Replication Data for The Evolution of Human Trafficking Policy and Its Effect On Human Trafficking Attitudes

Despite a near unanimous agreement that human trafficking is a morally reprehensible practice, there is confusion around what qualifies as human trafficking in the United States. Adopting a mixed-method strategy, we examine how human trafficking is defined by the public; how contemporary (mis)understanding of human trafficking developed; and the effects of this (mis)understanding on public opinion. The definition of human trafficking has evolved over time to become nearly synonymous with slavery; however, we demonstrate that media and anti-trafficking organizations have been focusing their attention on the sexual exploitation of foreign women. We show that public opinion reflects this skewed attention; the average citizen equates human trafficking with the smuggling of women for sexual slavery. Employing a survey experiment, we find that shining a light on other facets of human trafficking---the fact that human trafficking involves domestic victims and is a security issue---can increase public response to the issue.

尽管几乎所有人都认同人口贩运（human trafficking）是道德上应受谴责的行径，但在美国，关于何种行为可被归类为人口贩运，仍存在不少认知困惑。本研究采用混合研究范式，考察公众对人口贩运的定义方式、当代大众对人口贩运的（误）认知如何形成，以及这类（误）认知对公众舆论产生的影响。随着时间推移，人口贩运的定义逐渐演变为几乎与奴隶制同义；但本研究证实，媒体与反人口贩运组织的关注焦点始终偏向外国女性遭受性剥削这一领域。研究结果表明，公众舆论恰好映射了这种倾斜的关注导向：普通民众往往将人口贩运等同于为性奴役目的而走私女性的行为。本研究通过调查实验发现，若披露人口贩运的其他面向——即该罪行涉及本国受害者且属于安全议题——能够有效提升公众对该议题的响应意愿与关注度。