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Alternative Title

Predictors of Domestic Sex Trafficking

Publication Date

2023-03-22

First Advisor

Nnamdi Pole

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Keywords

sex trafficking, human trafficking, risk, susceptibility, trauma, outcomes

Abstract

Sex trafficking is a global human rights concern, but rarely studied. A non-random sample of 420 women in the United States between the ages of 18 and 30 were recruited to gauge susceptibility to sex trafficking in an online study. Participants were presented with a scenario describing a sequence of common grooming tactics used by sex traffickers that participants could reject or endorse. Participants were also surveyed on their demographics, attachment styles, adverse childhood experiences, past juvenile criminality behaviors, and current mental health. Bivariate correlations revealed small but statistically significant positive correlations between sex trafficking susceptibility and anxious attachment, adverse childhood experiences, interpersonal sensitivity, and juvenile criminality. Linear regression revealed that juvenile criminality, anxious attachment, adverse childhood experiences, and secure attachment were positive predictors of sex trafficking susceptibility. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was negatively correlated with sex trafficking susceptibility, indicating that PTSD symptoms may be protective for populations at-risk for sex trafficking. Findings may improve future research through the development of reliable scenarios to measure sex trafficking susceptibility and a potential constellation of symptoms most predictive of such susceptibility. Limitations include possible retrospective self-reporting errors, demand characteristics, social desirability bias, and use of a single-scenario measure for sex trafficking susceptibility.

Rights

©2023 Betsy Ruth Button. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Comments

100 pages : charts. Includes bibliological references (pages 32-39).

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