Validation of the Human Trafficking Screening Tool in Law Enforcement Settings in the United States

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 8. Detection of trafficking in human beings and conviction of the perpetrators

Abstract

Survivors of human trafficking often come into contact with police and enter jails, but they may not be recognized as victims. With the goal of improving law enforcement’s recognition and detection of both labor and sex trafficking victimization among people they encounter, the Urban Institute is conducting a validation of a human trafficking screening tool (HTST) for use by law enforcement and allied victim advocates in two counties in the United States. This tool was previously developed and validated for usage with young adults and adolescents in child welfare settings in the US (Dank, Yahner, et. al. 2017). In the current study, the HTST is self-administered electronically using a tablet or smart phone in a jail and a juvenile diversion program. The project has two methodological goals: firstly, to evaluate the practical effectiveness of the HTST’s implementation in law enforcement settings; secondly, to estimate the prevalence of both sex and labor trafficking in partner site locations. We present findings related to the quantitative validation of the screening tool, the qualitative assessment of the tool’s utility, and the prevalence of human trafficking in participating sites. Further, we discuss the screening tool’s ability to improve recognition of human trafficking and to connect survivors with services.

Author

• Ashlin Oglesby-Neal, Urban Institute