Association for Behavior Analysis International

Human trafficking and domestic violence are major public health issues that impact individuals, families, and communities. The number of victims of human trafficking has more than doubled over the last few years, and incidences of domestic violence have increased significantly following the pandemic. This symposium features three papers examining the complexities of human trafficking and domestic violence through a behavior-analytic lens, emphasizing the necessity of trauma-informed approaches in treatment and service provision. The first two papers discuss a program evaluation conducted in collaboration with community partners at the University of South Florida’s Trafficking in Persons Research Lab. The first paper highlights the behavioral-analytic approach taken during the evaluation of the housing program. The second paper will provide an overview of the retrospective analysis of the housing program, highlighting the factors within case management that may influence survivors’ outcomes. The results provide a systematic approach to determining the effectiveness of services for survivors of human trafficking. The third paper discusses the environmental factors that may be influencing the behavior of those involved in domestic violence. Together, these papers conceptualize the adverse experiences of survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence from a behavioral perspective and provide examples of multidisciplinary collaborative work.

Labeled as “modern-day slavery,” human trafficking is defined as the deliberate use of force, fraud, or coercion to lure an individual to the involuntary commercial exchange of sexual activity or labor services for remuneration. Due to the vulnerability to revictimization, service providers should aim to implement the most effective and efficient treatments for survivors of human trafficking. Previous literature has shown that a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approach to treatment has been successful in identifying the needs and enhancing the quality of life of survivors of human trafficking. A behavioral perspective can be used to understand the interrelationship between the environment, the trafficker’s actions, and the behavior of the victim/survivor. Similarly, the principles of behavior analysis have proven effective at improving employee and organizational performance. This conceptual presentation will describe a housing program evaluation through a behavior-analytic lens. Additionally, the presentation will provide suggestions for providing effective wraparound services to survivors of human trafficking through principles of behavior analysis.

According to recent research, there is a critical need for human trafficking (HT) programs to take a trauma-informed approach to improve methods toward defining goals, recording data reported directly from survivors, and continuously assessing survivors’ perceptions of their quality of life. Using the recommendations outlined by Macy et al. (2022), a retrospective analysis of 60 case files was conducted to evaluate the level to which wrap-around service provision resulted in survivors’ successful completion of a HT housing program in southern Florida. Successful completion of the program required that survivors demonstrated effective finance management and were able to acquire and maintain housing and employment. Using the results from this program evaluation, the current presentation will further evaluate the mechanisms of service provision across successful, unsuccessful, and terminated case file groups. These data can improve short- and long-term service provision and guide practitioners' decisions on whether to continue to offer or omit specific external services.

All too often people blame the victim of domestic violence for not leaving the relationship when trying to understand how or why someone would stay in an abusive relationship. Behavior analysis is used to understand how behavior is influenced by the environment, including antecedents and consequences. Abusers and their victims are no different and behavior analysis principles can provide a better understanding of domestic violence. This presentation will explore the negative reinforcement paradigm by examining the victim’s behaviors versus the abuser’s behavior. Contingencies and schedules of reinforcement in the domestic violence environment will also be discussed as these contingencies make it difficult for victims to leave. There is also rule-generating behavior and decreasing the value of the victim’s environment, to name a few “tactics” that abusers use to trap victims into staying in their environment. This presentation should enhance the audience’s understanding of the victim’s environment during the abuse and explain why victim blaming should be avoided.