Human trafficking, a $140 billion global industry, preys on marginalized persons, treating them as commodities. Global Slavery Index estimates that 49.6 million people are in modern slavery, with 6.3 million (23%) trapped in sex trafficking, predominantly women from low socio-economic backgrounds. Drugs and sex trafficking are two complex forms of crimes, forming a complex criminal web that exploits vulnerable lives, with drugs coercing victims into transactional sex, fostering a cyclical relationship. This presentation delves into intricate methodological challenges in researching these crimes, drawing upon ongoing empirical research undertaken by a PhD scholar at TISS in Mumbai, India. Employing an exploratory qualitative design approach, the study utilizes in-depth interviews and unstructured focus group discussions to explore relationship between drug use and sex trafficking and subsequent victimization by involving diverse adult participants through purposive and snowball sampling including trafficked victims, offenders, caregivers, drug and law enforcement officials, and NGO/people servicing centers at exploitation sites. It delineates methodological challenges inherent in researching the concurrent complexities associated with drugs and sex trafficking. Challenges encompass ethical considerations; securing government permissions to access custodial settings; surmounting barriers to gain entry to victims through gatekeepers; and addressing participant’s fear, reluctance, reservations, and denial to engage in the study and hesitancy regarding interview recordings due to terminologies associating drugs and sex. Researcher’s struggles included establishing trust, reflexivity, navigating feelings of isolation, and negotiating complex systems for data collection. Field experience emphasize the importance of innovative research methods for sensitive topics, particularly in amplifying the voices of hard-to-reach populations.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Sharli Mudaliyar is a doctoral scholar at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India and holds a postgraduate degree in law and social work, researching “Dual Victimization of Drug Use in Sex Trafficking”. Specializing since 2013, she focuses on criminal justice, social work, and research with trafficking victims, prisoners, and child sexual abuse.