The NEXUS Institute is recognized as one of the most prominent centers of practice-based research and analysis in the world on forms of trafficking in persons and related issues. NEXUS publications have contributed to the growth in knowledge in this field through 20 years of in-depth examination of these issues and what the evidence reveals for governments, professionals, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to more effectively prevent human trafficking, protect and assist victims, and bring perpetrators to justice.
The following is a chronological list of select NEXUS publications.
Please see the drop-down menu or the menu on the left to filter by issue or topic.
Special and Additional Measures for Victim-Witnesses: A Practitioner Guide (2023)
Victims of trafficking are entitled to be involved and have their views known in any legal case concerning them. Victims should be encouraged, but not compelled, to participate in the prosecution of their exploiters. Before, during and after their involvement in the criminal justice process, victims should be provided with appropriate information, assistance and support and protection from re-traumatization. Special…
More About This PublicationAccess to Remedies: A Practitioner Guide (2023)
Trafficking victims are entitled to justice for the crimes and human rights violations committed against them. Access to remedies for trafficking victims is key not only to support victims’ recovery, but also to reaffirm their rights and prevent re-victimization. Remedies often provide financial means, which can help to support reintegration and reduce vulnerability to re-trafficking. Remedies can also contribute to…
More About This PublicationHow to Develop a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims: A Tool for Practitioners (2022)
This tool provides practitioners with step-by-step guidance on how to design and implement a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims. It explains what a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims is, who it is for and why it is important. It then offers a detailed roadmap of how to design and implement a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims in…
More About This PublicationTrafficking Victim Identification: A Practitioner Guide (2022)
Victim identification is the process by which an individual is identified as a trafficking victim, which, in turn, entitles them to rights and protections. While formal identification should lead to and facilitate the opportunity for a victim to be referred for assistance, this does not always occur in practice. Some trafficking victims are not identified and assisted by frontline responders…
More About This PublicationTrafficking Victim Protection and Support: A Practitioner Guide (2022)
Victims of trafficking are entitled to, and should receive, immediate protection from their exploiters and from the possibility of further harm, including the risk of re-trafficking. They should receive support to meet their immediate needs and ensure their well-being, irrespective of their willingness to participate in criminal justice procedures, protection from detention and prosecution and the right to privacy. This…
More About This PublicationRecovery and Reintegration of Trafficking Victims: A Practitioner Guide (2022)
Recovery and reintegration is a complex and costly undertaking, often requiring a full and diverse set of services for victims (and sometimes their families), who themselves have widely differing short- and long-term physical, psychological, social and economic needs. Once the immediate needs of trafficked persons have been met, many victims require further assistance to reintegrate into their families and communities…
More About This PublicationSpecial and Additional Measures for Child Trafficking Victims: A Practitioner Guide (2022)
The ASEAN Trafficking Convention (ACTIP) explicitly recognizes that child victims have special needs and that appropriate measures are needed to ensure the safety and well-being of child victims, from identification to the securing of a durable solution involving longer-term support. Care and protection must be made available on an equal and non-discriminatory basis with no distinction between child nationals and…
More About This PublicationDialogue Brief: Protecting and Assisting Boy Survivors of Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (2022)
This thematic dialogue brief is based on the CTIP Thematic Dialogue: Protecting and assisting boy survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation and abuse, jointly hosted by jointly hosted by ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimization with the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT), NEXUS Institute and ECPAT on May 9, 2022. It also draws extensively from the Discussion Brief drafted as background…
More About This PublicationDialogue Brief: Enhancing Trafficking Victims’ Access to Services. How to Develop a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims (2022)
This thematic dialogue brief is based on the CTIP Thematic Dialogue: Enhancing Trafficking Victim’s Access to Services. How to Develop a Directory of Services for Trafficking Victims, jointly hosted by ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimization with the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT), NEXUS Institute, ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) Program, and the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) on…
More About This PublicationDialogue Brief: Challenges in Identifying Victims of Trafficking Who Are Encountered as Offenders (2022)
This thematic dialogue brief is based on the CTIP Thematic Dialogue: Challenges in Identifying Victims of Trafficking Who Are Encountered as Offenders, jointly hosted by ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimization with the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT), NEXUS Institute and ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) Program on August 9, 2022. Access This Resource
More About This PublicationSupporting children of trafficking victims. A reintegration guide for practitioners (2022)
