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Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking

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  • Seo-Young Cho

Abstract

This study aims to identify robust push and pull factors of human trafficking. I test for the robustness of 78 push and 67 pull factors suggested in the literature. By employing an extreme bound analysis, running more than two million regressions with all possible combinations of variables for up to 180 countries during the period of 1995-2010, I show that crime prevalence robustly explains human trafficking prevalence both in destination and origin countries. My finding also implies that a low level of gender equality and development may have constraining effects on human trafficking outflows, contrary to expectations. The linkage between migration and human trafficking is less clear, and institutional quality matters more in origin countries than destinations.

Suggested Citation

  • Seo-Young Cho, 2012. "Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 70, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diweos:diweos70
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    26. Di Tommaso Maria Laura & Shima Isilda & Steinar Strom & Bettio Francesca, 2007. "As Bad as it Gets: Well Being Deprivation of Sexually Exploited Trafficked women," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 200703, University of Turin.
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    28. Niklas Jakobsson & Andreas Kotsadam, 2013. "The law and economics of international sex slavery: prostitution laws and trafficking for sexual exploitation," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 87-107, February.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandra Rudolph & Friedrich Schneider, 2017. "International Human Trafficking: Measuring Clandestinity by the Structural Equation Approach," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(2), pages 39-58.
    2. Niklas Potrafke, 2016. "Policies against human trafficking: the role of religion and political institutions," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 353-386, November.
    3. Mohammad Abdul Munim Joarder & Paul W. Miller, 2014. "Empirical Evidence on Human Trafficking and Migration-Debt Contracts in Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 399-412, March.
    4. Cho, Seo-Young & Dreher, Axel & Neumayer, Eric, 2013. "Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 67-82.
    5. Seo-Young Cho & Axel Dreher & Eric Neumayer, 2014. "Determinants of Anti-Trafficking Policies: Evidence from a New Index," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 116(2), pages 429-454, April.
    6. Niklas Potrafke, 2015. "The Evidence on Globalisation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 509-552, March.
    7. Jakobsson, Niklas & Kotsadam, Andreas, 2015. "The Economics of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation," Memorandum 07/2015, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    8. William R. DI PIETRO, 2015. "Human Trafficking and National Morality," Expert Journal of Economics, Sprint Investify, vol. 3(3), pages 161-166.
    9. Seo-Young Cho, 2012. "Integrating Equality: Globalization, Women's Rights, and Human Trafficking," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 69, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    10. Christine Bokayo Arero, MPH & Keraka Nyanchoka Margaret, PhD (Professor) & AKINPELU, Ibrahim Lanre & OJO Solomon Ayantayo & ADEGOKE Olusegun Steve & AKANMU, Rahman Opeyemi, 2021. "The Security Implications of Child Trafficking In Nigeria: The Interventions of NAPTIP," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(12), pages 216-228, December.
    11. Mohammad Abdul Munim Joarder & Paul W. Miller, 2013. "A Theoretical Perspective on Human Trafficking and Migration-Debt Contracts," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(10), pages 1332-1343, October.
    12. Mohammad Abdul Munim Joarder & Paul W. Miller, 2014. "The Experiences of Migrants Trafficked from Bangladesh," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 653(1), pages 141-161, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human trafficking; push and pull factors; robustness; extreme bound analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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