AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC OPINION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION IN NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract

Human trafficking presents an enormous issue for the United States and the state of North Carolina. Current legislative frameworks for labor and sex trafficking exist on the federal and state level, however the current policies are inadequate. Moreover, the lack of public knowledge surrounding human trafficking may inhibit efforts to pass further legislation to support current bills. To gauge public opinion on human trafficking policy, a literature review of the human trafficking situation in the United States and North Carolina was conducted. Then, policy recommendations from expert organizations were analyzed and the most common were selected for study. A public opinion poll using fixed-ended questions was conducted to determine public support for the bills proposed. It was found that most of the bills received support with the most popular concerning education and awareness. These findings indicate that ongoing training and education initiatives concerning human trafficking would receive public support and are likely to pass as legislation.