Defining Success in Anti-Trafficking Policy: An Analysis of the U.S. State Departments Criteria for Combating Human Trafficking

Victims of human trafficking may be exploited for prostitution, sweatshop labor, domestic work, and as child soldiers for armed conflicts. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "after drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing, with an annual profit of $32 billion" (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). This thesis looks at policies that are in place to prevent, prosecute and protect against human trafficking in ten countries from around the world that have changed to Tier 1 countries according to the U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons report. This study analyzed if there were trends in what kind of policies were implemented by state's governments that allowed them to be credited with a Tier 1 ranking, as well as, compared policies that were in place the year before the state changed Tier rankings. The data showed no definite trend in what it took to become ranked as a Tier 1 country, however the majority of the countries data showed that as long as improvements were made from the previous year then that country would move to a higher ranking. This research demonstrates that the TIP report does not consistently rank countries using the same standards. However, it proves that the shaming and global pressure through sanctions that the United States puts on other countries through the annual publishing of the TIP report does make a positive difference when it comes to countries working to combat human trafficking.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Sellitto, Jenna

Contributors dc:contributor

• Daniel Lieberfeld
• Charles Hanna
• Moni McIntyre

• Anti-trafficking
• Combating trafficking
• Human trafficking
• Policy

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1170

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2186