Human Trafficking Data Project

The U.S. State Department’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report highlighted significant deficiencies in human trafficking data collection, noting that there is no accurate estimate of the number of human trafficking victims. The report emphasized the need for standardized data collection to understand the scope of trafficking better and evaluate anti-trafficking efforts. Similarly, a 2017 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that the lack of reliable regional data hinders efforts to assess patterns and flows of human trafficking. In 2023, a joint report developed by International Organization on Migration and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime encouraged efforts by governments and other stakeholders in improving data collection, management, sharing and use, so that more high-quality data can be leveraged to inform policy and programming.  

In response to the human trafficking data needs documented in the above-mentioned reports, the Human Trafficking Data Project purposes to aggregate anonymous human trafficking administrative data currently collected by state agencies and state-funded victim service providers to address these critical gaps in human trafficking data for the State of Florida. The passage of Florida Senate Bill 7064 in May 2023, which authorizes the University of South Florida Trafficking in Persons Research Lab to create the Statewide Repository for Anonymous Human Trafficking Data, presents an unprecedented opportunity to address human trafficking data deficiencies. 

The Human Trafficking Data Project will leverage this mandate to provide comprehensive and accurate assessment of human trafficking incidents, hotspots, trends, as well as community risk and resilience factors for the State of Florida. With aggregated data made available through this project, Florida will gain the critical knowledge needed for a coordinated, evidence-based response to more effectively combat human trafficking and support survivors.