Science Versus Slavery: The National Institute of Justice and the Future Directions of Knowledge Put to the Service of the Anti-Trafficking Movement

Author: Picarelli, John

Abstract: Studies originating from the social and behavioral sciences (herein reduced to the phrase “science”) have focused increasingly on the topic of trafficking in persons. This article argues that, while much progress has been made in identifying how trafficking operates and locating promising practices to counter it, more is needed to improve the scholarly rigor and practical impacts of these studies. The article opens with a discussion of one of the largest collections of human-trafficking research in the United States—the National Institute of Justice’s research portfolio addressing trafficking in persons. The article next reviews the findings from a recent expert working group, placing the findings from the research portfolio into the larger context of the field. The article then concludes with a discussion of where the research community should next turn its attention and how best to improve future studies of trafficking in persons.

Keywords: methodology, research, science, trafficking