Human trafficking: an examination of available services and support in Prince George, B.C.

Human trafficking is an abhorrent crime that exists throughout the world, affecting communities of all sizes. Men, women, and children are treated as slaves and are forced into exploitive situations for both labour and sexual services. While the body of research on global human trafficking is growing, there are fewer studies that look at community-level care and support of victims, and even fewer that look at conditions in smaller urban centres where human trafficking is less prominent. The purpose of this interdisciplinary research is to address both these gaps by examining service provision for victims of trafficking in Prince George, British Columbia. I employ the conceptual lenses of intersectionality and heteronormativity to understand human trafficking victimization and the theory of social care to account for systems of care and support organized in response to this victimization. Using a case study approach, I conducted key-informant interviews with service providers in Prince George and Vancouver in order to understand the nature of service coordination and how service delivery differs in a small urban centre compared to a gateway metropolitan centre where human trafficking is more prevalent. My findings indicate that service providers' understandings of human trafficking differ, and that resource access and institutional conditions create barriers for victim identification and service coordination. Finally, I offer recommendations for policy and practice intended to enhance the capacity of local care and support networks to identify and offer help to victims. --Leaf ii.