To date, little attention has been paid to the reintegration of children of trafficking victims. These children – those who were left behind, those who were trafficked with their parent(s) and those born from a trafficking situation – face serious and diverse challenges, not only while their parent is trafficked, but also after trafficking ends and their recovery and reintegration…
More About This PublicationMentoring of victims of trafficking. A reintegration guide for practitioners (2022)
Recovery and reintegration after trafficking is a taxing and complicated process that involves significant challenges for victims, as well as their family members. Service providers play an important and sometimes lifesaving role in supporting recovery and reintegration. This includes mentors who provide trafficking victims with emotional and social support, serve as a positive role model and an example of a…
More About This PublicationTrafficking Victim Protection Frameworks in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam: A Resource for Practitioners (2020)
Victim protection – the identification, referral, assistance, and reintegration of trafficking victims – is a core component of a comprehensive response to trafficking in persons. Protection offers critical interventions to end trafficking exploitation as well as to support and assist victims to recover after their experiences, and to reintegrate into their families, communities, and wider society. While international obligations to…
More About This PublicationIdentifying Trafficking Victims: An Analysis of Victim Identification Tools and Resources in Asia (2020)
Victim identification is the process by which an individual is identified as a victim of trafficking in persons, which in turn, entitles them to rights and protections. Formal identification should lead to and facilitate the opportunity for a victim to be referred for consultation or further action, including voluntary access to assistance and reintegration services and/or access to justice. This…
More About This PublicationA Review of TIP Research in the Mekong Region (2008-2018) (2019)
NEXUS Institute conducted a review of TIP research from 2008 to 2018 in and from five of the countries in the Mekong region (Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam), to provide an overview of existing research and research and to inform the USAID Asia CTIP project. This brief summarizes the key findings of this TIP research…
More About This PublicationIdentifying Trafficked Migrants and Refugees Along the Balkan Route. Exploring the Boundaries of Exploitation, Vulnerability and Risk (2019)
This article explores what we can learn about the identification of and assistance to trafficked persons from practitioners in Serbia on the front line of Europe’s “refugee crisis”. Questions arise as to whether and to what extent the anti-trafficking framework is effective in offering protection to trafficked migrants/refugees in a mass migration setting, but also what is lost if the…
More About This PublicationFeeling a Failure: Returning Home a ‘Trafficked’ Man in Indonesia (2019)
Large numbers of Indonesian men migrate each year for work in construction, factories, agriculture, on plantations and on fishing boats. Many end up exploited in ways that constitute human trafficking, suffering violence, deprivation, restricted freedom and severe exploitation as well as long periods of separation from their families. Being able to escape and return home was a turning point in…
More About This PublicationIdentification of Trafficking Victims in Europe and the Former Soviet Union (2019)
The identification of trafficking victims continues to be a challenge in anti-trafficking work. There are many ways that victims exit trafficking and encounter anti-trafficking practitioners. Victim identification may take place in different settings, under different conditions and at different stages of a victim’s trafficking and post-trafficking life. Nevertheless, many victims go unidentified and are consequently subject to continued exploitation, sometimes for…
More About This PublicationThe Science (and Art) of Understanding Trafficking in Persons: Good Practice in TIP Data Collection (2019)
This study identifies and explores good practice in TIP data collection in the areas of protection and prosecution, to inform and guide future anti-trafficking efforts. It begins by outlining what constitutes good practice in TIP data collection and the criteria to be considered in making this assessment (for example, data quality; relevance and usefulness; accessibility; timeliness; cost appropriateness; and attention…
More About This PublicationOn the Frontlines: Operationalizing Good Practice in TIP Data Collection (2019)
These guidelines, based on lessons from past and current TIP data collection efforts, are for frontline staff from governments, international organizations (IOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are engaged in TIP data collection. The guidelines are based on good practice and lessons from The Science (and Art) of Understanding Trafficking in Persons: Good Practice in TIP Data Collection and offer step-by-step guidance…
More About This PublicationLegal and Ethical Issues in Data Collection on Trafficking in Persons (2019)
Data collection on trafficking in persons (TIP) is an important part of anti-trafficking efforts, including for protection, prosecution and prevention purposes. There has been increased emphasis on gathering TIP data in recent years and, commensurately, growing awareness of the legal and ethical considerations associated with doing so. There are many legal and ethical complexities at play in how anti-trafficking researchers…
More About This PublicationGood Practice in TIP Data Collection: Recommendations for Donors and Funders (2019)
These recommendations for donors and funders offer guidance on how to support TIP data collection before, during and after data collection takes place. They aim to maximize the positive contribution that donors and funders are already making to the field of TIP data collection. Access This Resource
