Law enforcement officers utilize a variety of investigative approaches for different cases. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. For human trafficking and other cases involving exploitation, the best approach an officer can take is the victim-centered approach. So, what is victim-centered policing and why is it important to human trafficking investigations?
What Is Victim-Centered Policing?
Victim-centered policing is an approach used by law enforcement that systematically focuses on the needs and concerns of the victim. The victim's wishes, safety, and well-being take priority in all matters and procedures. The victim-centered approach ensures that the victim’s needs supersede all else.
Victim-Centered Policing and Trauma
The victim-centered approach is vital in cases involving exploitation because exploitation inflicts psychological trauma, and the approach seeks to minimize retraumatization of the victim, especially that which is associated with the criminal justice process and their previous traumatic experiences. It also encourages law enforcement and all other professionals involved in the case to not only advocate for the victim but to avoid criminalizing the victim.
Victim-centered policing aims to prevent further victimization and criminalization by prioritizing the victim’s well-being, rights, and safety. The approach is meant to recognize the value of the victim and his or her experience and story. It is critical in supporting victims’ dignity, autonomy, and self-determination, regardless of whether or not the victim chooses to cooperate with law enforcement. The victim-centered approach is trauma-informed which seeks to avoid further traumatizing and criminalizing a victim. Employing a victim-centered approach is crucial not only to the victim’s well-being but also to the success of the criminal case.
The Importance of the Victim-Centered Approach in Human Trafficking Cases
All professionals involved in human trafficking cases should be mindful of the victim’s experience and trauma and are encouraged to avoid any activity that can, however unintentionally, ostracize a victim or mirror the behavior of their trafficker by limiting or not offering choices in the recovery process, for example, the choice or collaborate—or not collaborate—in a case against their trafficker.
The victim is also provided with support from victim advocates and service providers, which empowers survivors to be engaged in the process and provides them an opportunity to participate in bringing their trafficker to justice. Victim-centered policing is fundamental to a successful human trafficking case because it aims to ensure that the criminal justice system is not contributing to the trauma experienced by the victim.
Adding Offender-Focused to Victim-Centered Policing
In an attempt to avoid retraumatizing victims of human trafficking in particular, Rick Hoffman, a retired law enforcement officer, uses the phrase “victim-centered, offender-focused policing.” His strategy works to further recognize the victim as just that: a victim of trauma. He explains how “Officers become confused because many human trafficking victims they encounter are also committing crimes... A sex trafficking victim has to engage in commercial sex, so they are [technically] committing the offense of prostitution.” In victim-centered policing, the criminalizing act is recognized as part of the exploitation experienced by the victim; however, not all officers recognize the difference between a sex worker and a victim of sex trafficking. The situation is delicate, and the victim-centered approach is not always conducted effectively because of the way investigations have traditionally functioned. Fortunately, this tide is changing due to the work of investigators like Mr. Hoffman.
Hoffman’s intentions in adding offender-focused are directly rooted in avoiding the criminalization and retraumatization of victims. He says, “In the human trafficking world, many of these victims don’t want to self-identify. They don’t want to be part of the case, and they have lots of reasons not to be.” So unlike other types of cases, officers and prosecutors cannot put the burden of proof on the victim. They cannot rely, nor should they, on the victim helping to build the case. The term “offender-focused” is meant to remove the burden of proof from the victim and place the focus of moving the case forward and proving exploitation on the offender.
Hoffman goes on to explain that, “Human trafficking is a multitude of crimes committed in a purposeful pattern to exact exploitation and control over another person… there are so many crimes that these offenders commit that [officers and prosecutors] can still be highly effective if [they] would focus on the offender and not put the burden on the victim.” Victim-centered, offender-focused policing emphasizes the victim’s choice to collaborate as opposed to their being forced to cooperate which helps to ensure the victim is not being retraumatized or criminalized. Tools like Traffic Jam can be instrumental in providing data that backs up the victim’s story, so the burden of proof is removed from the victim. Although it provides the victim with the opportunity to take part in the investigation and prosecution, victim-centered policing emphasizes that the success of the investigation and prosecution does not rely on their participation.
Key Aspects of the Victim-Centered Approach
The victim-centered approach requires all professionals involved to practice patience, empathy, and compassion. One important way to do this is being mindful of the language used both in contact with and in discussion about the victim.
Service providers such as victim advocates have expressed their frustration in working with law enforcement in the past on human trafficking cases because of how the criminal justice system tends to treat victims like suspects due to traditional procedures. It is not only vital to connect victims with service providers immediately but to allow the service providers to guide law enforcement’s interactions with the victim. Victim service providers and advocates bring a diversity of specialized service skills, social resources, cultural competence, and a trauma-informed perspective. Partnerships between victim service providers and law enforcement agents are crucial to developing and maintaining a victim-centered response to human trafficking.
It is vital for all the professionals involved in a human trafficking case to empower the victim, and the victim-centered approach is focused on doing just that.
Interested in learning more about human trafficking? Check out our educational blog series!
Stay connected to Marinus Analytics! Follow us on Linkedin and Twitter.
Do you want to learn more about human trafficking, bring awareness to the issues, or join the fight to end it? Sign up for our FREE Guide to Joining the Fight Against Human Trafficking where we delve into the importance of big data for human trafficking investigations; provide educational resources including books, documentaries, and podcasts; sources to turn to for reliable information; and give you examples of how you can raise awareness and take action no matter your time constraints, comfort level, or skillset.