Data and Human Trafficking
The selected crime is human trafficking, and the information is taken from a non-profit organization called Polaris Project. The data suggests that “in 2020, 10,583 situations of human trafficking were reported to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline involving 16,658 individual victims … they are likely only a fraction of the actual problem” (Polaris, 2022a, para. 3). The key trends indicate that sex human trafficking is the most common type of the problem massively outnumbering labor-related trafficking (Polaris, 2020). Most of the trafficking recruitment is done online, with an increase of 22%, and the majority of victims are either family members or intimate partners of the traffickers (Polaris, 2020). In other words, human trafficking is deeply personal and highly adaptable. In addition, the problem does not take place in a vacuum, with key risk factors for sex trafficking being substance abuse, homeless or runaway youth, unstable housing, recent migration, and mental health issue.
How and Why the Data Was Collected
The data source is Polaris’s website and statistical report on trends. Polaris is a non-profit organization, and it “is leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking at the massive scale of the problem” (Polaris, 2022b, para. 1). It works closely with the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, and thus, all the data sources include anyone reporting to the hotline, including web chats, emails, text messages, or calls. Therefore, the data is collected through the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and reported crimes directly involving the service. The main reason why the data is collected is to expand the reach of the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and build the biggest dataset data set on actual trafficking experiences. In other words, Polaris seeks to improve trafficking identification and assistance in trafficking prevention by providing valuable information on key trends, risk factors, and vulnerabilities to address underlying oppressions and inequities, making trafficking possible.
Risk Factors
The two major human trafficking purposes are sex and labor. The top five risk factors for sex human trafficking are substance abuse, homeless or runaway youth, unstable housing, recent migration, and mental health issues (Polaris, 2020). The same patterns can be observed for human labor trafficking, but having a criminal record makes one more likely to be trafficked for work (Polaris, 2020). The identified victims include people, especially children, women, the mentally ill, immigrants, the homeless, drug addicts, and adolescents (Polaris, 2020). The victimization is primarily done to youth and women since the top types of human trafficking are escort services and pornography.
Victimization Data and Criminal Justice System
The problem is human trafficking is a crime being immoral and unethical at its core. Victims of human trafficking are likely to be sexually, physically, and emotionally abused, held hostage, and forced into labor, constituting modern-day slavery. The use of data for human trafficking results in a strategy of the 3P approach aimed at reducing the risk of victimization. The method is a major part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), which seeks to combat labor human trafficking and sex human trafficking through protection, prosecution, and prevention (Polaris, 2022c). The data allowed the legislators and advocators to highlight prosecution alone does not work, which is why the multiagency 3P approach is necessary.
The agencies involved include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Justice Department, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In addition, supply chains are regulated with a ban on imports made with trafficked labor enforced by the Tariff Act of 1930 and the Customs and Facilitations and Trade Enforcement Act (Polaris, 2022c). In other words, DHS and FBI focus on prevention, and the Justice Department handles prosecution, whereas the HHS and the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline raise public awareness and protect the victims.
National Institute of Justice: Program
The identified program from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that can address crime data analyzed is the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) Model. It is important to note that the program is deemed effective by the NIJ (National Institute of Justice, 2020a). CAC is “a multidisciplinary, victim-focused program that delivers comprehensive, culturally competent care to diagnose and provide treatment for all types of child maltreatment cases, including physical neglect and abuse, incest, and extra-familial sexual abuse” (National Institute of Justice, 2020b, para. 2). It essentially focuses on the protection aspect of the 3P approach utilized to address human trafficking. Since children and adolescents are among the most vulnerable groups with the highest risk factors, protecting and assisting them is necessary. The victims are diagnosed and treated for both mental and physical problems.
In addition, there is a forensic element to the program, where a victim’s experience is analyzed by an investigator through reports, conversations, and detailed accounts. This element may reduce the risk of victimization for human trafficking, constituting the prevention and prosecution aspects of the 3P approach. Due to the multifaceted nature of CAC, it provides coordination for investigations while helping the victims to recover from the victimization.
References
National Institute of Justice. (2020a). Victims & victimization. Web.
National Institute of Justice. (2020b). Program profile: Children’s Advocacy Center model. Web.
Polaris. (2020). Human trafficking trends in 2020 [PDF document]. Web.
Polaris. (2022a). Myths, facts, and statistics. Web.
Polaris. (2022b). About us. Web.
Polaris. (2022c). Policy & legislation. Web.