An Analysis of College Students’ Perceptions on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is modern-day slavery of children and the commercial sexual abuse of children through buying, selling, or trading their sexual services.  DMST is a form of child abuse.  The victim can be any person of nationality, age, socioeconomic status, or gender. In America, throughout college campuses, a lot of students are not informed of domestic minor sex trafficking. When thinking about domestic minor sex trafficking, most people do not think that this crime happens in our country, better yet our state of Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of college students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on domestic minor sex trafficking in our country and in our state of Arkansas (a crime that is growing aggressively in the United States). Fifty participants who were students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff participated in the study. Participants consisted of male and female students between the ages of 18 to 25 (N = 30 Females; N = 20 Males). Survey data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Participants responded to ten yes or no descriptive questions about domestic minor sex trafficking (e.g., Questions like: have you heard about domestic minor sex trafficking; and do you think child sex trafficking is an organized crime). The data yielded both quantitative and qualitative results. Results showed that female students were more knowledgeable and were more aware of DMST than males. Implications for interventions will be discussed. Further research also is suggested

Relationships of Body Image and Eating Attitudes with Sociodemographic, Psychologic and Nutritional Factors in University Students Attending First Classes

Senior Seminar students for their research project investigated, “Perceptions of college students on the effects of body image in today’s society.” In this study, student researchers focused on the way body image was exemplified amongst college students from five factors: 1) their mental development, 2) realistic fashion sense, 3) athletics, 4) nutrition, and 5) the physical wear and tear of its image. The study consisted of 100 individuals on the campus of The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff who had given time and knowledge to the situation. Through a series of analyses on the surveys administered as well as a graphing, student researchers were able to connect the survey with their general assumptions and theories on the perspectives of body image. While researching, key concepts were identified which provided a better clarification of perspectives on the body’s image. Students who experienced the judgment of their body’s image were prone to being affected in each of the five brackets mentioned above. The five areas focused on were important in understanding just how a person was affected, and the stages they endured as well. The researchers observed that the image society displays as the perfect body is viewed through different lenses around campuses today. This topic was not only important to research, but also a step forward in building stronger confidence amongst growing individuals in college today