University of Cincinnati researchers are preparing to study the scope of human trafficking in Ohio, specifically minors under 18 and youth ages 18-21 in foster care. The last such study was in 2010.
The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice (OCJS) has awarded $100,000 to Assistant Professor Dr. Valerie Anderson and her team for the study which will report results in the fall of 2018.
Anderson will get data from the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, study news media accounts and partner with UC's Corrections Institute. "We'll be developing an integrative set with these different sources to determine the number of known victims across the state."
"While we have made incredible progress in the fight against human trafficking, the lack of data remains a challenge, " says OCJS Executive Director Karhton Moore. "We look forward to working with UC and using the results of their study to improve our response efforts."
