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Full-Text Articles in Criminology

White Savior Projects: An Examination Of The Antitrafficking Social Movement, Jennifer A. Cheek Dec 2022

White Savior Projects: An Examination Of The Antitrafficking Social Movement, Jennifer A. Cheek

Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation, I conduct an ethnography of three antitrafficking programs; interview 38 activists and survivors of trafficking; and analyze organizational texts, websites, and social media. I examine the history of the antitrafficking movement. Among the three organizations, activists provide housing; food, clothing, and hygiene items; medical services; mental health services and counseling; mentorship; education for survivors; a 24-hour hotline; outreach; case management and referrals; training for law enforcement; a drop-in center; and education and awareness events. I examine activists’ diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing of sex trafficking, and other framing tactics, such as frame alignment, frame diffusion, frame resonance, …


Human Trafficking Of People With A Disability: An Analysis Of State And Federal Cases, Andrea Nichols, Erin Heil Jan 2022

Human Trafficking Of People With A Disability: An Analysis Of State And Federal Cases, Andrea Nichols, Erin Heil

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The current academic discourse examining human trafficking is lacking in focus on survivors with a disability. The increased likelihood of abuse experienced by people with a disability is well documented in the research literature, and a small body of research indicates heightened sex trafficking victimization of minor girls with a disability. Yet, very little research specifically examines sex and/or labor trafficking of people with a disability, and no systematic research analyzes prosecuted cases of trafficking with disability as the focal point of analysis. Drawing from a content analysis of 18 federal and 17 state cases of human trafficking, the current …


Bound By Silence: Psychological Effects Of The Traditional Oath Ceremony Used In The Sex Trafficking Of Nigerian Women And Girls, Jennifer Millett-Barrett Jun 2019

Bound By Silence: Psychological Effects Of The Traditional Oath Ceremony Used In The Sex Trafficking Of Nigerian Women And Girls, Jennifer Millett-Barrett

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Nigerian women and children have been trafficked to Italy over the last 30 years for commercial sexual exploitation with an alarming increase in the past three years. The Central Mediterranean Route that runs from West African countries to Italy is rife with organized crime gangs that have created a highly successful trafficking operation. As part of the recruitment process, the Nigerian mafia and its operatives exploit victims by subjecting them to a traditional religious juju oath ceremony, which is an extremely effective control mechanism to silence victims and trap them in debt bondage. This study explores the psychological effects of …


Child And Adolescent Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Mexico: The Exploiters And The State, Sonia M. Frias, Mariajosé Gómez-Zaldívar Oct 2017

Child And Adolescent Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Mexico: The Exploiters And The State, Sonia M. Frias, Mariajosé Gómez-Zaldívar

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a form of violence in which children, mainly girls and female adolescents, are reduced to sexual objects for rent. In this study, we argue that the concept of who is an exploiter must be broadened to include everyone who directly or indirectly benefits from CSEC. This paper is based on life stories of 10 female residents from a shelter, which we call Casa Libertad (a fictitious name) in Mexico City, for female victims of violence. Researchers also used semi-structured interviews with experts on CSEC to examine the exploiters' profiles. The research challenges the …


Professor Breaks Ground With Journal On Sexual Violence And Exploitation, Joseph Essig, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Apr 2017

Professor Breaks Ground With Journal On Sexual Violence And Exploitation, Joseph Essig, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

In December 2016, Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies Donna M. Hughes published the inaugural issue of the journal Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence as editor-in-chief. Just a few months ago, in January, Dignity released its second issue. Professor Hughes has been working on issues related to sexual violence and exploitation, such as human trafficking since the 1980s. She saw an opening in the field for a journal about the particular work that she has been doing for so long. “There is no other scholarly journal that addresses sexual exploitation and violence and has an editorial position …


New Hampshire Juvenile Sex Trafficking Survivor Urges Representatives To Vote Against Decriminalized Prostitution, Darlene Pawlik, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Feb 2017

New Hampshire Juvenile Sex Trafficking Survivor Urges Representatives To Vote Against Decriminalized Prostitution, Darlene Pawlik, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I am a juvenile sex trafficking survivor. I was sold here in New Hampshire and other states as well. This is happening now too. Even with a law against prostitution, the more egregious elements are prevalent. Trafficking is not separate from prostitution, it is just the darker side of the very same coin. 


