime in human trafficking, particularly in Finland, drawing on court cases that deal with trafficking in human beings. The article analyses, on the one hand, the characteristics of detected traffickers by reflecting the findings against the image of the ideal offender and, on the other hand, the role and involvement of organised crime in human trafficking. The article concludes that most convicted traffickers are not so-called ideal offenders. The variety of traffickers involved in the cases studied does not correspond very well to the rather stereotypical and oversimplified image of traffickers and ideal offenders.

Language: en

Keywords

exploitation; Finland; Human trafficking; ideal offender; organised crime; trafficker