Laypersons’ Perceptions and Knowledge of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking

Layperson suspicions are key to investigating human trafficking. However, little is known about laypersons’ ability to recognize potential trafficking situations. We assessed laypersons’ perceptions of ambiguous, potential trafficking situations involving 13/15/17-year-old adolescents. Laypersons struggled to recognize trafficking even with the youngest underaged victims. Thus, the public’s trafficking knowledge is limited.