Considerations for the Implementation and Categorizations Within the US Trafficking in Persons Reports Over Time

• In Event: Preventing and Responding to Sex Trafficking

Abstract

Since 2017 the United States has published an annual Trafficking in Persons Report that discusses the trends in the forced labor and sex trafficking and categorizes states into tiers consistent with how they meet the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This study aims to identify specific commonalities and differences between Tier 1 (meeting minimum TVPA standards) , Tier 2 (not fully meeting standards), Tier 2 Watch List (not meeting standards with increasing trafficking rates), and Tier 3 (not meeting standards and not making significant efforts to meet standards). In this study, I analyze how state categorization, report recommendations, and current state efforts to eliminate human trafficking compare between and within tiers. I also control for regional disparities, partnerships with the United States, and current armed conflicts within the state that may influence this categorization.

Author

• Elizabeth Carlisle, American University