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Stabilizing Foreign-Born Adult Survivors of Human Trafficking in the U.S.

NCJ Number
250300
Date Published
September 2016
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This NIJ authored article details a grant project that examined comprehensive case management services provided to foreign-born adult survivors of trafficking from 2006 to 2011.
Abstract

This project examined comprehensive case management services provided to foreign-born adult survivors of trafficking from 2006 to 2011. The goal of the study was to better understand the characteristics of trafficking survivors and the efficacy of interventions in stabilizing their well-being. These programs were funded by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Program of the Office of Refugee Resettlement under the Per Capita Reimbursement Contract administered by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Researchers grouped their findings into three analytical categories: an analysis of the victims served in the program that showed a surprising number of women receiving services had experienced labor exploitation (75 percent) as opposed to sexual exploitation (18 percent) and a smaller share (7 percent) had experienced both; fieldwork that the research team conducted with the USCCB's former service providers that provide a rich discussion of the challenges and changes that service providers faced during the period; and findings focused on the central question of what factors contributed to "stabilization" of victims and the length of time it took victims to stabilize in which gender, age and country of origin influenced the length of time it took victims to stabilize. The most significant findings concerned the crucial role of individual service plans, the greater the ability of victim service providers to identify and address the specific and individualized needs of victims, the greater the chance that the victim would stabilize.

Date Published: September 1, 2016