Child Labor Trafficking in the United States
Bandak Lul, MA; Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, MSW, PhD & Claudia Letsie, BA | September 22 | 3:15-4:15 PM
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Beginner
Child labor trafficking in the U.S has proven to be difficult to research and very little is known about the scope, severity, or common characteristics of child labor trafficking situations. The goals of this study are to: gain insight into the factors that contribute to children becoming victims of child labor trafficking in the United States; explore the outcomes of arrest cases of labor traffickers of children and trends of victims’ involvement in cases; and add to the literature regarding the vulnerabilities of migrant and domestic workers exploited by child labor traffickers. This study explores 34 cross-section child labor trafficking criminal cases in the U.S. between 2011 and 2018. The majority of the cases (73.5%, n = 25) were child labor trafficking only while 26.5 percent (n = 9) were both child sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Fifty-eight percent of the victims were children from foreign countries. Techniques for recruitment and retention used by the traffickers included psychological, physical, and sexual violence along with offering shelter to the victims. Recommendations include the need to increase research and awareness about child labor trafficking in the U.S. and to improve child victim benefits and compensation in the United States.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methods, and findings
· Provide recommendations to increase research and awareness about child trafficking in the U.S.