Pupils in Arnhem learn about human trafficking on Instagram

The Dutch municipality teaches about the danger using a popular channel

The municipality of Arnhem in the Netherlands wants to raise awareness of human trafficking and its prevention among children. Believing that recognizing signals well in advance can save lives and knowing that young people are particularly vulnerable to this form of crime, the local government has launched an Instagram campaign to introduce the topic.

Social media as a bridge between local authorities and young citizens

The initiative is branded under the Instagram hashtag #stopmensenhandelnu. It was launched earlier in November and includes two classes in the secondary education. The aim is to inform students about this subject so that they do not fall victim to the criminal exploitation.

The students themselves post a video or photo series on a specially made Instagram account and listen to guest lectures by representatives of the care and trafficking team with the municipality. Their ultimate goal is to create a short video or series of images conveying visually the dangers of criminal exploitation.

Criminal exploitation is a form of human trafficking, which is relatively unknown. It happens when someone is forcing someone else to commit criminal behaviour. For example, young people can be forced to work as drug couriers or to purchase multiple telephone subscriptions in their name. This is done by threatening the victim with physical violence or blackmailing him with offensive information.

Mayor of Arnhem Ahmed Marcouch said on this occasion that "Trafficking with human beings destroys lives. Young people are particularly vulnerable to this form of exploitation. That is why it is so important that students are made aware of the dangers of criminal exploitation. Recognizing human trafficking is the first step in preventing victims."

With this campaign the local government of Arnhem wants to take a firm stand against human trafficking.