Human Trafficking Developing a Quantitative Research Plan

Human Trafficking

Developing a Quantitative Research Plan

Human trafficking: A grounded theory approach

According to the ICE, human trafficking is one of the darkest and most heinous crimes the agency investigates. Human beings are 'smuggled' into the country and forced to operate under conditions similar to that of modern-day slavery. The sex industry, domestic workers, and so-called 'sweatshops' are all common sites of human trafficking. "Trafficking in persons is defined as: sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery" (Human trafficking, 2013, ICE).

Most victims of trafficking are young and female. By far, the majority of them (43% of victims) are conscripted into the sex industry and 98% of these are female. The crime is international in scope: "People are reported to be trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries, affecting every continent and every type of economy" (Human trafficking: The facts, 2013, UN).

Opening statement

Human trafficking is a silent crime. Its victims are young, usually female, and often illegal immigrants who have been lured into de facto slavery with the promise of work and passage into the United States. Its victims maybe living next door as forced domestic labor, working in the sex industry, or forced to work in menial, manual occupations. Because of the fear and intimidation used to keep the victims in a state of submission, as well as the difficulties in tracing women without known identities in the United States, bringing this crime to light has been a challenge for law enforcement agencies. The phenomenon has also been under-studied because of the secrecy around the practice.

With this in mind, this qualitative research study will attempt to give voice to the voiceless and conduct a study recounting the experiences of women who have been the victims of human trafficking and have been released from their situations. This will provide an important narrative context for the law enforcement and sociological research that has been conducted on the phenomenon to date.

Background of study

The study participants will be limited to a certain degree, given that the majority of victims are likely not brought to light. The pool of subjects will consist of volunteers who are willing to come forward and share their experiences: how they became victims; the types of coercion used by their captors; and factors which impeded them from coming forward. "According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), victims of human trafficking are eligible for certain forms of immigration relief," including amnesty from deportation, which will hopefully facilitate more women coming forward (Human trafficking, 2013, DOJ). Given that women who are trafficked come from all nations and all walks of life, the ideal would be to have an experienced translator to provide assistance for the interviews, as well as a counselor on hand who could help the women if their memories became too traumatic.

Problem statement

How does the crime of human trafficking take place and what factors contribute to its facilitation?

Purpose of the study

The short-term purpose of the study is to provide a meaningful experiential context to research on human trafficking in the voices of its victims. In the long-term, with further study and analysis, the hope is that the study will be able to provide guidance in finding and assisting the victims. The study will specifically focus on female victims, given the predominance of women as victims and the unique pressures women may face that make them vulnerable.