Forging Partnerships Between Researchers and the Researched: A Community Based Anti-Trafficking Response

• In Event: Evaluation Methodology across Criminal Justice Programs

Abstract

Community-based participatory research engages the people who are being researched in all phases of a research project. This paper will present findings on the necessary infrastructure to support the engagement of survivors of human trafficking in anti-trafficking research. Using the most robust form of participatory engagement, an evaluation being conducted with the San Francisco Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking, engages survivors of human trafficking as principal investigator, research assistants, and advisory board members. Our findings reveal the key strengths and challenges of each element of the research infrastructure. The strengths include the monetary and professional validation of community members’ work and unique knowledge, professional development opportunities, and an anonymous environment to share observations and critiques of law enforcement, service providers and the task force. Challenges include navigating peer/insider status, the project’s request for volunteer hours and the recruitment of people who were trafficked in non-sexual labor. From these findings, the authors hope that the study can serve as a forward-thinking model for researchers working with people who have experienced trafficking.

Authors

• Minh Dang, University of Nottingham

• Emily Sims, Concordia University

• Alexandra Lutnick, RTI International