Human Trafficking Hotline Analysis: Insights from the State of Tennessee

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study underscores the value of human trafficking hotlines as an important data source for understanding and responding to trafficking at the micro level. Drawing on data from the Tennessee Statewide Human Trafficking Hotline between 2017 and 2021, 2,316 tips were analyzed and revealed a 219% tip increase over five years, with minimal impact noted due to COVID-19. The most common trafficking tips relate to minors (57%), adult sex trafficking (21%), and labor trafficking (4%). Women and minor victims were overrepresented in tips, and only 3% of victims self-reported to the hotline. Tips were concentrated in counties with larger populations; however, tips also indicated human trafficking presence in rural areas. Multiple victims and trafficking suspects were described in 11.5% of cases, and as the number of victims increased, so did the number of suspected traffickers. When suspects operated together, there tended to be one male and one female in the reported trafficking operations. The findings of this study provide insight into the landscape of human trafficking in Tennessee and can inform policy development and enhanced responses by law enforcement and service providers to human trafficking.

KEYWORDS:

• Human trafficking
• victimization
• tipline
• hotline
• victim
• trafficker
• suspect

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force, and its partners (e.g., Tennessee Human Trafficking Advisory Council) for their assistance in sharing its data and reviewing an earlier manuscript draft.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by Grant [#2019-VT-BX-K010], awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice or the United States Government.