Advancing Human Trafficking Prevalence Estimation in Hennepin County, Minnesota, 2018

Proportional and effective responses to human trafficking require accurate assessment of the magnitude and character of the problem, and the study described in this summary was designed to advance the methodology available for that purpose. This study developed and tested a method that can be used to advance the empirical understanding of human trafficking, with a specific focus on identifying victims, estimating the number of victims present within a single jurisdiction, and understanding patterns of victims' prior contacts with health, justice, and social service systems. The core objectives of this study were exploratory and developmental. It was designed to produce estimates based on sampling and data collection methods that are scientifically sound, feasible to implement with modest resource commitments, and capable of producing data of pragmatic value to local jurisdictions in their efforts to respond to human trafficking. The method uses data collected by a brief victimization screening survey and extant administrative data from local agencies and organizations, and addresses both labor and sex trafficking experienced by both males and females. It is found the method to be feasible to implement, and yielded sample sizes and response rates supporting scientifically sound prevalence estimation. In one county, approval was obtained and 591 interviews were completed in a hospital emergency department, two homeless shelters, and one county jail central booking facility.