Measuring human trafficking: Lessons from New York City
Date
2008
Journal Title
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Publisher
Vera Institute of Justice
Abstract
The groundbreaking Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 made trafficking in persons a
federal crime in the U.S. However, reliable data about the scale and character of trafficking in the U.S. is
still hard to find nearly a decade later. This is largely because no standardized measurement tools or
procedures for systematic data collection, retention, and sharing have been developed. Partnering with a
set of diverse local stakeholders, the New York City Trafficking Assessment Project (NYCTAP)
developed a screening tool to identify likely victims of trafficking and an accompanying toolkit for service
providers to support the administration of the screening tool. In the process, we developed and field-tested
protocols for sustainable data collection and retention, which could serve as platforms for the wider
sharing and aggregation of data. Employing “action research,” we capitalized on the expertise of our
partner agencies to create the screening tool and toolkit and, further, sought to empower them to own and
refine these resources to maximum benefit. Our partners included criminal justice agencies, community
and faith-based organizations, and social and legal service agencies that have direct experience with
obstacles, opportunities, and good practices for identifying likely trafficking victims. Lessons learned in
this pilot project are most relevant for service providers likely to encounter trafficking victims; however,
they also have relevance for other organizations that work with populations confronting similar or related
injustices (e.g., labor exploitation, domestic violence, and sexual assault) or sharing similar characteristics
(e.g., people who are recent immigrants, undocumented, or who have limited English proficiency). The
screening tool and toolkit should also be useful for law enforcement agencies, the other key set of
institutional actors recently charged with identifying victims of trafficking. Lastly, it is hoped that these
lessons and resources will give policymakers and practitioners a keener appreciation of the value of
standardized, systematic, and sustained data collection in forming policies and programming to aid
persons in the grip of human trafficking. The lessons learned have been compiled into a set of
recommendations about how to apply and build upon the work of the NYCTAP.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
research, trafficking, assessment, policy, law enforcement
Citation
Weiner, N. A., Hala, N., & Vera Institute of Justice. (2008). Measuring human trafficking: Lessons from New York City. Vera Institute of Justice.