Examining factors predicting sexual exploitation among victims of human trafficking
| Published date | 01 July 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/13657127231222292 |
| Author | BE Kooffreh |
| Date | 01 July 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Examining factors predicting sexual
exploitation among victims of
human trafficking
BE Kooffreh
Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies, University of Mississippi, USA
Abstract
The primary aim of this study is to investigate the factors predicting sexual exploitation among
victims of human trafficking, specifically examining how traffickers’means of control, types of
sexual services, nature of recruiter relationships and female age groups play a role in this phe-
nomenon. The data analysed spanned from 2002 to 2019 and were sourced from anonymised
public data provided by the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC), a global hub col-
lecting information from counter-trafficking organisations worldwide. Utilising a binary logistic
regression approach, the study identified that traffickers employ various means of control,
such as debt bondage, taking earnings, threats, sexual abuse, false promises, use of
psychoactive substances, exploitation of children, threat of law enforcement and withholding
necessities, aligning with Biderman’s Theory of Coercion. Additionally, victims experience
prostitution, pornography and private sexual services, often recruited by intimate partners
and friends. Furthermore, the study revealed that young women aged 30 years and above
were less likely to experience sexual exploitation compared to younger girls.
Keywords
human trafficking, sexual exploitation, traffickers, victims
Introduction
The purpose of the present study is to explore how traffickers’means of control, types of sexual services,
nature of recruiter relationships and female age groups predict sexual exploitation among victims of
human trafficking. Human trafficking, as defined in Article 3(a) of the United Nations Protocol on
Trafficking (2000), involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
through the threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, or exploitation
of a position of vulnerability. It also includes the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve
Corresponding author:
BE Kooffreh, Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies, University of Mississippi, USA.
Email: bekooffr@go.olemiss.edu
Article
The International Journal of
Evidence & Proof
2024, Vol. 28(3) 236–250
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/ 13657127231222292
journals.sagepub.com/home/epj
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