Study Provides Practical Guidance to Reduce Demand for Commercial Sex, and Sex Trafficking
National Institute of Justice/Department of Justice
New Research Will Build on Recent Evaluation of Model Program in San Francisco
A new study being conducted by Abt Associates seeks to provide a national, descriptive overview of past and current criminal justice strategies and collaborative programs intended to reduce the demand for commercial sex. It builds on Abt Associates' recently completed evaluation of a model demand-reduction program, San Francisco's First Offender Prostitution Program (FOPP).
Researchers found little descriptive information about the vast majority of other strategies for reducing the demand for commercial sex, and that few evaluations had been conducted.
As part of the FOPP evaluation, the researchers had assessed the transferability of the FOPP program model and its potential for future growth. In doing so they found that little descriptive information was available about the vast majority of other demand-reduction strategies, and that few evaluations had been conducted.
Abt Associates also found that communities attempting to address demand have done so with little guidance from the collective experience of others who have; consequently, many programs have struggled and failed when faced with problems that have been solved elsewhere.
Data Collection Includes Telephone Surveys of Communities, Plus Case Studies
The design for the current study includes a literature review and web searches; a "screening" telephone survey of a sample of over 500 U.S. communities known to have employed at least one strategy for combating the demand for commercial sex; and a telephone survey of a purposive sample of 150 of the 500+ sites, designed to gather more-detailed information about innovative, representative, and/or effective demand reduction efforts.
Additionally, in 20 of the sites case studies will be conducted. The information and documentation are being gathered and assessed in order to provide practical guidance for those operating, planning, or considering implementing sex trafficking demand-reduction initiatives.
Abt Associates will prepare or produce:
A guidance document geared toward practitioners and policy makers.
A website established and maintained to serve many of the purposes of the practitioner's guide, and also to facilitate communication among practitioners and other interested parties.
A brief report presenting the results of our assessment of the evaluability of demand-reduction initiatives at the 20 key sites.
Another brief report summarizing the project's research activities and key findings.
Journal articles, conference presentations, and dissemination via the project website.
