As efforts continue to better serve victims and survivors of sex trafficking, it is equally important to focus research efforts on understanding prevention, particularly those informed by survivors. This study was designed to address a specific research inquiry of “How do survivors of sex trafficking conceptualize prevention?” This mixed-methods study was conducted online and included (N=26) adult survivors of sex trafficking in the U.S.; participants received a gift card for their time. When asked “How can we prevent sex trafficking” during a qualitative brainstorming session, participants identified 125 various statements of prevention. Once brainstorming was complete, researchers performed a Content Analysis removing duplications or incomplete statements. No statements were removed based upon a perceived value or relevance to the study (Krippendorf, 2013). This resulted in a final set of 96 unique statements. During the second (quantitative) phase of the study, participants were invited back to first create groupings of the statements. These groupings represent the ways in which survivor participants perceive relationships/themes among the individual statements. After completing this activity of grouping the statements together, participants were then asked to rate all 96 statements according to two variables, Importance and Feasibility, separately. Upon completion of participant involvement, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA) were used to identify the collective themes and relative Importance and Feasibility according to survivor participants. This presentation will highlight survivor conceptualizations of prevention through their groupings (sorting) and discuss in-depth the meaning and action steps of each grouping. These results, while not generalizable, may be used to guide and develop prevention programming for sex-trafficking. The other contributor to this research is Dr. Justin “Jay” Miller, Dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky.
Jessica Donohue-Dioh is committed to purposeful inclusion and partnering with survivors. She has worked in anti-human trafficking efforts for 15 years, currently focusing on survivor informed prevention research. Dr. D. believes in upholding human rights for all people, especially the vulnerable and exploited, to be seen, heard, and recognized as valuable.