Look Beneath the Surface (LBS) Campaign Stakeholder Feedback Interviews

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0970-0531

EXPIRATION DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW GUIDE:

State, tribal, and local government employees, federal contractors, and grantees

This protocol lists a number of questions that might be selected for a typical interview. It is not intended that an interview would include all of these questions. Instead, this serves as a “bank” of questions

from which to choose depending on the nature of each interview. Each interview will typically last 60 minutes.

The purpose of this interview is to develop an awareness and understanding of customers’ and stakeholders’ needs related to future services, products, and materials. Feedback will be voluntary and non-controversial. The goal is to gain timely feedback from OTIP customers to inform the development of the updated Look Beneath the Surface campaign. This interview will be conducted online or over the phone, and it can be tailored to specific topics, tools, resources, processes, or information needs.

RESPONDENT: ____________

DATE OF INTERVIEW: ____________

[Interview Script] Thank you for agreeing to speak with me today. I’m [insert name], and I will facilitate our conversation. I am collecting information on behalf of the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve public awareness and outreach materials and understanding of human trafficking. Participating in this interview is voluntary; you may end the interview at any time or choose not to answer any question. I will be recording today’s call so that I can capture notes from our discussion. These recordings are not shared outside our research team, and are destroyed once our notes are complete. We write a report about what we heard, but we combine our findings across all interviews. Are you comfortable with the recording?

Your feedback is private. Nothing you say will be attributed to you by name, unless you specifically direct otherwise. I am an independent researcher, so I am not an expert on this topic. My job is to hear your honest feedback. There are no wrong answers; any feedback you have is helpful for me.

Do you have any questions for me before I start the recording? [ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THEN START RECORDING]

GENERAL DISCUSSION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Thanks. Let’s begin with a general discussion about human trafficking, and your thoughts based on your work in this field.

1. Please tell me a bit about your organization’s work on human trafficking, and what you see as your primary contribution to anti-trafficking efforts.

2. What populations are at risk for trafficking or likely to be experiencing trafficking? Which populations are misidentified or overlooked as potential trafficking victims?

3. What professional audiences are likely to interact with individuals at risk for trafficking or who have experienced trafficking?

4. Which industries (within the U.S.) are most impacted by human trafficking?

5. How does trafficking typically present in different settings (e.g., medical settings, schools, or workplaces)? What are helpful practices (including screening or training tools) in identifying individuals at risk for trafficking or who have experienced trafficking?

Attitudes and Behaviors

Thanks. Now let’s talk a bit more about how people understand trafficking. The questions in this section are intended to gather feedback on what sort of information about human trafficking would be helpful for the public, for individuals with lived experience, individuals who are at-risk of experiencing human trafficking, and allied professionals in order to support identification and reporting of trafficking situations.

6. Based on your work in this field, what grooming or recruitment tactics would you say are most prevalent (e.g., messages, locations, schemes)?

7. What barriers impede help-seeking for individuals at risk for trafficking or who have experienced trafficking? Which are the most important and why? Possible factors include: [SHARE SCREEN TO SHOW LIST]

1. Lack of recognition of experience as trafficking (including “normalization” of exploitation or “coaching” by the trafficker)

2. Lack of information about what to do or whom to contact to initiate help-seeking

3. Unfamiliarity/unawareness of available support/resources

4. Fear or distrust of authority figures (e.g., police or immigration authorities) or prior negative interactions

5. Lack of sensitivity (e.g., people are not trauma-informed or victim-centered)

6. Lack of financial resources or access to basic support

7. Financial debt or obligation to trafficker

8. Fear or intimidation from trafficker

9. Shame, stigma, self-blame/guilt, or embarrassment

10. Psychological distress or trauma (including complex trauma and trauma bonding)

11. Desire to avoid negative emotions like loss of control or sense of victimhood

12. Fixed or rigid support options that do not allow individuals to determine their own needs (vs. a harm reduction approach)

13. Other reasons

8. How can individuals at risk of experiencing trafficking or who have experienced trafficking be empowered and encouraged to seek assistance through informational materials?