More About This PublicationAt Home: Family Reintegration of Trafficked Indonesian Men (2018)
Large numbers of Indonesian men migrate each year for work in construction, in factories and in agriculture, on plantations and on fishing boats. Many of them end up exploited in ways that constitute human trafficking, suffering violence, deprivation, restricted freedom and severe exploitation as well as long periods of separation from their families. This article explores the challenges faced by…
More About This PublicationSeeing the Unseen: Barriers and Opportunities in the Identification of Trafficking Victims in Indonesia (2018)
In many countries in the world, including in Indonesia, identification of trafficking victims remains one of the more challenging and vexing aspects of anti-trafficking efforts. Many trafficking victims are never officially identified or recognized as victims of human trafficking and, as such, essentially “fall through the cracks” of the anti-trafficking response. And yet the identification of trafficked persons is a…
More About This PublicationIdentification and Referral of Trafficking Victims in Indonesia. Guidelines for Frontline Responders and Multi-Disciplinary Teams at the Village Level (2018)
Large numbers of Indonesian trafficking victims return home to their families and communities without ever being formally identified as victims of human trafficking or referred for assistance or access to justice. Urgent attention is needed to how best to identify and support Indonesian trafficking victims in their recovery and reintegration. This means, among other strategies, working in victims’ home villages…
More About This PublicationDirectory of Services for Indonesian Trafficking Victims and Victim/Witnesses: West Java and Jakarta. Second Edition (2018)
This Directory of Services, updated in 2018, is a vital tool for Indonesia trafficking victims to access the assistance needed to recover and reintegrate after trafficking. Many Indonesian trafficking victims return home without having been identified or assisted. They return to live in their home communities without knowing that they have rights and entitlements as victims of the crime of…
More About This PublicationBeing Home. Exploring Family Reintegration Among Trafficked Indonesian Domestic Workers (2017)
Escape or exit from trafficking is a critical moment in the lives of trafficked persons. It is, in many ways, a new beginning or a return to normal life. But “being home” is far from an easy or smooth transition. It is, often times, a complex, taxing and complicated process that involves significant challenges. The process of reintegration encompasses not…
More About This PublicationDeclining Assistance. Understanding Trafficked Persons’ Decisions, Choices and Resiliency (2017)
Reintegration assistance is often critical for trafficked persons as they recover and move on from trafficking. Well-designed reintegration and assistance programs can provide vital, even life-saving services to trafficked persons and their families facing the challenging task of rebuilding their lives. Such programs also address the pre-existing vulnerabilities that often contributed to individuals being trafficked and widen the life choices…
More About This PublicationMoving On. Family and Community Reintegration Among Indonesian Trafficking Victims (2017)
For many trafficking victims, exit or escape from trafficking is only the beginning of another set of challenges that they face as they seek to recover and reintegrate after a trafficking experience. Not only do they need to come to terms with their exploitation, but they must also navigate the often-complex relationships with family and community after trafficking. Indeed, reintegration…
More About This PublicationOur Lives. Vulnerability and Resilience Among Indonesian Trafficking Victims (2017)
When trafficked persons escape their exploitation, it is often only the beginning of a complex and taxing process of recovery and reintegration. Trafficked persons must recover from the very serious and debilitating effects of trafficking exploitation. They often have a range of short- and long-term assistance needs, which are directly related to and often caused by their trafficking experiences, including…
More About This PublicationVulnerability and Exploitation Along the Balkan Route: Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking in Serbia (2017)
In recent years, the flow of migrants and refugees through the Balkans has significantly increased. To date, there has been limited empirical evidence of when, why and how vulnerability to human trafficking arises in mass movements of migrants and refugees. New patterns of vulnerability and exploitation challenge established procedures for identification of and assistance to trafficking victims. This paper presents…
More About This PublicationSupporting the Reintegration of Trafficked Persons. A Guidebook for the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (2017)
This guidebook is based on findings from the ground-breaking study: After trafficking: Experiences and challenges in the (re)integration of trafficked persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, which is based on interviews with 252 trafficking victims in the GMS about their experiences of reintegration. The guidebook highlights positive examples and successes in the reintegration of trafficked persons in different settings and countries throughout…
More About This PublicationWhat’s Home? (Re)integrating Children Born of Trafficking (2016)
A commonly overlooked group of victims of human trafficking are children who are born from and into trafficking situations. Some children are born to mothers trafficked for sexual exploitation (fathered by a trafficker or client); others are born to trafficked mothers who were bought by a “husband.” These children are exposed, from birth, to the violence and violations that constitute…
More About This PublicationGoing Home. Challenges in the Reintegration of Trafficking Victims in Indonesia (2016)
