Embedded Files
Problem(s) Addressed:
The study was conducted from May to December 2010, sought to elucidate various issues related to trafficking, specifically the necessity and accessibility of social services, and to identify challenges in recognizing survivors and linking them to service providers. Between 2000 and 2010, private service providers in the New York City area worked with at least 11,268 survivors. Serious shortages of safe, long-term housing are among the main issues; unmet critical service needs (such as medical care and education); eligibility barriers for marginalized subgroups (such as transgender people, minors, and men); and inadequate coordination between law enforcement and service providers make it difficult to identify and support victims.
Methods:
Survey: An online survey of 17 private service providers conducted from May to December 2010, analyzed using descriptive statistics (e.g., serviced demand rates).
Interviews: Conducted comprehensive interviews with 10 principal informants from law enforcement, funding agencies, and service providers, subsequently coded thematically utilizing NVivo.
Limitations: Non-random sampling; relying on data reported by providers (potential undercounting due to unidentified cases).
Key Findings:
Housing Crisis: There is a serious lack of safe, long-term housing for trafficking survivors in New York City, regardless of the type of housing (emergency, transitional, or permanent). There are major gaps in availability, safety, and duration, which is why there are urgent calls for systemic intervention.
Service Gaps: Recovery efforts are seriously hampered by the critical service gaps that still exist for trafficking survivors in NYC, especially in the areas of medical care, communication access, and education, despite their restorative value and legal requirements.
Subgroup Exclusion: Trafficking survivors who are minors, male, transgender, or domestic-born face significant barriers to accessing services, with systemic exclusion from housing and essential support highlighting critical deficiencies in inclusive care provision.
Identification Difficulties: Persistent obstacles to survivor identification, inclusive service access, and successful trafficker prosecution are caused by deeply ingrained systemic gaps, such as provider capacity constraints, past funding biases, and mistrust between law enforcement and service providers.
Recommendations:
Housing: Prioritize funding for long-term, safe housing programs with integrated services.
Service Expansion: Increase access to medical care, education, telephone services, and survivor-led volunteer programs.
Inclusion: Develop tailored services for minors (foster care), transgender survivors, males, and domestic-born survivors.
Coordination: Establish shared databases of service providers and joint law enforcement–provider protocols for victim intake.
Training: Enhance training across agencies to improve identification of victims, provide trauma-informed care, and promote cultural competence.
Research Team
Gregory M. Maney
Tineka Brown
Taylor Gregory
Rafia Mallick
Charisse Wheby
Nicole Wiktor
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