Using RDS to Identify Human Trafficking Victims in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County

Laura Ardito, Deputy Director, SAFE Center & Brian Kim, Assistant Research Professor
SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors is testing the feasibility of Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) to estimate the prevalence and nature of human trafficking in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.

Using respondent driven sampling (RDS), a network-based survey approach, researchers hope to address: 1) whether RDS is appropriate for estimating the prevalence and nature of sex trafficking in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, and 2) the nature and scope of human trafficking in the defined geographic regions, including victims’ reported victimization experiences and service needs.

The researchers have designed a survey that the participants will complete, and will analyze the results as part of this study.

At the end of the project, the researchers anticipate that they will have a tool ready to implement.

The results from this project will inform future RDS studies as well as potential new services and interventions for victims. Ultimately, this project hopes to produce quantitative and qualitative data statewide to inform policy, resource allocation and funding decisions for human trafficking projects/programs.