Victim or Offender: Assessing People’s Perceptions of Child Sex Trafficking Survivors

• In Event: Innovations in Human Trafficking Research—Part 1: Public Opinion and Legal Responses

Abstract

Children who experience sex trafficking are extremely vulnerable. Recognizing this, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 encouraged state legislators to ensure legal safeguards for this population. Still, many survivors continue to be treated as offenders rather than victims. In this study, we proposed to investigate if the endorsement of rape, prostitution, and human trafficking myths leads people to perceive child sex trafficking survivors as more criminally culpable. Relying on a representative sample of adults, our between-subjects vignette experiment examined the effects of varying the minor’s gender and purported willingness to participate in a commercialized sexual act. The results have implications for research and public policy.

Authors

• Thais Moreira De Andrade, Arizona State University

• Adam Fine, Arizona State University