Police perceptions of human trafficking

Overcoming barriers to services for domestic adult female sex trafficking victims in Georgia

“…However, existing research findings suggest that law enforcement is slowly beginning to acknowledge the presence of human trafficking in their communities (Farrell et al, 2015). They appear to target human trafficking similar to the way they address sex work and view the victims as consenting adults (Farrell et al, 2015).…”

“…For example, some victims may act as helpers to assist new victims into the logistics of the sex industry (Farrell et al, 2015). This dilemma in identification fuels the marginalization of human trafficking victims.…”

“…This suggests that there is a need for a shift in perception. This shift has been challenging because there are few models in policing for prioritizing an individual's victimization over any potential criminal involvement (Farrell et al, 2015). American women and girls who are controlled by pimps are victims of trafficking because of the force and coercion they experience, force that increases over time (Goździak, 2008).…”

“…Sex workers engage in sex acts or sexual contact for money. This is illegal in all U.S. states, except in Nevada where it is regulated in some counties (Farrell, Pfeffer, & Bright, 2015). Under federal law, human trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or commercial sex acts using force, fraud, or coercion (Farrell et al, 2015;Gibbs, Walters, Lutnick, Miller, & Kluckman, 2015).…”

“…The threat of deportation and criminal prosecution are some of the many barriers that prohibit victims from seeking assistance. Several authors have argued that traffickers would have less control over the victims if the threat of deportation was absent (Clawson, Cummings, & Cummings, 2005;Farrell et al, 2015;Finn, Muftić, & Marsh, 2015).…”