A National Assessment of Demand Reduction Efforts, Part II: New Developments in the Primary Prevention of Sex Trafficking

The applicant’s proposed study is designed to fill current gaps in knowledge about sex trafficking demand reduction efforts through nationwide, systematic data collection and assessment. The proposed study builds directly upon previous research supported by NIJ that produced information widely used throughout the United States about tactics used to prevent sex trafficking by attacking consumer-level demand. The previous study was the "National Assessment of Demand Reduction Efforts" funded in 2008 and completed in 2012. That projected funded the development of The Demand Forum Website. The Website provides overviews of each tactic (i.e., John school, reverse stings, shaming, and vehicle seizures) and summary pages for every jurisdiction in which they have been implemented. Since the website was launched in 2013, it has been used by law enforcement agencies, community collaborations, and state and federal legislatures, and the number of cities and counties known to use these tactics has grown from 900 to more than 2,100. The applicant proposes to update and expand on this previous work (e.g., National Assessment/Demand Forum) using a mixed methods approach. They propose to systematically gather information about current tactics, expand the demand reduction typology to include innovations, collect detailed information about new technology and its applications to demand reduction efforts, and update content regarding established tactics. Data collection will involve web searches, a survey of law enforcement agency representatives from more than 2,150 U.S. cities and counties, and three county-level case studies involving site visits. The key deliverable of the study will be a new "2.0" version of the Demand Forum Website. Another product of the proposed study will be a brief, easily understood overview of different types of technology and how they may be deployed autonomously or integrated into law enforcement operations. Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF