Key Concept: State vs. Federal Law
State laws often differ from the federal definition of human trafficking. It is important for Task Force members to have a strong understanding of all the legal tools that could be employed to address trafficking. Click here for more information about state anti-trafficking laws
Task force conducted assessments may help task forces determine where human trafficking may be occurring.
Training to organizations who may encounter victims, such as law enforcement, service providers, and emergency room doctors and nurses, can also help to anecdotally determine frequency that providers are encountering potential victims of human trafficking.
When assessing the problem through existing data like the examples below, the following parameters should be considered. Consider other potential parameters and sources of data that may help to identify areas of vulnerability and exploitation.
Parameters |
Sources of Supporting Data |
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Magnitude of the area's susceptibility (socioeconomic, cultural, and demographic factors)
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Documented cases of human trafficking |
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Proximity to other federal Task Force groups |
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Historical crime indicators determined from preliminary assessment
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Presence of populations vulnerable to human trafficking |
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Conducting a community meeting with community service providers and stakeholders during the assessment phase can assist in data collection and provide an opportunity to assess strengths and challenges related to investment, interest, and other potential resources. Invitees may include representatives from points of entry and identification into the services system. These may include providers from the following arenas:
A community meeting allows attendees to hear a clear message regarding the assessment goals, while also gaining feedback about the need for a task force. Survey information can be collected on:
The meeting should explain the assessment plan and steps to move forward once the data are collected and analyzed. It might also be helpful to come prepared with ideas for how community partners can become involved in pursuing next steps, as enthusiasm and interest may increase in a community meeting atmosphere. Alternatively, key task force partners may choose to discuss in advance where the community groups can be most effective.
For additional information and tools, visit the Resource page for Section 2.3: Assessing the Problem