Attitudes About Human Trafficking

Abstract

Human trafficking is believed to oppress millions of people worldwide. Despite increased media attention and public awareness campaigns in recent years, no empirical research has examined public attitudes about human trafficking. The present study examined gender, sexual trauma history, and attitudes about human trafficking as they related to belief of a sex-trafficking scenario and willingness to blame the victim for the situation. Undergraduate students (N = 409) at a large private university in the Northeastern United States completed measures in which they responded to a vignette portraying sex trafficking in the United States. Participants also reported their personal trauma history and completed a Human Trafficking Myths Scale. Results indicated that gender and human trafficking myth acceptance, but not sexual trauma history, were significantly related to participants' belief of the sex-trafficking scenario and their perception of the victim's responsibility. Potential implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The Influence of Rape Myth Acceptance on Self-Reported Perceptions of Prostitution and Human Trafficking Among College Students

“…Acceptance of human trafficking myths was a significant predictor with a moderate effect size (partial η 2 = .08) of belief and victim-blaming. However, personal trauma history did not increase empathy for human trafficking victims (Cunningham & Cromer, 2016). The dearth of empirical research on perceptions about human trafficking must be addressed to gain a better understanding of which myths remain prominent to make progress in dispelling the myths.…”

“…Arguably, a trafficker's most coercive tool is his/her ability to adapt to and effectively maneuver legislative and law enforcement efforts to crack down on trafficking individuals against his/her will, making adequate legislation and law enforcement of such legislation a hard pressed and urgent issue (Schauer & Wheaton, 2006). At-risk youth, particularly runaways, are notably vulnerable to sex trafficking and exploitation (Cunningham & Cromer, 2016). Additional risk factors include poverty, unemployment, desperation, homelessness, a need to be loved, and histories of abuse (U.S. Department of Justice Task Force, 2014).…”

“…According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (Polaris Project, 2009), the proliferation of myths with respect to human trafficking has exacerbated criminal justice professionals' already arduous task of identifying victims of human trafficking (Cunningham & Cromer, 2016). Cunningham and Cromer's (2016) study, which developed and used the Human Trafficking Myths Scale, was the first study of its kind to empirically investigate prominent myths held about human trafficking and how these myths relate to victim-blaming perceptions of sex trafficking victims.…”

“…The media broadcasts and sensationalizes the most abhorrent cases of human trafficking and prostitution, subsequently influencing American's perceptions about the prevalence of the crime, while perpetuating stereotypes of the characteristics of victims and offenders (Babbie, 2010;Cunningham & Cromer, 2016;Levin & Peled, 2010). General social trends in the United States indicate issues of free choice, coercion, deviance, morality, and human rights as inherent to the perceptions of human trafficking and prostitution; however, scant empirical research has been conducted on this topic (Levin & Peled, 2011).…”

“…Cunningham and Cromer's (2016) study, which developed and used the Human Trafficking Myths Scale, was the first study of its kind to empirically investigate prominent myths held about human trafficking and how these myths relate to victim-blaming perceptions of sex trafficking victims. Cunningham and Cromer (2016) found that men are more likely to subscribe to victim-blaming tendencies toward human trafficking victims. Interestingly, men were more likely than women to accept myths of human trafficking, but were less likely to believe the portrayal of sex trafficking by the media.…”