USD Professor Publishes Human Trafficking Article, Edits Journal

USD Professor Publishes Human Trafficking Article, Edits Journal

SAN DIEGO, CA ­– Dr. Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor of Political Sociology, at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, is the editor of a Special Issue of the Journal of Human Trafficking.

The Special Issue is focused entirely on traffickers and slaveholders, a group that is often overlooked in the anti-trafficking movement. Choi-Fitzpatrick says this is important because “these guys get involved in trafficking and slavery for a lot of different reasons. For some this is about greed and for others it’s about survival. These are important things to know if we want to end slavery for good!”

In his introduction to the Issue, Choi-Fitzpatrick emphasizes the importance of a human rights approach to slaveholding, and suggests a better understanding of slavery and slaveholders will help policymakers, social service groups, and law enforcement officials to better understand emancipation.

Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis, Choi-Fitzpatrick found that anti-trafficking groups tend to overlook the role that traffickers play in the problem and in the solution, and he argues the importance of understanding the perpetrator role within a slavery relationship. “It is important that we research the role that traffickers and other perpetrators of slavery play within our society,” says Choi-Fitzpatrick. “Once we understand the impact they have, then we can begin to work towards a solution to the problem they are directly linked to.” The entire special issue, including Choi-Fitzpatrick’s article (“the Good, The Bad, The Ugly”) can be downloaded for free from the Journal of Human Trafficking. Click here to view the entire article.


About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.