Sex Industry Advocates Aim To Decriminalize Prostitution In New Hampshire, Kelly Roy-Williams, Lisa Thompson, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Feb 2017

Sex Industry Advocates Aim To Decriminalize Prostitution In New Hampshire, Kelly Roy-Williams, Lisa Thompson, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

There is an organized effort in New Hampshire to fully decriminalize prostitution. What that means is that all laws controlling the buying and selling of sex will be removed from the law books, making prostitution legal. Law enforcement and public officials will then have no control over if, when, and where prostitution occurs, whether it’s in massage parlors (often called spas), hotels, apartments, residences, or strip clubs. Because commercial sex will be legal, pimps and “sex workers” will be able to freely advertise prostitution services. Pimps will be able to openly recruit women and girls into prostitution, without fear of …


Dignity, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2016, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Nov 2016

Dignity, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2016, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Table of Contents, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2016, Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence.


Welcome To Dignity, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2016

Welcome To Dignity, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


University Of Rhode Island Presentations At Interdisciplinary Conference On Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2016

University Of Rhode Island Presentations At Interdisciplinary Conference On Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Analysis Of Cases Of Human Trafficking In Rhode Island, 2009-2013, Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Mar 2016

Analysis Of Cases Of Human Trafficking In Rhode Island, 2009-2013, Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

This article is an analysis of law enforcement identified cases of human trafficking in Rhode Island from 2009 to 2013. Information was collected from police and court records, prosecutors’ press releases, and reports in the media. During this period, there was one case of forced labor of a domestic worker and six cases of domestic sex trafficking. Many of the characteristics of the Rhode Island cases were consistent with other human trafficking cases in the United States. Discussions of key findings include (a) outcomes of a criminal case using a new human trafficking statute on fraud in foreign contracting and …


The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State (Abtract, Peer-Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman, Faith Skodmin, Jessica Wainfor Oct 2014

The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State (Abtract, Peer-Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman, Faith Skodmin, Jessica Wainfor

Donna M. Hughes

This panel will discuss the persistence of slavery in the form of human trafficking in Rhode Island. To address modern-day slavery-like practices, the U.S. passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 and Rhode Island passed the Trafficking of Persons and Involuntary Servitude Act in 2009. Both state and federal anti-human trafficking laws identify two types of human trafficking: forced labor and sex trafficking.

This panel will present the findings of original research done by the five authors during the Spring 2014 on human trafficking cases in Rhode Island from 2009-2013. Sources for analysis of these cases include: police reports, …


Presentation, The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman Oct 2014

Presentation, The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Abstract, Peer Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Faith Skodmin, Lucy Tillman, Jessica Wainfor Oct 2014

Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Abstract, Peer Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Faith Skodmin, Lucy Tillman, Jessica Wainfor

Donna M. Hughes

Present an analysis of seven state and federal cases of human trafficking, including forced labor and sex trafficking, in Rhode Island from 2009 until 2013. In 2009, Rhode Island passed a comprehensive human trafficking law. Since then there have been six cases of sex trafficking and one case of forced labor. Sources for information on the human trafficking cases were police reports, witness statements, court documents and media reports. This presentation will briefly summarize the cases and discuss the similarities and difference among the cases and discuss of some key findings from these cases, which include:

1) Victims were trafficked …


Presentation, Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Powerpoint), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham Oct 2014

Presentation, Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Powerpoint), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


When The Abyss Looks Back: Treatments Of Human Trafficking In Superhero Comic Books., Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton Jan 2012

When The Abyss Looks Back: Treatments Of Human Trafficking In Superhero Comic Books., Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Superhero comic book characters have historically engaged issues of social concern. From Superman’s opposition to the Ku Klux Klan in 1947 (Bowers, 2011) to Captain America’s acceptance of a gay soldier in 1982 (Witt, Sherry, & Marcus, 1995) to Batman’s stance against landmines in 1996 (O’Neil, 1996), stories involving superheroes have frequently demonstrated a developed social awareness on national and international problems. Given that the audience for superhero characters is often composed of young people, this engagement has served as a vehicle for raising understanding of issues and as tool for encouraging activism on the part of readers (McAllister, 1992; …


