The 'Dark Side' of Networks: The Collapse of Collaboration in Combating Human Trafficking

• In Event: Cross-National Perspectives on Human Trafficking, Forced Marriage, and Women’s Prison Experiences

Abstract

Collaborative networks and joint task forces seeking to prevent violence often fail to achieve their stated goals. This failure can result in a decrease of services provided to victims, potential harm to already enrolled clients or participants, or decrease the effectiveness of prevention efforts. It is methodologically challenging to establish a causal chain between network failure and crime or harm, but by examining conflict, disagreement, and distrust within networks, the network dysfunction can be linked to contextual, structural, functional, and governance determinants. Networks tasked with combating human trafficking, a wicked social problem, report challenges and ineffectiveness in their partnerships. The findings here suggest that by changing network membership, configuration, leadership, and funding, it is possible to decrease potential negative community impacts of ineffective partnerships.

Author

• Annie Miller, University of Colorado Denver