The role of anti -human trafficking community partnerships in the identification of and response to human trafficking victims in the United States

Research shows that transnational crimes are increasing in scope and magnitude. One type of transnational crime that is plaguing communities is the complex crime of human trafficking. The United States government is committed to combating this crime both worldwide and within its own borders through the primary vehicle of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. The main goals of the TVPA are to prevent human trafficking, prosecute its perpetrators, and to protect its victims. While the TVPA created a mechanism for cooperative federalism on the issue of human trafficking, little is known about how local community partnerships were working to achieve the desired goals of the federal government, or their own local goals. What remains unanswered in the literature is federally funded anti-human trafficking community partnerships an effective tool in the identification of and response to human trafficking victims? An answer to this overall research question is necessary since human trafficking is considered to be an increasing crime problem affecting local communities, and because limited public resources continue to be spent supporting these partnerships. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 127 in-depth interviews conducted over three years with partnership members, and with victims of human trafficking. Findings suggest that the use of anti-human trafficking community partnerships can have promising results for identifying victims and responding to their needs.