Public Perceptions of Adolescent Victimization for Forced Criminality

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

While our understanding of forced criminality in the United States is severely limited, emerging research has identified labor trafficking for criminal labor or services as a prominent concern among victim service providers who work with survivors of human trafficking. For youth, being recognized as victims rather than criminals may be crucial in disrupting pathways to future criminalization and social stigma, but a lack of public awareness about forced criminality may stifle efforts to protect victims and prevent this form of human trafficking. Grounded in theories of framing and social construction, this study will examine the role of victim characteristics on how people understand this form of exploitation and their support for formal system responses. Vignette experiments embedded within a public opinion survey will examine what type of factors impact perceptions of forced criminality, and fictional incident reports describing the arrest of a teenager for a criminal offense will vary experimental conditions randomly across the sample of 2,000 respondents. Regression models will be used to examine the role of victim characteristics, including race and gender, on whether respondents identify cases of forced criminality involving minors as human trafficking, and whether they support criminal punishment or social services for these youth.

Author

• Callie Hansson, Northeastern University