Screening for human trafficking among homeless young adults

Abstract

Human trafficking is a public health issue affecting homeless young adults across the United States; however, screening tools for trafficking specifically for this population are lengthy and onerous. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive, brief, and user-friendly trafficking screening tool for homeless young adults. Five candidate items for the screening tool were identified from the Vera Institute's Trafficking Victim Identification Tool (TVIT). Study participants were asked the five candidate items, and then received a trafficking assessment using the Human Trafficking Identification and Measurement (HTIAM-14), which is validated for the homeless youth population. A multivariable logistic model was used to analyze the five candidate items in relation to a trafficking experience on the longer HTIAM-14. Homeless people, aged 18 to 22 years old, receiving support from Covenant House New Jersey were eligible to participate in the study. Over 15 months in 2015–2017, 340 trafficking assessments were performed for 307 participants; 8.8% (30) of the assessments revealed a human trafficking experience. Of assessments identifying a trafficking experience, 66.7% (20) found sex trafficking and 46.7% (14) labor trafficking, with 16.7% (5) demonstrating both forms of trafficking. We validated a new screening tool, Quick Youth Indicators for Trafficking (QYIT). QYIT allows providers to screen for trafficking among homeless young adults; an affirmative answer to at least one QYIT question is 86.7% sensitive and 76.5% specific in identifying a trafficking experience. QYIT is the first highly sensitive, comprehensive trafficking screening tool that is truly brief and does not require a trafficking expert to administer. Use of QYIT at appropriate agencies will enable social service providers to systematically detect and serve homeless young adults who have labor and/or sex trafficking experiences.