Purpose: This study examines the extent of spatial concentration of sex trafficking within an urban setting. The influence of situational and socio-demographic neighborhood variables on such patterns is then investigated within the framework of crime opportunity and social disorganization theories. Methods: Kernel density estimation and spatial clustering tests are used to analyze the distribution of sex trafficking offenses recorded between 2013 and 2015 in Austin, Texas. Negative binomial regression models are then estimated to examine the influence of situational and neighborhood variables on sex trafficking, using the census block group as the unit of analysis. Results: The analyses reveal a significant geographic clustering of sex trafficking offenses that is positively associated with proximity to the interstate highway, the number of cheaper hotels/motels and sexually oriented businesses, and concentrated disadvantage. Other variables (distance from the local truck stop, residential instability, and racial/ethnic heterogeneity) were not significantly associated with sex trafficking. Conclusions: These findings are largely consistent with criminological theories that emphasize the physical and social environment in facilitating crime. An understanding of the situational and neighborhood factors driving these spatial concentrations can inform intervention efforts by law enforcement and other agencies aimed at disrupting the underlying support structure of sex trafficking. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Spatial patterns Opportunity theory sex trafficking Social disorganization

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