Risk and

protective factors
associated with
exploitation:
Evidence to
inform prevention

Cathy Zimmerman
A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH: Lessons from
HIV for HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Which intervention questions can we answer?

•  What puts people at risk of HIV?
What puts people at risk of HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

What protects people from BEING TRAFFICKED?

•  What protects people from HIV?

WhIch individuals are at greatest risk of HIV?

• •  Which individuals are at greatest risk of BEING TRAFFICKED?

In which sectors do we find the highest prevalence of HUMAN

•  In which locaFons is the highest prevalence of HIV?
TRAFFICKING?
•  Which structural drivers most influence HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
Which structural drivers most influence the transmission of HIV?
You say tomato…
“A risk factor is any a+ribute, characteris0c or exposure of an
individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or
injury.

Ø Vulnerabili0es
Ø Protec0ve factors
Ø Determinants


Lessons from medical research, drug
trials for intervention development
Phase I

Phase II

Phase III
Develop process
and evaluate:
IdenFfy causal *Feasibility Monitor and
mechanisms *Accessibility evaluate
and targeted process and
intervenFon *Acceptability impact, cost-
opFons *Efficiency effecFveness
*EffecFveness

ROLL-OUT, SCALE-UP
If proven effec8ve
 Complex social interventions:
Phases of intervention evaluation research

DESCRIBE PROBLEM:
•  Features, dynamics, affected populaFons, paVerns

IDENTIFY DETERMINANTS, RISK AND

PROTECTIVE FACTORS
•  Structural, social, sector-specific, individual

INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT
•  Feasibility, appropriateness, accessibility, acceptability,
effecFveness

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

•  Process and impact assessment
Theory of change
Program logic
Reduce risks,
strengthen
Ac0vi0es Achieve impact
protec0ve
factors

Ar0culate process of change:

•  What are the main targets for change?
•  Why will changes lead to desired impact?
•  What are believable and measurable indicators that these
changes have taken place?
•  What outside, contextual factors might influence this
programme logic?
Primary Prevention:
What are we missing?
Community-based prevention:
Pothole slalom…
RISK REVIEW: what do we
know about risk?
Thematic review methods
•  PUBLICATION TYPES: studies, NGO reports, situaFon analyses,
policy briefs, working papers, etc.
•  SECTORS: agriculture, texFle, domesFc work, various factory
work, fishing, construcFon, etc.
•  COUNTRIES: Brazil, Nepal, India, Ethiopia, Thailand
•  DATA EXTRACTION: target groups, environments of risk, risk or
protecFve behaviors, vulnerability, etc.
RISK REVIEW:
literature findings
HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Irregular migration Financial insecurity Migration bans

Weak networks and/or
Low skill labour Remote location
unions
Knowledge gaps Discrimination Social pressure
Sponsorship/employer
Recruitment Border control gaps
practices
Gender Structural pull Migrating alone
Law enforcement gaps Individual agents Known transit routes
Policy gaps Strained family structure
Age Pregnancy
Political uncertainty
Sporting events
Confirmed by interviews Household shock
I didn’t find quite what I wanted about the economic
theory of democracy, but I did find an interesFng arFcle
about the maFng habits of the Patagonian fruit bat.
Break out group question
What are the risk and protec0ve factors that your
programs are targe0ng?

Consider how these might ‘fit’ into a Theory of Change.

Change pathway Impact: reduced

Ac0vi0es (targets/ trafficking/
indicators) slavery
How reliably can we
answer these questions?
TARGET POPULATIONS
•  Who is most at risk of exploita0on?

RISK/PROTECTIVE FACTORS
•  Why puts migrants at greater risk of adverse outcomes?
•  What protects them?

INTERVENTION DESIGN
•  How do people gather informa0on and make decisions
and plan for their migra0on?

INTERVENTION EVALUATION
•  How can we measure: influence; effec0veness; and
impact?
Follow-on discussion


What would be the priority targets for
programming in your area?