Capacity to Identify and Prevent Human Trafficking

May 1, 2019

Cagla Giray, Ph.D.

Trafficking in persons is defined as the recruitment, transportation or acquisition of persons by force, coercion, fraud, deception, the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person for the purpose of exploitation (UN Palermo Convention).

Identifying victims is the first and fundamental step for protection.


Primary challenges:


Capacity Building
 and Outreach is essential for the rehabilitation phase.


Partnership for prevention
is the key to achieve progress across the 3P’s (prosecution, protection, prevention) and enlist all segments of society. Successful examples for models and collaborative programs:

  • Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH) is a court-based program for the convicted victims of human trafficking in Ohio aiming to combat “the cycling through the system” pattern. Partnering with local service providers and agencies, CATCH provided assessment and treatment services
  • Project NoREST is a federally funded intervention project and awareness campaign launched by North Carolina’s Human Trafficking Commission and University of North Carolina’s (UNC) School of Social Work.
  • National Human Trafficking Hotline Referral Directory provides an active map of every anti-trafficking organization in each state.