In the relatively sparse field of economics of prostitution, studies have in recent years investigated the relationship between prostitution legislation and the presence of sex trafficking. This study investigates the issue further by using both a cross country model with time fixed effects and a country fixed effect model to estimate the effect on the amount of sex trafficking of changing legislation to the so-called Nordic Model, something no other known study has managed to do. In contrast to what previous research has estimated, this thesis finds no significant effect on sex trafficking from changing legislation to the Nordic Model. The obvious difficulties of presenting reliable data on an illegal activity such as sex trafficking and the fact that few countries have changed their legislation to the Nordic Model are likely reasons to the insignificant results and cautions against a causal interpretation.

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Thesis advisor: Thomas M. Crea / Thesis advisor: Scott D. Easton / This qualitative study collected and analyzed original interview data with mental health clinicians and survivor mentors exploring their perspectives on and experiences in aftercare/recovery work with survivors of domestic and international sex trafficking in the United States, through multidisciplinary and multisystemic contexts. This study addresses the significant gap of research on mental health recovery support with survivors of sex trafficking, which exists despite disturbing prevalence rates of sex trafficking, especially amongst girls and women of Color living in the United States. The study examined mental health providers’ perspectives on treatment approaches they employ, the processes they find to be effective, and their views on emancipatory approaches in recovery work. This study collected, transcribed, and analyzed semi-structured interview data with 13 mental health providers (including clinicians and peer/survivor mentors), and employed qualitative conventional content analysis. The study is the first to explore mental health providers’ experiences with service provision/accompaniment with a focus specifically on their work within multidisciplinary and multisystemic environments. It aims to increase understanding about the perspectives and approaches held by multidisciplinary therapists and survivor mentors, who specialize in accompanying survivors of sex trafficking, and may hold important insights into this complex work. The study found that therapists and peer mentors are challenged by barriers, and leverage key opportunities in their work through multidisciplinary and multisystemic contexts, and benefit from partnering with each other in survivor recovery work. It also found that survivor community and peer mentors are central to aftercare/recovery work, and that providers work to employ an intersectional/emancipatory healing lens. Analyses identified fifteen approaches to recovery work, organized into four categories: 1) integrated structural and trauma-sensitive emotional support; 2) community and emancipatory healing approaches; 3) peer mentor as a critical role; and 4) multiple systems challenge recovery. Implications for future research, clinical practice and policy are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

Karnataka har visat sig vara en populär destination för människohandel. Tyvärr faller många migranter och andra offer för människohandlare, ofta på grund av globaliseringens mörka sidor. Det övergripande syftet med studien var att nå en bättre förståelse av tillgängliga stödverksamheter för sexhandels offer i Karnataka, och utmaningar därefter, för att bättre harmonisera tjänster och svara mot offrens rättigheter. Forskningsmetoden bestod av kvalitativ karaktär med etnografiska inslag, med fältarbete som bedrivits i den indiska delstaten Karnataka. Studien ger en kartläggning av stödtjänster (främst rehabiliteringshem) för offer, samtidigt som den undersöker utmaningar i relation till politiska beslut, strategier och implementering. Situationen i dag målar upp en bild av förvirring när det gäller ett fungerande stödsystem. I allmänhet var rehabiliteringshemmen ohygieniska med dåliga sanitära förhållanden med begränsad hälso-och sjukvård. Hemmen var även otillräckliga vad gäller säkerhet, samarbete och samordning, samt utbildning och erfarenhet hos personal. De ’skyddande och rehabiliterande hemmen’ (Ujjawalas) är inte tillräckliga nog vad gäller ett stödsystem, och de fokuserar inte enbart på offer för sexhandeln. Således bör det finnas specialisthjälp (med hälsokliniker), särskilt eftersom offer för sexhandeln ofta behöver specialiserad vård, psykosocialt som fysiskt. Ett socialt rättvist stödsystem bör förstå och värdera mänskliga rättigheter, samt erkänna värdighet hos varje individ. Om det finns en brist på ett fungerande stödsystem, och framför allt ett holistiskt sektorsövergripande synsätt, riskerar offer fysiska såväl som psykiska problem. Ett icke fungerande stödsystem kan också förvärra socioekonomiska orättvisor, speciellt eftersom offer riskerar att hamna i fattigdom om de inte integreras tillbaka i samhället. Som en övergripande socioekonomisk och politisk fråga undergräver det hälsa, trygghet och säkerhet, inte bara hos de människor som är direkt berörda utan samhället i stort. / Karnataka has turned out to be a hotspot destination for human trafficking. Unfortunately many migrants and others fall prey for traffickers, often due to the dark sides of globalisation. The overall purpose of the assessment was to reach a better understanding of available victim support services for victims of sex trafficking in Karnataka, and challenges thereof, as to better harmonise services and respond to the rights of victims. The method of research was of qualitative character with ethnographic elements, with fieldwork conducted in Karnataka, India. The research provides a mapping of victim support services (with a focus on shelters), while also examining challenges in relation to policy, strategy and implementation. The situation today paints out a picture of confusion in terms of a victim support system. In general, the shelters were unhygienic with poor sanitation and offered limited health services. They were also inadequate in terms of security, cooperation and coordination, as well as education and experience among shelter staff. At the moment the ‘Protective and Rehabilitative Homes’ (Ujjawalas) are not adequate enough, and do not exclusively focus on sex trafficked victims. As such, there should be specialised assistance (with health clinics), especially since sex trafficked victims often need specialised care, psycho-socially as well as physically. A socially just system should understand and value human right, as well as recognise the dignity of every human being. If there is a lack of a functioning support system, and especially a holistic multi-sectoral approach, victims risk physical as well as mental health problems. A non-functioning system can also spur socio-economical injustices, as victims risk end up in poverty if they are not properly integrated back into society. As a cross-cutting socio-economic as well as political issue it undermines the health, security and safety of not only people directly concerned but the society in general as well.

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This research aim was to investigate any gap in the international and national legal framework regarding sex trafficking and prostitution, as well as to identify areas for improvement to better protect victims. The research took on a feminist perspective to critique these laws and used Thailand's national framework for further research on how anti-trafficking and prostitution work on a national level. The feminist views come from feminist legal theory as well as radical feminism. Feminist theories are combined with existing literature, along with a qualitative method, legal analysis, and feminist legal method for examining legal frameworks addressing sex trafficking to find gaps in the field. Thailand was chosen due to it being a country with high problems with sex trafficking and prostitution. Thailand has also tried to combat these problems by implementing laws such as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2008 as well as The Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act 1996. Thailand has also signed The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children which was relevant to this thesis.  In summary, legal feminists and radical feminists share many important perspectives about the gaps and improvements that need to be made in the international and legal framework concerning prostitution and sex trafficking. Some of the gaps are that laws fail to address the root causes of prostitution and sex trafficking, struggles with interpretation, and criticism like MacKinnon's claim that laws are fundamentally gendered and cannot be neutralized. furthermore, Thailand's anti-trafficking laws fail to recognize prostitution as trafficking, which criminalizes women in the industry. Rather than handling the demand side (those who pay for sex) the emphasis frequently tends toward prosecuting traffickers, while failing to address enough protection for victims. solutions for the gaps partly involve guidelines for Thailand's officers to easily identify victims.