Media Framing of Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation

Preface xi

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Domains of Media Influence in Fighting Human Trafficking 1
1.2 Research Questions and Focus 5
1.3 Data and Methods 9
1.4 Book Outline 14

2 Trafficking in Human Beings: The Phenomenon Under Scrutiny 17
2.1 Definition of Human Trafficking 17
2.2 Perspectives on Human Trafficking 21
2.2.1 Prostitution-centred Perspectives 22
2.2.2 Migration, Security and Criminal Justice Perspectives 26
2.2.3 Human Rights Perspective 27
2.2.4 Modern Slavery Perspective 28
2.2.5 Conclusion 30

3 Theory 31
3.1 Communication Studies 31
3.1.1 Framing Theory 32
3.1.2 Mediatization 37
3.2 Social Studies 39
3.2.1 Critical Perspectives 39
3.2.2 Cultural Criminology 41
3.2.3 Moral Panics 43
3.3 Black and White World of Human Trafficking Representation 44
3.3.1 Good and Evil: The Victim and the Perpetrator 45
3.3.2 Innocent and Bad: The Ideal Victim and the Fallen Prostitute 48
3.3.3 Us, Them and Those in Between: The Citizen, the Legal Migrant and the Illegal Alien 50
3.3.4 Enslaved and Free: The (White) Slave and the Benevolent Saviour 53
3.4 Conclusion 55

4 Features of the Articles 59
4.1 Dominant Frames 69
4.2 Media Sources 73
4.3 Regions Covered 76
4.4 Victim Demographics 79
4.5 Offender Demographics 84
4.6 Chapter Summary 87

5 Serbia 89
5.1 Trafficking in Human Beings in Serbia 89
5.2 Mediascape in Serbia 95
5.3 Frame Analysis 98
5.3.1 Criminal Justice 98
5.3.2 Prostitution 105
5.3.3 Violence 112
5.3.4 Migration 118
5.3.5 Human Rights 123
5.4 Summary 129

6 United Kingdom 131
6.1 Trafficking in Human Beings in the United Kingdom 131
6.2 Mediascape in the United Kingdom 137
6.3 Frame Analysis 142
6.3.1 Criminal Justice 142
6.3.2 Prostitution 148
6.3.3 Child Sexual Exploitation 152
6.3.4 Violence 157
6.3.5 Migration 160
6.3.6 Human Rights 168
6.4 Summary 171

7 The Netherlands 173
7.1 Trafficking in Human Beings in the Netherlands 173
7.2 Mediascape in the Netherlands 180
7.3 Frame Analysis 184
7.3.1 Criminal Justice 184
7.3.2 Prostitution 193
7.3.3 Human Rights 201
7.3.4 Violence 204
7.3.5 Migration 206
7.4 Summary 209

8 Conclusion 211
8.1 Summary of the Empirical Findings 211
8.2 Conceptualizing Media Framing of Human Trafficking for Sexual

Exploitation 214
8.3 Final Considerations 216
8.4 Recommendations 219
References 223