Despite extensive research on human trafficking (HT), relatively little is known about individuals’ exposure to HT recruitment or self-perceived risk in the United States. This study is part of a larger, cross-country investigation in which a similar survey was administered among youth in Uzbekistan (UZB) and Kyrgyzstan (KZ). The current study is equivalent to research conducted in KZ and UZB. An anonymous national online survey was administered among U.S. youth ages 19-35 through social media platforms. It included 46 questions on domains such as awareness, knowledge, exposure to recruitment, perceived risk, and ACE questions. Based on the preliminary data, there were significant associations between ACE questions and exposure to recruitment and victimization. Young adults who reported not having enough to eat, wore dirty clothes and had no one to protect or take care of them in childhood (37.5% vs, 1.4%, p<0.001) or lost a parent (25% vs. 1.5%, p=0.001) or being hit, punched, beaten or threatened to harm by parents (29.4% vs. 2.7%, p=0.002) were more likely to report being a victim of sex trafficking. Those who reported being hit, beaten, kicked or physically hurt in any way (23.1% vs. 1.6%, p=0.002) or felt that no one in their family loved them or thought they were special (33.3% vs. 1.4%, p<0.001) were more likely to report being a victim of sex trafficking or labor trafficking. The findings will have a noteworthy impact on scholarly work on cross-country comparison and facilitate the development of targeted preventive interventions among vulnerable U.S. youth.
Dr. Sarbinaz Bekmuratova is an Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions at Creighton University. Her research focuses on health services, human trafficking, health equity, and women’s health. She is an Associate Editor for Journal of Human Trafficking.
Dr. Rochelle Dalla is a Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As a qualitative researcher, her research focuses primarily on familial dynamics among human trafficking survivors in unique social and cultural contexts (e.g., caste-based sex trafficking in India, bonded laborers in brick kiln industry). She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Human Trafficking.
Yongyue Qi is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at Creighton University. Over the past few years, he has been extensively involved in several human trafficking-related research projects and co-authored a peer-reviewed article exploring the impact of an educational human trafficking panel on occupational therapy students’ knowledge and self-efficacy.
Daniela Mena Ameijeiras is currently in her second year in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Creighton University, where she is also a member of the Human Trafficking Prevention and Rehabilitation Lab. Daniela’s interest in human trafficking research began through the charity work done by her childhood church.
Nick Nondorf is currently a student at Creighton University and got involved in Creighton’s Human Trafficking Research Lab. This opportunity as an intersection between his professional aspirations as an Occupational Therapist and his Public Health major has been crucial in his understanding of both fields.
Emma Dubisz is a first-year doctoral Occupational Therapy student at Creighton University. She joined this research project because this project allows her to advocate for the individuals who are voiceless in these situations and to focus on prevention for youth who are at risk of exposure.