Overall, there exists a range of laws, policies and programs currently in place in Indonesia aimed at supporting the reintegration of trafficked persons. These include efforts and initiatives by various government ministries and departments (at the national, provincial and district levels), NGOs and IOs. These initiatives and interventions afford often-critical support and services to many trafficked persons toward their recovery and…
More About This PublicationDirectory of Services for Indonesian Trafficking Victims and Exploited Migrant Workers (2016)
This Directory provides concrete information to trafficked persons and exploited migrant workers about the services available to them, which can support their recovery and reintegration. It is intended as a tool to improve trafficking victims’ access to information about services and how to receive these services. The Directory covers government and NGO services in Jakarta and seven districts in West…
More About This PublicationDoing No Harm. Ethical Challenges in Research with Trafficked Persons (2016)
Central to any ethical research is the principle of “do no harm”, that when conducting research we do no harm to the persons we are researching and whose experiences we are seeking to explore and understand. This principle is especially critical when conducting research with persons in vulnerable situations, like trafficking victims. And yet avoiding harm is neither simple nor…
More About This PublicationMedición del éxito de las acciones de lucha contra la trata en el ámbito de la justicia penal: ¿quién decide y cómo? (Measuring the success of counter trafficking interventions in the criminal justice sector: Who decides – and how?) (2015)
This chapter in Miradas críticas de la trata de seres humanos: Un dialogo académico en construcción (Critical views on human trafficking: an academic dialogue in construction) considers success measurements with respect to anti-trafficking criminal justice interventions. The authors (Anne Gallagher and Rebecca Surtees) seek to cut through the complexities presented by multiple theories and elaborate methodologies by focusing on one key issue:…
More About This PublicationPreventing Human Trafficking: Positive Deviance Methodology in Practice (2015)
This paper, jointly authored by NEXUS Institute and Fafo, is intended as a resource for practitioners working in the field of trafficking prevention, as well as others who are considering implementing a positive deviance methodology or similar approach. We discuss our experiences in developing and implementing a positive deviance trafficking prevention project in a town in Albania. First we offer…
More About This PublicationReframing Trafficking Prevention: Lessons from a “Positive Deviance” Approach (2015)
This study discusses our piloting of a project to prevent human trafficking utilizing the positive deviance approach. For this pilot project, NEXUS Institute and Fafo partnered with the Albanian anti-trafficking NGO Different and Equal (D&E), thereby bringing together both research and practice in collaboratively developing and implementing this project. Our interest in the positive deviance approach emerged from learning about…
More About This PublicationBeyond Trafficking. The Re/integration of Trafficking Victims in the Balkans, 2007 to 2014 (2015)
This report presents the results and impact of the Trafficking Victims Re/integration Programme (TVRP) in the lives of trafficked persons, as well as in the field of reintegration in the Balkans. It provides a detailed analysis of the outcomes and impact of the TVRP, which ran from 2007-2014, based on interviews with trafficking victims, partner NGOs, experts and government officials and other…
More About This PublicationLife Beyond Trafficking, The Re/integration of Trafficked Persons in the Balkans 2007-2014 (2015)
This report summarizes the main findings of the final TVRP evaluation conducted by NEXUS Institute in 2015. It presents the results and impact of the TVRP in the lives of trafficked persons in the Balkans as well as the results and impact of the TVRP in the field of reintegration. Access This Resource Available in Albanian, Serbian and Macedonian Power Point Presentation – Power Point Presentation in Albanian…
More About This PublicationIn African Waters. The Trafficking of Cambodian Fishers in South Africa (2014)
Foreword This study discusses the trafficking of men in the fishing industry. It focuses on Cambodian men severely exploited in South African waters. Through extensive interviews, NEXUS reveals the stories of how the men were recruited and transported as well as their trafficking experiences at sea. The study also discusses how these trafficked fishers were (or, more commonly, were not)…
More About This PublicationRe/integration of Trafficked Persons. Working with Trafficked Children and Youth (2014)
Children and youth account for a significant proportion of persons trafficked from and within the Balkan region. Both boys and girls are trafficked. Some are exploited sexually; others are exploited for different forms of labor, including begging and street selling. Still others suffer multiple forms of exploitation while trafficked. Reintegrating trafficked children presents particularly complex issues and challenges. This paper…
More About This PublicationHuman Trafficking Law and Policy (2014)
This casebook is co-authored by Bridgette Carr, Anne Milgram, Kathleen C. Kim, and Stephen Warnath, Chief Executive Officer of the Warnath Group and Founder, President, and CEO of the NEXUS Institute. It brings together the key case law, legislation and scholarship that comprise domestic and international human trafficking law and its policy context. The casebook contains the criminal justice, civil rights, international…
More About This PublicationAnother Side of the Story. Challenges in Research with Unidentified and Unassisted Trafficking Victims (2014)
Research about human trafficking is most often based nearly exclusively on data from victims of trafficking who have been identified and assisted by anti-trafficking organizations . While this approach to research has many strengths and benefits, it also presents an incomplete picture of human trafficking. And, as a result, our understanding of trafficking is necessarily constrained and this has implications…
