Conceptualizing the deterrence and rehabilitation of human trafficking perpetrators

Substantial efforts have been made, at national and global levels, to prevent human trafficking, protect trafficking victims, and prosecute perpetrators. While considerable literature is available on trafficking victims, there is scant research on perpetrators of human trafficking (or traffickers). Human trafficking cannot be suitably addressed if traffickers continue to be overlooked in research and services. It is important to explore strategies that could help reduce the criminal behaviors of traffickers and rehabilitate them. This article explores how traffickers could be both deterred and rehabilitated through evidence-based interventions similar to those used by law enforcement for other offenses, such as gang violence and drug trafficking. The article explores an innovative hybrid framework combining focused deterrence (FD), the risk–-need–responsivity (RNR) model, and the Good Lives Model (GLM) as a promising, integrative intervention strategy not only to deter but also to potentially support the rehabilitation of trafficking perpetrators. Potential challenges of this hybrid framework and strategies for overcoming them are examined. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.