What explains the varying amount of investments by US Federal Agencies to combat human trafficking?

Since the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children in 2000, the international, regional, and domestic legal frameworks to combat trafficking have coalesced around three principles: prosecution (punishing traffickers), protection (assisting and supporting victims), and prevention (public awareness and education to end trafficking) (Cho, Drehe, & Neumayer, 2012; UNODC, 2006; US DOS, 2012). In the US, since enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, federal agencies have supported hundreds of programs managed by private contractors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, and other groups. For instance, the US Department of State (US DOS) invested in different types of programs to combat human trafficking. Consider two illustrative investments by the US DOS. In 2004, the US DOS invested $300,000 in counseling, transportation, family tracing, and reunification services for child victims of human trafficking in Ghana (G/TIP, 2005). In 2007, the Department of State invested $125,000 in Gambia to train law enforcement and members of the judiciary to increase their skills and expertise in identifying and investigating trafficking crimes. The project also focused on developing the capabilities to treat victims and witnesses of trafficking, preserve evidence for prosecution, and form alliances with NGOs (G/TIP, 2008).

Given the significant amount of investments to combat human trafficking by federal agencies, the below figure shows changes in funding by individual US federal agencies from 2003-2011. The bar graph shows total funding by agency over that period. From the figure, it is clear that, US agencies have awarded fluctuating amounts of funding to combat trafficking over the years. For example, the total amount awarded by the US DOS rose from 2008-2010 and then fell from 2010-2011. In contrast, the total amount awarded by the US Department of Labor drastically dropped from 2010-2011. Generally, in 2011, US agencies allocated fewer funds towards anti-trafficking projects. While the figure illustrates the varying amount of investments over years by federal agencies, however, it is difficult to predict the underlying logic behind these varying levels of investments. No clear answer exists on why these funding levels vary so differently. Thus, further research is needed to understand the rationale behind investments made by these agencies to combat trafficking.

The figure was created using Tableau.

References
Cho, S. Y., Dreher, A., & Neumayer, E. (2012). The determinants of anti-trafficking policies–evidence from a new index. Retrieved May 8, 2013 from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2139583.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2006). Trafficking in persons global pattern. Retrieved July 15, 2013 from http://www.unodc.org/pdf/traffickinginpersons_report_2006-04.pdf

United States Department of State. (2012). Annual Reports on Trafficking in Persons. Washington D.C: USA. Retrieved July 15, 2013 from http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2012/.

A Call for Rigorous Research Methods

If you had to take a guess, how many teenage prostitutes would you estimate roam the streets of New York City – a metropolitan with almost 8.3 million inhabitants, a quarter of which are teenagers? How many of them do you think are girls? Boys? Transgender? How many of these kids have pimps and how many sell themselves? Do certain events or crowds draw in more prostitutes?

If you have no idea what the answer is, don’t worry – researchers are trying to find out for you. A study by researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice estimates that in New York City 3,946 children ages 18 and under engage in the commercial sex trade. 53.5% of these kids are boys, 42% are girls, and 4.5% are transgender. Only 10% of study participants had pimps – most managed themselves. Meanwhile, a study performed by the Schapiro Group out of Atlanta looked at New York, Georgia, Minnesota, and Michigan in August of 2010. The firm estimated that in New York, there are 3,415 female teenagers who sell sexual services via the internet – more than double what the John Jay study estimated.

With its enormous and diverse population, New York is often the focal point of demographically-centered studies like those related to human trafficking. However, major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, or the World Cup tend to draw in huge crowds from all over the country and the world. Politicians and city councils have claimed that cities that host the Super Bowl (and other major sporting events) have “tens of thousands” of women and children trafficked to meet the demand of sports fans.

It would seem that our questions about human trafficking ought to be pretty easily answered. After all, there are plenty of studies eager to report on the problem. The issue? Many of the studies conflict with one another, and almost all of the data comes from unreliable collection methods.

The John Jay study used a 250 person sample group to extrapolate population and demographic statistics based on interview questions; initial participants were enrolled through youth resource centers, but all subsequent interviewees were recruited by those initial participants and their friends in exchange for participation payment and finder’s fees, severely limiting the scope of the study and providing incentive for research subjects to lie for a quick buck.

The Schapiro Group’s methodology is even worse – they estimated the existence of child trafficking via the internet by having a small group of researchers count young-looking pictures of females on Craigslist.

As for the estimates of child prostitution during events like the Super Bowl or the Olympics, they are completely unfounded. Not a single academic study has actually been performed, and law enforcement officers of cities that have hosted major sporting events report that they see no increase in comparison to other times of the year.

We need more reliable information on human trafficking. The United States pours more than $80 million annually into combating the trafficking of minors, but they have no real direction in how to spend it without concrete evidence of where the problem is or its severity.

Strength in Human Trafficking Studies

The true, raw number representing those who fall victim to human trafficking and sexual exploitation is sadly unattainable. For many reasons, the value can only be estimated. As frustrating as this is for those who are combining their efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking incidences, studies and research focused on these events can highlight areas that need the most attention and support – giving proper insight to agencies and organizations so they can effectively locate their resources.

A study conducted earlier this year by The Covenant House New York, along with the Applied Development Psychology Department at Fordham University, used a screening tool to better identify human trafficking victims among the homeless youth who use the facility. Their study uncovered the striking vulnerability of this specific demographic.

The Covenant House New York is one of the largest providers for homeless youth, serving about 3,000 per year, ages 16-21. The facility provides food, clothing, counseling, medical and legal assistance, and most importantly, the house provides the adolescents a secure place to fall asleep at night. The study found that almost half (48%) of those who engaged in commercial sexual activity did so because they did not have a place to stay. Many victims stated in their interviews that traffickers seek out areas of the city where they know homeless youth gather, and offer them a place to sleep. Thus, many of those who are desperate for a warm place to sleep fall right into the hands of traffickers. Those same victims and many others have used sex as a way to gain basic resources: shelter, clothing, food, money, etc. Often, those who decided to trade sex even just once as a way to survive, got caught-up in violent trafficking experiences. Ruby, a participant in the study whose name was changed by the researchers, fell victim to this specific scenario. At 18 years old she was on her own with little money. When her funds were too low to cover her rent, she would exchange sex for money. One night she was out with new friends and found herself alone with one of the men. He pointed a gun at her and told her he was a pimp. From that point on she would call him “daddy” and for three months, Ruby was forced to sleep with “too many men to count.” Ruby, among many others, didn’t expect that her initial survival tactic would put her in months of exploitation.

What makes Ruby and other victims so easy to exploit? The study findings also led the researchers to identify risk factors that make homeless youth more likely to engage in survival sex or make them strong targets for trafficking. Prior sexual abuse – 78% of those who engaged in commercial sex activity reported histories of childhood rape or molestation – the lack of caring support of an adult, and the lack of education with no means of income were common themes placing these youth at high risk. Consequently, the two most frequently reported needs of the trafficking survivors were psychological care and long-term housing programs.

This study demonstrates that an analysis into the root of the issue is useful for prevention planning and for allocating victim support services. To understand that having a warm, sheltered place to sleep at night is crucial to a person’s safety and security, service providers like The Covenant House New York can increase their efforts and partnerships in the city to get the homeless youth off the streets. This will limit the success pimps and traffickers have and will even allow those who have been victimized to seek help and treatment. Studies like these will provide the insight into the “whys” of human trafficking cases. Revealing this type of information will supplement what we already know and will aid in the fight of human trafficking.

To read further on the research findings of this study, we encourage you to read the full report:

http://www.covenanthouse.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Covenant-House-trafficking-study.pdf