Hidden in Plain Sight: Improving the Measurement of Sex Trafficking Victimization in a National Sample of Adults

A self-report survey was administered in 2022 to measure experiences of sex trafficking victimization among a national sample of adults using the federal legal definition and behaviorally specific language. A total of 1,462 respondents were included in the final sample, with data weighted to increase the representativeness of the population. Approximately 2.5% of respondents could be classified as experiencing sex trafficking victimization at some point in their lives. More respondents experienced sex trafficking as a minor only (1.5%) compared to as an adult only (0.6%) or as both a minor and adult (0.4%). A small portion of respondents who experienced sex trafficking as an adult reported their experiences to anyone (38.9%). Although some sex trafficking victims shared vulnerability factors with known victims in high-risk groups, not all victims reported experiencing these challenges. Research should continue to measure sex trafficking in the general population to inform individual and community interventions.