A Routine Activities Explanation of Sex Trafficking Victimization: A Content Analysis of Published Biographical Accounts

Abstract

Using a theoretical framework similar to that of Mustaine & Tewksbury's (1999) work on identifying lifestyle factors that serve as predictors for the likelihood of being a stalking victim, I will use routine activities and lifestyle theories to explore the context in which women become victims of sex trafficking.  Much of the literature on sex trafficking is geared toward policy; there has been little focus on sex trafficking from a victimization standpoint.  My goal is to fill this gap in the literature by identifying lifestyle and demographic characteristics that increase women's risk of falling victim to the modern day slavery of sex trafficking.  The results of a preliminary qualitative content analysis suggested that routine activities theory might be a useful tool in better understanding sex trafficking victimization.  This research seeks to further examine these presumptions through a quantitative analysis of trafficking victimization and the explanatory capacity of routine activities and lifestyle theories,