Human trafficking has only recently emerged at the forefront of policy reform, even in developed nations. Yet, heightened awareness of the issue has not translated into effective policy as the majority of nations have ineffective antitrafficking practices; many countries have failed to criminalize human trafficking, whereas others do not actively enforce statutes in place. By applying Black's theory of law, this study offers a preliminary understanding into the variation of global prosecutorial efforts in human trafficking and adequacy of antitrafficking law. To isolate this relationship, the effects of trafficking markets are controlled. As with prior research, the study finds limited support for the theory. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of the quantity of antitrafficking law and morphology association for policy development. © The Author(s) 2012.

Human trafficking Black's theory of law Trafficking in Persons Report Prosecution

Social Values social psychology regression analysis human Women's Rights Social Problems comparative study policy human rights Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison Social Control, Formal social control male female Socioeconomic Factors social problem Review socioeconomics Criminal Law prostitution cultural factor victim legal aspect Cultural Characteristics public policy crime law enforcement Crime Victims