Through The Looking Glass: Finding And Freeing Modern-Day Slaves At The State Level, Michelle L. Rickert Jul 2010

Through The Looking Glass: Finding And Freeing Modern-Day Slaves At The State Level, Michelle L. Rickert

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article delves into the interaction between federal and state laws prohibiting human trafficking. The article advocates for comprehensive human trafficking laws at the state level, including police training, victim aftercare, forfeiture, and prosecution as essential elements. It looks comprehensively at the existing state laws prohibiting human trafficking. Additionally it examines the five existing models for state law and suggests benefits and potential improvements for each model. The article concludes y advocating a holistic law prohibiting human trafficking in the Commonwealth of Virginia.


Sex Trafficking Of Women For The Production Of Pornography, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Jun 2010

Sex Trafficking Of Women For The Production Of Pornography, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Women used in the production of commercial pornography in the U.S. are often subjected to violence and coercion during filming. Often they protest and try to stop the filming or back-out before filming begins. Their protests are ignored or they are pressured by their agent or the director to continue. Their experiences of coercion and trickery often meet the criteria for sex trafficking. 


Watching Justice Come Alive, Daniel Weiss, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Apr 2010

Watching Justice Come Alive, Daniel Weiss, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

With the nation watching, a college student, a professor and a legislator team up to top indoor prostitution in Rhode Island


The Citizens Were Heard, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2009

The Citizens Were Heard, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Congratulations to the citizens of Rhode Island and national anti-trafficking advocates for the legislative victory in Rhode Island. This past week, the Rhode Island Assembly passed an unprecedented pieces of legislation that will protect victims from sex industry predators and give law enforcement the tools they need to arrest pimps, traffickers, and “johns.” 


Victory In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Michael Horowitz Oct 2009

Victory In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Michael Horowitz

Donna M. Hughes

In stunning culmination of a David-Goliath struggle that, at least until lately, few believed the David side had the slightest chance of winning, the Rhode Island legislature enacted three major anti-trafficking bills last night that the Governor will soon sign into law. 


Testimony For Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2009

Testimony For Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I am here to support a trafficking bill that will do two things: 
1) Criminalize forced labor as a form of human trafficking. 
2) Make it easier to prosecute sex trafficking of minors by removing the requirement to prove force, fraud, or coercion. 


Testimony On Human Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Jun 2009

Testimony On Human Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

 In 2007, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed an anti-human trafficking law. To date, there have been no prosecutions. There are three serious problems with the present Rhode Island law that need to be remedied in order to effectively combat human trafficking. 


Working Together To Combat Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr. May 2006

Working Together To Combat Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


The Demand: Where Sex Trafficking Begins, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Jun 2004

The Demand: Where Sex Trafficking Begins, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

In light of shared moral responsibility to help the millions of people who are bought, sold, transported and held against their will in slave-like condition, a conference entitled “A Call to Action: Joining the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons” was held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on June 17, 2004. The event was part of the 20th anniversary celebration of full diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See, and their shared work to promote human dignity, liberty, justice, and peace.


Hiding In Plain Sight: A Practical Guide To Identifying Victims Of Trafficking In The U.S., Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2003

Hiding In Plain Sight: A Practical Guide To Identifying Victims Of Trafficking In The U.S., Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

This practical guide focuses on identifying victims of sexual trafficking, meaning they have been trafficked for commercial sex acts, such as prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, such as stripping, lap dancing, or production of pornography. Although there are commonalities between victims of sexual and labor trafficking, there are sufficient differences to require separate focus. Therefore, this guide does not describe ways to identify victims who have been trafficked for forced labor, such as domestic servants and sweat shop or migrant farm workers.


Trafficking For Sex Exploitation: The Case Of The Russian Federation, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Dec 2001

Trafficking For Sex Exploitation: The Case Of The Russian Federation, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


The "Natasha" Trade: The Transnational Shadow Market Of Trafficking In Women, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Dec 1999

The "Natasha" Trade: The Transnational Shadow Market Of Trafficking In Women, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.