Louise Shelley, CINA Science Committee member and Director for the Terrorism Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology about Data Challenges Impacting Human Trafficking Research and Development of Anti-Trafficking Technological Tools.
Ready the full testimony here.
According to Dr. Shelley, a missing yet crucial facet to combatting human trafficking is robust research that provides an accurate understanding of the problem. However, researchers lack large-scale sources of micro-data on human trafficking, limiting their ability to measure the scale of the problem. There are a handful of studies applying quantitative data to trafficking research. However, no formal research exists that utilizes quantitative data to study causal factors, prevention, or reintegration programs.
Standardizing data and improving data collection can improve and provide a basis for more and better human trafficking research analysis – and ultimately improved outcomes for survivors.