More About This PublicationWho Funds Re/integration? Ensuring Sustainable Services for Trafficking Victims (2014)
While reintegration services are critically important to the recovery of trafficking victims, these services tend to be under-funded and under-prioritized. This article identifies and explores the significant gap in funding for long term recovery and reintegration of victims of trafficking throughout the Balkans and the deleterious impact that this has in the lives of trafficked persons and their families. Access…
More About This PublicationAt Sea. The Trafficking of Seafarers and Fishers from Ukraine (2014)
This book chapter explores the issue of trafficking at sea. In this chapter, NEXUS shares the experiences of forty-six trafficked Ukrainian seafarers and fishers. It describes how Ukrainian men were recruited, transported and severely exploited, as well as their experiences of escape from trafficking and their subsequent reintegration into their families and societies. In considering limitations in the identification of…
More About This PublicationTraffickers and Trafficking. Challenges in Researching Human Traffickers and Trafficking Operations (2014)
Foreword This paper discusses research on human traffickers (i.e. perpetrators of the crime of human trafficking) and how a clearer picture of how traffickers operate can be used in the development of criminal justice and social welfare responses to human trafficking. This study discusses some of the difficulties or limitations involved in understanding traffickers and trafficking operations through the lens…
More About This PublicationTrapped at Sea. Using the Legal and Regulatory Framework to Prevent and Combat the Trafficking of Seafarers and Fishers (2013)
In this article, NEXUS frames what constitutes trafficking at sea, both in the commercial fishing sector and in the merchant fleet and presents the legal and regulatory framework to combat trafficking at sea – namely, international anti-trafficking law, international maritime law and the international law of the sea. The article considers the “three P paradigm” of anti-trafficking (that is, prevention, protection and prosecution) and…
More About This PublicationEthical Principles in the Re/integration of Trafficked Persons. Experiences from the Balkans (2013)
This paper articulates ethical principles that should guide and underpin reintegration programs and polices in the Balkans. It also explores some of the challenges organizations and institutions face in supporting the reintegration of trafficking victims and different strategies to manage and address such ethical issues. A blog post on ethical principles for reintegration work is available here. Access This Resource
More About This PublicationAfter Trafficking. Experiences and Challenges in the (Re)integration of Trafficked Persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (2013)
Reintegration is a process that involves many steps after the individual’s exit from trafficking. Trafficked persons should be afforded the full range of rights and protections they are entitled to and which are guaranteed under law. While many trafficked persons interviewed for this study were assisted and supported in these ways; many others went unidentified and unassisted as trafficking victims,…
More About This PublicationTrafficked at Sea. The Exploitation of Ukrainian Seafarers and Fishers (2012)
Foreword Trafficking for forced labor, including trafficking for labor in the merchant shipping and fishing industries, has been increasingly recognized as a major form of human trafficking. Reported cases signal that there are aspects of the commercial fishing and seafaring sectors which may lend themselves particularly to trafficking abuses. This paper explores and discusses the experiences of trafficked Ukrainian seafarers…
More About This PublicationRe/integration of Trafficked Persons. Supporting Economic Empowerment (2012)
A central feature of successful reintegration is access to a reasonable and sustainable standard of living, along with opportunities for economic empowerment. For many victims the desire to improve their economic situation and that of their families was a key factor in their decision to migrate. This desire does not subside after an individual is exploited in trafficking. For escaped…
More About This PublicationA Fuller Picture. Addressing Trafficking-Related Assistance Needs and Socio-Economic Vulnerabilities (2012)
Given the importance of assistance and protection in the lives of trafficked persons, it is critical that interventions are designed to meet their actual needs at various stages of their post-trafficking recovery. Understanding what these needs are, however, is not straightforward. A comprehensive picture necessitates engaging directly with trafficked persons in the design, implementation and evaluation of assistance interventions. That…
More About This PublicationOut of Sight? Factors and Challenges in Identifying Trafficked Persons (2012)
Identification of trafficking victims continues to be one of the greatest challenges in anti-trafficking work. There are many different ways that victims exit trafficking, are identified and come into contact with the anti-trafficking framework and their various assistance options. Nevertheless, many victims go unidentified and are consequently subject to continued exploitation or unable to access the rights afforded them under…
More About This PublicationLeaving the Past Behind. When Trafficking Victims Decline Assistance. Summary Report for Practitioners and Policymakers (2012)
This abridged report summarizes the main findings and conclusions of the 2007 report Leaving the Past Behind? When Victims of Trafficking Decline Assistance. It explores why some trafficking victims decline assistance and under which circumstances. While many victims are never offered assistance, some trafficked persons who are offered assistance choose to forego the help available to them. Based on this, the main…
More About This PublicationNo Place like Home? Challenges in Family Reintegration of Trafficked Women (2012)
