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Research Notes

At The Irina Project, we’ve seen the ways that research about sex trafficking can extend the range of approaches journalists take to understanding the issue and help with tracking down additional data and knowledgeable sources.

If you’ve published research on sex trafficking, we invite you to send us an abstract or a paragraph about your study. Please provide contact information (we hope you are willing to be contacted by journalists) as well as a link to the publication. And because we believe that research can inform reporting on sex trafficking, we would love to know if there’s information in your study that suggests a story idea/approach or illuminates a related issue in need of journalistic scrutiny.

If you’re a journalist, please think of these research studies as sources of information for your coverage of sex trafficking, and the study authors as expert sources. And if you have ideas about research on sex trafficking, or are looking for specific kinds of information or experts, feel free to contact us.

Human Trafficking and Emerging Sex Risk Environments in Vietnam: A Preliminary Profile of a Sex Work “Shared House”

10/8/2016

 
By Lloyd Goldsamt, Michael Clatts, Gary Yu, Bao Le & Donn Colby
Journal of Human Trafficking, Published online 08 October 2016

Abstract: Young male sex workers (YMSWs) in Vietnam have high rates of HIV and STIs, yet have poor access to health care due to low knowledge, stigma, and economic constraints. In the process of implementing a Sexual Health Promotion intervention to engage YMSWs in Ho Chi Minh City in health care, we identified a unique sex work venue, known as a “Shared House,” in which YMSWs provide sex under the direction of a manager who negotiates the terms of the transaction directly with the client. Survey data reveal that compared with YMSWs recruited in other locations, those interviewed in Shared Houses reported lower levels of substance use, less contact with the police, and fewer nights spent sleeping in public places. However, observational data and informal interviews with YMSWs in Shared Houses revealed that the majority were trafficked through third-party brokers who connect youth with Shared House managers for the explicit purpose of sex work. These YMSWs had little or no control over their sex-work transactions and very low levels of knowledge regarding transmission of HIV and STIs. Further research is needed in these and other venues in which young men are trafficked for sex work. This research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

A Review of U.S. Health Care Institution Protocols for the Identification and Treatment of Victims of Human Trafficking

10/8/2016

 
By Hanni Stoklosa, Mary Beth Dawson, Francisca Williams-Oni & Emily F. Rothman
Journal of Human Trafficking, Published online: 08 Oct 2016

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterize and assess human-trafficking (HT)
identification, treatment, and referral protocols of U.S. health care service provider institutions. A total of 30 protocols from 19 states and 2 national organizations were analyzed. Across the protocols, the most commonly listed indicator of HT victimization was patient history of physical- or sexual-abuse victimization, Which was included in 73% of the protocols. In addition, the majority (70%) of the protocols listed ≥ 1 medical-symptom indicator of HT victimization (e.g., bruises, scars, frequent injuries), ≥ 1 indicator based on a patient’s apparent dependence on another person (e.g., patient not in control of personal identification), and ≥ 1 indicator related to how the patient communicates (e.g., inconsistencies in the patient’s story about his or her medical condition). A smaller proportion of protocols included indicators of HT that pertained to housing (60%), the patient’s appearance (47%), the patient’s mental health (63%), sexual history (63%), or technology-related indicators such as the patient possessing explicit digital photos of himself or herself with another person (20%). We conclude that additional research is needed to establish ideal protocol content but propose that in the interim protocol developers consider using practice-informed and evidence-based information that pertain to six areas of victim identification and assistance.

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About TIP

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TIP is based at the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media, in Chapel Hill, NC. It is directed by Dr. Barbara Friedman, who co-founded it in 2009 with Dr. Anne Johnston, professor emerita. They gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of the Carolina Center for Public Service and Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars, the UNC-CH School of Social Work, and the Carolina Women’s Center.

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The Irina Project
Hussman School of Journalism and Media
UNC-Chapel Hill
CB #3365
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
  • The Irina Project
    • What We Do
    • About Our Team
  • Resources
    • Tip-sheets >
      • Considering Cultural Context, Choice, Language, and Agency in Reporting on Sex Trafficking
      • Using Images When Reporting on Human Trafficking
      • Reporting Sex Trafficking: Overcoming Obstacles, Gaining Perspective
      • Tips for Interviewing Survivors
      • Tips for Reporting on Latinx Community and Sex Trafficking
      • U Visas: A Source for Reporting on Human Trafficking
      • How to Use Sex Trafficking Research: 10 Tips for Journalists
    • Language Matters
    • definitions
  • Perspectives
    • Blogs and News
    • Experts' Quick Takes
    • Interviews
  • Contact Us