Date of Award
Spring 6-14-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Degree Name
B.A. in International Studies
Organizational Unit
Josef Korbel School of International Studies, International Studies
First Advisor
Marie Berry
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
International affairs, International law, Genocide, Human trafficking, Indigenous Peoples of North America, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine
Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between human trafficking and genocide, arguing that when trafficking is used with the intent to destroy a targeted group, it should be understood and prosecuted as an act of genocide. While international law traditionally treats genocide and human trafficking as distinct crimes, historical and contemporary evidence reveals significant overlap in their mechanisms, motivations, and outcomes. Through a thematic analysis of three case studies, this research demonstrates how trafficking has been systematically employed to further genocidal objectives, including displacement, exploitation, cultural erasure, and the destruction of communities. The case studies are the genocide of Indigenous peoples in North America during the colonization and founding of America; the genocide of Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War; and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. This thesis concludes with a call to action to expand the legal interpretation of genocide to include human trafficking when used as a mechanism of group destruction.
Copyright Date
4-14-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Madison Bryant
Provenance
Received from author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
80 pgs
File Size
686 KB
Recommended Citation
Bryant, Madison, "Exploiting Vulnerability: Human Trafficking as a Tool of Genocide" (2025). Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals. 43.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/undergraduate_theses/43
Included in
Eastern European Studies Commons, Holocaust and Genocide Studies Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, International Relations Commons, Other International and Area Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons
