Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Gary Kelsey

Abstract

Human trafficking is a global phenomenon encompassing areas of sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and indentured servitude. Human trafficking is an exceptionally under-researched and growing phenomenon. Texas ranks as the state with the second-largest human trafficking population in the United States. The current qualitative research study sought to discover whether, and to what degree, barriers are being presented by law enforcement policies and procedures to law enforcement officials of a human trafficking unit within a greater metropolitan area in Texas within human trafficking child exploitation prevention of children aged 5–17. The study utilized Senge’s systems theory as a framework to understand the barriers confronting a human trafficking unit within a greater metropolitan area in Texas, using a case study approach for data analysis. The study utilized a Qualtrics active link email survey, developed by the researcher and distributed by the police department’s Planning and Data Governance, Research and Special Projects Unit, to collect and lay out the data collection processes and procedures. Respondents to the survey were 7 voluntary participants within a police department Planning and Data Governance, Research and Special Projects Unit within a greater metropolitan area in Texas. The collected data were analyzed by coding, categorizing, and theming via NVivo qualitative data analysis software. The study found that law enforcement policies and procedures present barriers to law enforcement officials of a human trafficking unit within a greater metropolitan area in Texas. This study can impact positive social change by educating, unveiling current prevalent barriers, and identifying where further research needs to be conducted.

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