When trafficking exploitation ends, victims face a new set of challenges as they return and integrate into their home environment. A critical aspect is the victim’s relationship and interaction with the family. Family provides not only emotional and social support, but also (often vital) economic backstopping. Considering and accommodating family dynamics and relationships in reintegration responses has the potential to…
More About This PublicationComing Home. Challenges in Family Reintegration of Trafficked Women (2012)
This article presents findings regarding challenges in family reintegration for returning Moldovan trafficking victims based on qualitative interviews with 19 victims of trafficking and 31 service providers, looking specifically at points of tension in reuniting with children and spouses. One main source of conflict is when migration expectations are unrealized; another is stressed behaviors of victims when they return. To…
More About This PublicationMeasuring the Success of Anti-Trafficking Interventions in the Criminal Justice Sector. Who Decides and How? (2012)
Global concern about human trafficking has prompted substantial investment in counter-trafficking interventions. That investment, and the human rights imperatives that underpin counter-trafficking work, demand that interventions demonstrate accountability, results and beneficial impact. How this can happen in practice is complicated and contested. This article, which considers success measurements with respect to criminal justice interventions, seeks to cut through the complexities…
More About This Publication(Re)integration: Perspectives of Victim Service Agencies on Successes & Challenges in Trafficking Victim (Re)Integration in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (2012)
Throughout 2010, victim service practitioners and other anti-trafficking responders providing support to victims of human trafficking gathered in a series of National Practitioner Forums in each of the GMS countries (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) to discuss existing reintegration assistance systems, lessons learned, successes and challenges. This document summarizes the key findings of these national practitioner forums,…
More About This PublicationAssessing the Impact and Effectiveness of Anti-Trafficking Interventions in the Criminal Justice Sector: A Discussion Paper on Issues, Obstacles and Opportunities (2011)
Over the past decade, global concern about human trafficking has prompted massive investment into anti-trafficking interventions by intergovernmental organizations, states and civil society. While early interventions took place in a performance evaluation vacuum, there have been growing calls for greater transparency and accountability within the anti-trafficking sector, including through rigorous impact evaluation. Such calls are fully justified. The human rights…
More About This PublicationLife Beyond Trafficking. Lessons from KBF’s Trafficking Victims’ Reintegration Programme (2011)
When the TVRP was designed (in 2006) there were very few reintegration programs available to trafficking victims in the Balkan region. Assistance was short term; most victims did not receive longer term support to restore their mental and physical well-being and develop the skills to be economically independent and live in a healthy social environment. In 2010, NEXUS undertook an assessment…
More About This PublicationThe State of Counter-Trafficking Research. Siren Report GMS 09 (2011)
On 21- 23 March 2011, UNIAP, IOM and NEXUS Institute came together to host a three-day interactive consultation to take stock of the state of counter-trafficking research. The event developed from the increased focus within the anti-trafficking research community on improved and empirically based anti-trafficking strategies and programs. The event also provided a platform for sharing, scrutinizing, and discussing methods…
More About This PublicationMonitoring Anti-Trafficking Re/integration Programmes. A Manual (2010)
It is important to systematically monitor assistance programs, to assess if and how reintegration has been achieved as well as how to more effectively reintegrate trafficking victims. This manual outlines two aspects of monitoring – 1) how to monitor individual reintegration plans and 2) how to monitor reintegration services – and provides a matrix, composed of indicators and the associated means of…
More About This PublicationBeneath the Surface. Methodological Issues in Trafficking Research (2010)
This report focuses on approaches to collecting data about human trafficking that underlie a large segment of research produced since the UN Protocol and, in doing so, reveals some of the key reasons that research generally has not provided a clearer path to more effective action for policymakers and practitioners. It examines how current approaches to the collection and use…
More About This PublicationUntold Stories. Biases and Selection Effects in Research with Victims of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation (2010)
Recent discussions of trafficking research have included calls for more innovative studies and new methodologies in order to move beyond the current trafficking narrative, which is often based on unrepresentative samples and overly simplified images. While new methods can potentially play a role in expanding the knowledge base on trafficking, this article argues that the solution is not entirely about…
More About This PublicationNegotiating Violence and Non-Violence in Cambodian Marriages (2010)
Domestic violence is a pressing issue in Cambodia. Combating it requires an understanding of the social meanings behind it. As such, policy makers and planners need to start from a careful picture of the cultural terrain upon which this violence is played out. This will equip them to recognize potential points of entry for interventions. This article begins by exploring…
More About This PublicationBest Practices in Trafficking Prevention in Europe and Eurasia (2009)
