Missouri organization receives $100,000 to fight sex trafficking
The Missouri Collaborative Against Human Trafficking is working to put an end to sex trafficking in Missouri.
Initial funding for the MCAHT will pay for research and developing resources for those affected by sex trafficking.
Kathleen Preble, one of two lead researchers, said many people are working together to end sex trafficking.
“We’re very fortunate we live in a state that is so willing to work collaboratively with stakeholders in the field, as well as researchers,” Preble said.
MCAHT research is co-led by Preble and Andrea Nichols. Preble is a professor of social work at University of Missouri in Columbia, Nichols teaches sociology at St. Louis Community College. The pair have 25 years of combined experience in researching human trafficking.
Preble and Nichols said Missouri is uniquely positioned for sex trafficking. The researchers said that Missouri’s place between big Midwestern cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver makes it a hot-spot for human trafficking.
The researchers hope MCAHT will connect victims of sex trafficking with state resources. MCAHT’s first phase is to develop a statewide manual for state police agencies and social service groups to connect victims to state services. The second phase for MCAHT is a state analysis to identify gaps in services for sex trafficking victims. Preble and Nichols will create a strategic plan to tackle sex trafficking based on their research.
The state approved a house bill last year to fight human trafficking. HB 1246 mandates that anti-human trafficking posters be placed publicly around the state. As of 2017, Missouri ranked seventeenth highest in the U.S. for sex trafficking.
