Trafficking and Exploitative Labor Among Homeless Youth in New Orleans and Beyond

• In Event: The Pedagogy of Justice: Student-Faculty-Community Collaborative Engagement in Justice Research/Scholarship in New Orleans

Abstract

Based on in-depth interviews with 99 homeless youth ages 18-24 residing at a New Orleans area homeless facility, a team of Loyola professors and students worked collaboratively with the community organization to study the prevalence and context for sex and labor trafficking, as well as other forms of exploitative labor in this population. Victimization over the life course was explored, including sexual assault, family and intimate partner violence, battery, attempted murder, forced drug use, and others. Results from follow up studies in other cities in the U.S. and Canada revealed generally consistent findings with regard to prevalence and context of trafficking and labor exploitation. These findings and their implications on policy and practice will be discussed. In addition, the process, benefits, and contributions of collaborative faculty-student research in community-based partnerships will be discussed.

Authors

• Lauren Stroh, Loyola University

• Marley Duet, Loyola University

• Laura Murphy, Loyola University

• Rae Taylor, Loyola University

• Christen Bolden, Loyola University