A State-Level Analysis of Demographic Characteristics and Sex Trafficking Experiences of Survivors

ABSTRACT

Demographic trends of sex trafficking are understudied in Midwestern regions of the United States and in state-level analyses. The aim of the current statewide study is threefold: to examine the provider-reported 1) demographic characteristics of identified survivors (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender identity, social class, sexuality, region of origin, and age), 2) forms of sex trafficking experienced (i.e., survival sex, intimate partner, familial, manager-facilitated), and 3) relationship between demographic characteristics and the different forms of sex trafficking experienced. Drawing from a larger study examining survey responses of 107 social, healthcare, and legal service providers, respondents reported working with 422 survivors of human trafficking accessing services in a Midwestern state in the previous 12 months, including survivors of sex trafficking (n = 349, 82.7%), sex/labor trafficking combined (n = 53, 12.6%), and labor trafficking (n = 20, 4.7%). The current study focuses on provider-reported data specifically related to sex trafficking and sex/labor trafficking combined. Results indicate disproportionate victimization by race/ethnicity, age, sexuality, gender identity, region, and social class. Providers indicated sex trafficking was most commonly experienced within the contexts of an intimate partner relationship (n = 134, 28%) or survival sex (n = 102, 22%). Sex/labor trafficking combined most commonly involved sexual labor trafficking in massage parlors (n = 40, 70%). Implications for micro, mezzo, and macro-level practice to address identity-based oppression and precursors to trafficking as indicated by the results are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Human trafficking
• sex trafficking
• Commercial Sexual Exploitation
• state level analysis
• Demographics

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

¹. Male and female are terms referring to biological classifications, not gender, but this language is at times used incorrectly to refer to gender.

². While the Polaris statewide reports do not contain information about the relationship to the trafficker, the national reports do contain information about recruitment tactics, including intimate partners and family members.

³. The Metro East St. Louis region was included in the analysis as a funding requirement, as this area is within the funder’s service region. There is significant crossover in service access in St. Louis to those in the Metro East.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Missouri Collaborative Against Human Trafficking;