This report examine best practices in activities designed to prevent trafficking in persons (TIP). The purpose of this report is to help improve anti-trafficking in persons programs in terms of effectiveness and impact, thereby reducing the incidence of TIP. This report was commissioned by USAID’s Europe & Eurasia (E&E) Bureau and covers the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia…
More About This PublicationAnti-Trafficking Data Collection and Information Management in the European Union – A Handbook (2009)
This handbook is intended for the government institutions responsible for the collection, analysis and presentation of victim-centered data and trafficker-centered criminal justice data. It provides the practical tools needed to collect the two data sets and provides an overview of the victim-centered and the trafficker-centered criminal justice data sets – including the range of information to be collected; standardized methodologies…
More About This PublicationRe/integration of Trafficked Persons – Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms (2009)
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) should enhance the conceptual and practical knowledge of reintegration organizations in ways that improve programs and service delivery. This paper discusses, on the one hand, how monitoring should take place within reintegration programs, including the identification of indicators and development of systems to collect, analyze and mobilize information in on-going work. On the other hand, the…
More About This PublicationAgency or Illness – The Conceptualization of Trafficking: Victims’ Choices and Behaviors in the Assistance System (2008)
Trafficking in women has become a high profile issue during recent years. However, there is still relatively little attention being paid to assistance systems for the victims, more particularly to how assistance is conceptualized and implemented. In this article, the authors argue that there are attitudes and values inherent in many of these systems that are not necessarily conducive to…
More About This PublicationWhy Victims of Trafficking Decline Assistance. Siren Report GMS 05 (2008)
While many victims of trafficking are never offered assistance, many of those who are offered assistance choose to forgo the help available to them. Why? The starting point for this study was that if women and girls declined assistance because they did not need it, then this was fine. However, if they declined assistance for other reasons but would benefit…
More About This PublicationMethods and Models for Mixing Services for Victims of Domestic Violence and Trafficking in Persons in Europe & Eurasia (2008)
Executive Summary The central research question presented is how best to provide assistance and support to both victims of trafficking and domestic violence which meets their individual and specific needs while taking into account the limited, and sometimes diminishing, resources available for these services. The study examines the various types of victim-centered services available in the region, those dedicated either…
More About This PublicationEfforts to Combat Human Trafficking in the OSCE Area: Coordination and Reporting Mechanisms: 2008 Annual Report of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Trafficking Human Beings (2008)
This report offers concrete guidance for countries considering establishing: 1) a National Coordination Mechanism (NCM); 2) a National Action Plan (NAP); and/or 3) a National Rapporteur or equivalent mechanism. These three elements constitute the core coordinating tools used by OSCE participating States to plan, organize and implement measures to combat trafficking in human beings (THB). The analysis within the report…
More About This PublicationRe/integration of Trafficked Persons: Handling ‘Difficult’ Cases (2008)
Reintegration of trafficked persons is a complex process, involving a range of services and interventions over the short and longer term. The standard package of reintegration services does not always or entirely meet the needs of all trafficked persons. Specialized reintegration services are needed for beneficiaries with more complex and “difficult” assistance needs. In some cases, more complex needs are a direct…
More About This PublicationRe/integration of Trafficked Persons: How Can Our Work Be More Effective (2008)
Reintegration refers to the process of recovery and economic and social inclusion following a trafficking experience. This process is not only time consuming and expensive but also intensely complex, impacted by a range of personal factors as well as the broader social, cultural and economic framework. This paper explores issues and obstacles to reintegration identified by both service providers and…
More About This PublicationWhy Shelters? Considering Residential Approaches to Trafficking Assistance (2008)
Shelters are the most common form of assistance available to victims of trafficking in many parts of the world. Shelter programs offer a residentially based model, along with a wide range of services offered to clients during their tenure. For many trafficked persons, this form of assistance is vital in their initial stabilization and recovery as well as in their…
More About This PublicationTrafficking in Men, a Trend Less Considered: The Case of Belarus and Ukraine (2008)
Men are often overlooked in discussions of human trafficking and those who are targeted by trafficking enterprises. Reflecting this bias, trafficking in males has been under-considered in research. This despite noteworthy signals that many males, adult and minors, are subjected to trafficking exploitation. Often these severely exploited male victims, especially in the context of migration, are overlooked, with women and…
More About This PublicationTrafficked Men as Unwilling Victims (2008)
Many victims of human trafficking are reluctant to self-identify. This research discusses how this can be especially true for men who have been victims of trafficking. And the failure to self-identify exacerbates the shortcomings in current institutionalized responses that are more likely to discover and identify trafficking cases involving females than males. Trafficking in human beings is most commonly associated…
