By Katherine Hoogesteyn; Travis A. Taniguchi

This paper presents the results of a review of literature discussing potentially effective practices and strategies for interviewing human trafficking victims in a law enforcement setting; the paper discusses the methodology for identifying applicable research reports as well as the findings, indicating limitations to the available research and implications for policy and practice.

Abstract

Victims of human trafficking play a key role in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers; however, their involvement in the interview process and the information they disclose largely depend on the quality of their interactions with interviewers. Victims of trafficking represent a challenging and complex subset of victims. Unfortunately, little is known about the effectiveness of interviewing strategies specifically with trafficking victims. Law enforcement agencies have limited evidence-based or actionable guidance to strengthen interviewing practices with this subset of victims. In addition to systematically identifying and describing the available literature on interviewing potential human trafficking victims in a law enforcement context, this report discusses interviewing practices and recommendations stemming from the literature, research gaps, and future research directions.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. 2024. 52p.