Abstract
Human trafficking research and the policy initiatives presently used to combat the crime suffer from a multitude of shortcomings including the lack of an intersectional approach, research frequency and focus inequalities. These research and policy limitations inherently reinforce reactive-based solutions that wait for victimization to occur before taking any action to protect the public, and further allows people to be victimized by a crime without exploration of any possible preventative measures.
Twenty-eight risk assessment reports from a sex offender treatment program were analyzed, specifically paying attention to the life histories of the participating offenders who all have trafficking related charges. The life histories in these assessments were analyzed and coded to find any patterns across the sample of key sociological and theoretical perspectives such as Social Disorganization Theory, Labeling Theory, Social Learning, and Rational Choice Theory, and determine if they could and/or should be explored as theoretical explanations and risk indicators to participation in trafficking in an effort to create new or refine existing typologies of sex traffickers.
Social Disorganization and Social Learning were most prominently found across the sample suggesting these theoretical perspectives present in the life histories of these traffickers may have been risk indicators to their eventual engagement in the crime. While broad, this research can suggest future diversification and methodological refinements to this methodology to find more conclusive answers, and further guide policy making towards initiatives that favor prevention and intersectionality rather than reaction and solely criminological methods so as to prevent victimization and fill existing knowledge gaps.