More About This PublicationTraffickers and Trafficking in Southern and Eastern Europe: Considering the Other Side of Human Trafficking (2008)
This paper takes a look at the traffickers and trafficking enterprises. It describes patterns of trafficking from and within South Eastern Europe, with particular attention to traffickers and their activities. To date, research has primarily focused on victims of trafficking — who they are and what makes them vulnerable — in an effort to develop counter-trafficking interventions. To complement these…
More About This PublicationTrafficking of Men – A Trend Less Considered (2007)
This commentary provides a summary of key findings taken from the paper Trafficking in Men, a Trend Less Considered: The Case of Belarus and Ukraine, which considers male victims’ pre-trafficking life (namely their personal, family and socio-economic background), trafficking experience (from recruitment, through transportation and during exploitation) and post trafficking experience and needs. The report examines, on the one hand, what is known…
More About This PublicationLabour Trafficking in SE Europe: Developing Prevention & Assistance Programmes (2007)
This paper discusses labor trafficking in South Eastern Europe (SEE). It presents cases of women, men and children exploited for labor purposes and considers their specific recruitment and trafficking experiences. It is intended as a first step in understanding who has been trafficked for labor from and within this region and what are the various risk factors. The paper also…
More About This PublicationLeaving the Past Behind? When Victims of Trafficking Decline Assistance (2007)
A number victims of trafficking are offered assistance and they decline. With no systematized knowledge on the subject, it has been difficult to understand the reasons behind these decisions to decline assistance, what happened to these women after and as a result of declining assistance, and what paths their lives took after dropping out of contact with the assistance system.…
More About This PublicationExamining the Intersection between Trafficking in Persons and Domestic Violence (2007)
This study reviews the state of knowledge about the relationship between domestic violence (DV) and trafficking in persons (TIP). Sponsored by USAID, this desk review of the literature covering the countries of the Europe and Eurasia (E&E) region involved: (1) Examining the prevalence of trafficking victims with prior experience of domestic violence; (2) Describing services and supports that are available…
More About This PublicationListening to Victims: Experiences of Identification, Return and Assistance in South-Eastern Europe (2007)
The voices of victims of trafficking and their stories are powerful. While a number of studies and documents have examined the identification, return and assistance process for trafficked persons, the focus has been primarily on the legal and administrative frameworks in which identification, return and assistance take place. The structure of these standard reports include principles and guidelines in the…
More About This PublicationHandbook on Anti-Trafficking Data Collection in South-Eastern Europe: Developing Regional Criteria (2007)
This handbook is a practical tool to guide the implementation of victim-centered and trafficker-centered databases. This handbook was developed in the context of achieving regional criteria for countries in South East Europe. Part 1 outlines information relevant to this data collection project – particularly the objectives and framework of the work. Part 2 maps out the data collect methodology and…
More About This PublicationDomestic Violence in Cambodian Marriages (2007)
In recent decades, domestic violence has been increasingly recognized as both a social problem and an issue of human rights. In Cambodia, development discourse and programs have increasingly acknowledged the existence and widespread impact of domestic violence in both advocacy and applied interventions. Coming to terms with and addressing this violence is urgent. This, in turn, necessitates a finely tuned…
More About This PublicationChild Trafficking: Different Forms of Trafficking & Alternative Interventions (2006)
Trafficking involving children is not the same as trafficking involving adults. While many aspects are similar, children very often have heightened vulnerabilities to being trafficked and special needs during their reintegration and recovery. And the differentiated needs of children of different ages also must be considered throughout. This article considers all manifestations of trafficking in minors from and within South…
More About This PublicationEvaluation of Anti-Trafficking Programs in Albania (2005)
This evaluation was requested by USAID/Albania in the context of developing its multi-year country strategy on anti-trafficking, with particular focus on the two existing anti-trafficking projects commenced in 2003 and coming to a close in 2006. These are: The Albanian Initiative: Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT), a three-year $4.5million contract with Creative Associates International Inc. (CAII); and Transnational Action…
More About This PublicationChild Trafficking in Sierra Leone (2005)
This assessment outlines the current state of trafficking in the country as well as the various legal, policy and programmatic efforts underway in Sierra Leone that can be mobilized against child trafficking. The assessment finds that child trafficking is an issue of concern in Sierra Leone – as a source country both for internal trafficking as well as trafficking abroad.…
More About This PublicationRape & Sexual Transgression in Cambodian Society (2002)
Both domestic violence and trafficking in women have gained increased attention of the international community in recent years, forming a significant subject in development and public discourse. Rape is an equally compelling manifestation of violence perpetrated against women. However, in Cambodia, where NGO research and interventions have responded to domestic violence and trafficking (and despite widespread assertions in the NGO…
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