Human trafficking has been recognized by government leaders as one of the priority issues of our time. In the past 20 years, there has been a surge in activity aimed at addressing human trafficking. Numerous laws, policies, and programs have been created to strength capacity to prevent, identify, and respond to human trafficking. Much of the current work addresses the problem after harm has occurred. That work, which includes apprehending traffickers and assisting survivors, is vital, but much more is needed to prevent human trafficking from occurring in the first place. My work has focused on prevention, with a particular emphasis on public health frameworks. Ultimately, a comprehensive, integrated, multi-sector response must be developed.
Current projects:
Public Health Approaches to Child Trafficking
Human Trafficking in Supply Chains
Publications:
Book:
Preventing Child Trafficking: A Public Health Approach, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019 (co-authored with Angela Diaz)
Other book-related information:
For reviews of the book, click here. For additional full reviews, see: Lancet Child & Adolescent Health; Journal of Youth & Adolescence;
Selected recognition: Society journal’s Books of Note.
Interviews: Newswhistle (May 30, 2020); The Research Podcast (Mar. 3, 2020)
JHU blog, Jan. 13, 2020
Selected articles in peer review and law journals:
“Confronting Child Trafficking,” Indiana Health Law Review 18(1): 95-106 (2021).
“COVID-19 and Human Trafficking—The Amplified Impact on Vulnerable Populations,” JAMA Pediatrics (online Sept 21, 2020; print December 2020) (co-authored with Angela Diaz).
“Foreword: Preventing Human Trafficking,” Georgia State University Law Review, 36(4): vi-xiii (2020)
Child Trafficking: Issues for Policy and Practice, Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, 46(1): 159-163 (2018) (co-authored with Jordan Greenbaum and Katherine Yun)
Adolescents’ Right to Participate: Opportunities and Challenges for Health Care Professionals, Annals of Global Health, 83:697-703 (2017) (co-authored with Angela Diaz)
Physician Encounters with Human Trafficking: Legal Consequences and Ethical Considerations, AMA Journal of Ethics, 19(1): 16-22 (2017)
The Complexities of Conducting Research on Child Trafficking, JAMA Pediatrics, Online First, November 28, 2016 (co-authored with Leslie Wolf)
Can Mandatory Reporting Laws Help Child Survivors of Human Trafficking?, Wisconsin Law Review Forward, 2016: 69-78 (2016).
Human Trafficking and Film: How Popular Portrayals Influence Law and Public Perception, Cornell Law Review Online,101: 1-24 (2015).
Responding to the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, New England Journal of Medicine, 370(14): 1282-1283 (April 3, 2014) (co-authored with Ellen Wright Clayton)
A Child Rights Framework for Addressing Trafficking of Children, Michigan State International Law Review, 22: 557-593 (2014)
Human Rights, Labor, and the Prevention of Human Trafficking: A Response to A Labor Paradigm for Human Trafficking, UCLA Law Review Discourse, 60: 142-158 (2013)
Human Trafficking and the Private Sector: A Role for Corporate Counsel, International Law News 42(4): 18-20 (ABA Section of International Law, Fall 2013)
A Public Health Approach to Human Trafficking, Global Eye on Human Trafficking, 12: 10-11 (International Organization for Migration), April 2013)
Assessing Public Health Strategies for Advancing Child Protection: Human Trafficking as a Case Study, Journal of Law and Policy, 21: 93-112 (2012)
The Private Sector’s Pivotal Role in Combating Human Trafficking, California Law Review Circuit, 3: 80-98 (2012)
Human Trafficking: A Global Problem with a Local Impact, Georgia Bar Journal, 17: 12-19 (June 2012) (co-authored with Michael Baumrind)
Widening Our Lens: Incorporating Essential Perspectives in the Fight against Human Trafficking, Michigan Journal of International Law, 33: 53-76 (2011)
Moving Upstream: The Merits of a Public Health Law Approach to Human Trafficking, North Carolina Law Review, 89: 447-506 (2011)
Taking Prevention Seriously: Developing a Comprehensive Response to Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 43: 1-56 (2010)
Law, Otherness, and Human Trafficking, Santa Clara Law Review, 49: 605-672 (2009)
Council of Europe Addresses Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children, International Law News, 37(2): 15-17 (ABA Section of International Law, Spring 2008)
The Importance of Realizing “Other Rights” to Prevent Sex Trafficking, Cardozo Journal of Law & Gender, 12: 885-907 (2006)
Combating Trafficking of Persons, International Law News, 34(3): 1, 8-9 (Summer 2005). Selected for & reprinted in “Best of ABA Sections” issue of GPSolo, Vol 23 (Mar. 2006)
Prosecuting Sex Tour Operators in U.S. Courts in an Effort to Reduce the Sexual Exploitation of Children Globally, Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, 9: 1-23 (1999)