Sex Trafficking Beliefs in Counselors: Establishing the Need for Human Trafficking Training in Counselor Education Programs

Human trafficking is a transnational crime that counselors must be prepared to address through advocacy efforts and within therapeutic settings. The present study sought to examine whether sex trafficking attitudes were different in counselors based on training specialization, workplace setting, biological sex, and previous human trafficking training. A national sample of 866 licensed professional counselors, clinical counselors, and school counselors participated in the study. Sex trafficking attitudes were measured using the Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale (STAS). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc descriptive discriminant analyses (DDA) were used for data analyses. A statistically significant model for training was identified on attitudes related to awareness and efficacy. The present study provides empirical evidence for the importance of incorporating sex trafficking content into counselor education graduate programs. Professional counselors are additionally encouraged to pursue sex trafficking trainings.