Adverse Childhood Experiences and Human Trafficking Risk: a Scoping Review

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are widely recognized as prominent risk factors for negative psychosocial outcomes. Despite the plethora of literature on ACEs, comparatively little research has investigated ACEs as a potential risk factor for eventual trafficking. Instead, the greater part of the literature views experiences of human trafficking as a precipitant of adversity. The present paper reviews the extant literature investigating ACEs as risk factors for human trafficking. PRISMA guidelines were used to complete a comprehensive literature review across four databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE) which assessed the relationship between individual ACEs and human trafficking risk. Study findings are summarized, and studies' operational definitions for human trafficking status and ACEs were highlighted. Out of a total of 49 results, six studies met the inclusion criteria for the present review. While results vary between individual studies, trends in study findings indicate that the presence of ACEs leads to risk for eventual trafficking status. Experiences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and physical neglect in particular were prominently identified as risk factors for human trafficking. Methodological limitations identified across studies, and implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.