Human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, is alive, well and thriving around the world. In fact, human trafficking is the fastest growing international criminal industry and it is happening in the Central Ohio community. There has been no research regarding the level of human trafficking awareness among service providers in Central Ohio, nor the existence of services for victims of human trafficking in the area. Thus, an exploratory study was conducted to identify Central Ohio’s current levels of awareness and capacity to serve trafficked persons.
This paper will discuss the definition, nature, and scope of human trafficking around the world, Ohio, and Central Ohio. The survey was intended to answer the study’s research questions: (1) What is the level of human trafficking awareness amongst service providers in the Central Ohio area; (2) What services currently exist for trafficked victims; (3) According to service providers, what are the barriers to providing services to trafficking victims; and (4) What assistance or support do service providers need to effectively serve trafficking victims? A broad spectrum of potential agency representatives from organizations offering a variety of services was represented in the sampling frame.
Overall the study found that while the majority (62%) of service providers is aware that human trafficking is a problem in Central Ohio, there is a need for training regarding identification, needs of trafficking persons, and response protocols. Furthermore, the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission estimated 1,861 foreign born persons and domestic youth were trafficked over the course of a year in Ohio. Nonetheless, only 111 identified human trafficking cases are being served by service providers statewide. Similar findings were identified for Central Ohio. Likewise, despite the prevalence of human trafficking in Central Ohio, services for victims are greatly lacking. Especially interesting is that of 45 agency representatives, only 22% of organizations have knowingly encountered trafficked persons and only 18% are currently providing services to victims of human trafficking. The study further discovered that there is only one service provider targeting services to minor victims of human trafficking as opposed to four agencies targeting adult victims in Central Ohio. Since so few anti-trafficking specific agencies exist in Central Ohio, barriers to service provision were examined.
In addition, the study found that there are many obstacles for both service providers and trafficked persons in Central Ohio. Interestingly, aside from the lack of funding and resources; barriers for both service providers and clients centered on knowledge attainment. Trafficked persons often present complex and challenging needs, thus the need for services may arise with short notice. Given the vast array of needs presented by victims of human trafficking in Central Ohio, collaborative efforts are necessary to adequately provide immediate and effective needed services.
This needs assessment only begins to systematically explore levels of human trafficking awareness, service availability, and barriers of service provision in Central Ohio for trafficked persons. Through this needs assessment, gaps have been identified concerning current human trafficking awareness and services and recommendations have been made for Central Ohio.