Definitions, Methods, and the Numbers: Reviewing the Status of US Sex Trafficking Literature

Over the past decade, child sex and labor trafficking have received significant attention from both policy makers and service providers. Efforts have been made to identify factors that put youth at risk for trafficking. As funds were directed toward addressing the problem of trafficking, calls were made to identify the extent of the problem. This paper provides an analysis of the current literature, with a specific focus on the role of differential definitions and estimation methodologies in generating a wide span of values offered to answer the extent question. The review draws on articles identified through a scan of social science, law, and public health journal databases were searched, and a search for white papers and reports. Articles were reviewed to determine consistency and differences in scope reports, with a focus on identifying original sources and references to those sources. A review of the methodologies and resultant implications of reports are provided. Potential sources for additional perspectives are identified.