About

Sex trafficking is a form of violence against women and girls with enduring health and social consequences for victims and survivors. Despite growing recognition of the health and social service needs of survivors, there is a global shortage of evidence on effective support service models. Research suggests that comprehensive case management approaches are promising models of care, but evidence on the goals and outcomes of such programs, and how they accord with the goals of survivors, is extremely limited. In India, a country with extreme levels of commercial sexual exploitation, protecting victims and supporting the recovery of survivors is an urgent priority. Yet little research exists on trafficking support services, particularly in the crisis-affected north-eastern region.

To effectively address the needs of survivors, a more comprehensive understanding of interventions that support survivors’ safety and recovery is needed, particularly in low-resource and crisis-affected settings. This thesis aims to improve understanding of the goals and outcomes of comprehensive support services for survivors of sex trafficking in Northeast India, and how these services promote protective factors associated with recovery and safety.

Bio

Tatum is a PhD student and research assistant in the Humanitarian Health Research Initiative at NCEPH. She has a background in development studies and has worked with NGOs and international organisations on issues related to social development and human trafficking, mostly in India. Before joining the PhD program, she completed a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies (Adv) at ANU. Her PhD is exploring support services for survivors of sex trafficking in Northeast India.