HUMAN TRAFFICKING: PERCEPTIONS OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE, SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT: Child trafficking, the cankerworm that is eating into the Nigerian society has become an issue ofconcern at global and national levels. Child trafficking is a crime that exploits children for numerous purposesincluding labour and sex trafficking. This study was conducted to examine public perception of child traffickingin Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, South East, Nigeria. Strain theory was adopted astheoretical framework for the study. Mixed methods research design was employed in the study. The multi stagesampling procedure was used in selecting respondents in the study. A sample size of 384 was generated usingCochran’s formular for determining sample size. Structured questionnaire and in-depth interview werequantitative and qualitative instruments used for data collection. Quantitative data generated from the studywere processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Windows, Version 17. Also, data wereanalyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, simple percentages and graphic illustrations. Thedata collected from in-depth interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Findings of the study indicatedthat child trafficking is a widespread phenomenon and a serious crime which violates the rights of the child. Itwas recommended among others that government should intensify awareness campaign on child trafficking. Thestudy further recommended that government should make efforts towards the reduction of poverty in thesociety.

Key Words: Child, child trafficking, human trafficking, perception, prevalence