9. What barriers impede identification or reporting of trafficking situations? Which are the most important and why? Possible barriers include: [SHARE SCREEN TO SHOW LIST]

1. Lack of information about trafficking and what it looks like/how to assess whether it is occurring

2. Fear of incorrect identification or reporting

3. Lack of information or guidance about what to do if trafficking situations are encountered

4. Lack of time to screen for trafficking risk factors

5. Lack of information about available resources/support

6. Fear of unintended or negative consequences

7. Individual does not want situation reported

8. Bias, stigma, or negative perceptions of individuals experiencing trafficking

9. Language or cultural barriers that impede communication

10. Other reasons

10. What factors support identification or reporting of trafficking situations?

Existing Campaigns and Approaches

I want to talk now about some of the messaging and campaigns that currently exist on human trafficking and related areas.

11. What are current successful approaches in the development of public health campaigns on violence prevention, including human trafficking? Are there efforts you would direct us to?

12. What resources are linked to primary prevention for trafficking (e.g., informational resources, resources on healthy relationships, parenting skills classes, job training, financial literacy programs, mental health resources, access to shelters/safe housing, or sexual/gender affirmation resources)? Are there efforts you would direct us to?

13. What are the most common myths, misinformation, or disinformation about human trafficking?

14. What are current successful approaches in addressing misinformation, disinformation, and stigma? What are current successful approaches in distributing information to and communicating with populations that consume or are susceptible to consuming misinformation or disinformation? Are there efforts you would direct us to?

15. What materials on human trafficking have you seen/do you leverage? [PROBE FOR: awareness and outreach campaigns, prevention resources, general information, information on how to access benefits/resources/services, etc.]

1. Where were you exposed to this content? [PROBE FOR: platform/website, intended audience]

2. Have existing materials been useful, effective, or responsive to needs? If so, how do you measure success?

3. What are key gaps in available materials (either content or format)?

4. Which audiences are underrepresented in existing materials (in content or imaging)?

16. Does your organization produce any such resources?

1. How do you make this content available to other professionals?

17. Have you ever seen any materials that were not helpful? How so?

18. What expectations do you have for the National Human Trafficking Hotline? How could it be more useful? Is the Hotline a trusted source for information and assistance? How can it be better advertised to reach individuals at-risk or experiencing trafficking?

19. What are helpful ways (channels, formats, locations, and languages) to provide information, resources, support, or assistance to key audiences on human trafficking? What entities are trusted sources of information?

Priorities for OTIP

Now, I would like to get some of your input more specifically on the role OTIP and its partners can play in addressing human trafficking.

20. What risk factors (especially related to primary prevention) can OTIP or its partners influence via the provision of services or a public awareness campaign? Which are the most important and why? Possible factors include: [SHARE SCREEN TO SHOW LIST]

1. Societal Risk Factors

1. Lack of equal access to social capital and resources

2. Health, educational, and economic disparities

3. Structural and systemic barriers

4. Negative societal norms such as demand for cheap goods or tolerance of exploitation

5. Natural disasters and disconnected or displaced individuals

2. Community Risk Factors

1. Under-resourced schools, neighborhoods, and communities

2. Lack of understanding of labor and sex trafficking/inability to recognize risk factors

3. Lack of understanding of labor or immigration laws

4. Historical community mistrust of law enforcement

5. Social stigma and/or stereotypes of cultural norms

6. Lack of content or proximity

7. Lack of understanding of public health implications

8. Lack of support from holistic and cultural communities

3. Relationship Risk Factors

1. Family conflict, disruption, or dysfunction

2. Domestic or intergenerational violence

3. Sexual abuse or assault

4. History of child abuse, neglect, or maltreatment

5. Recruitment or grooming tactics

6. Peer pressure

7. Social isolation or lack of mentors

4. Individual Risk Factors

1. Homelessness or frequent running away

2. Chronic absence from school/individuals with limited education

3. Mental health concerns/emotional distress

4. Teen pregnancy

5. Substance use

6. Discrimination or exclusion based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation

7. Non-English speakers

8. Immigrants or migrant workers

9. Individuals with special needs, disability, or the elderly

10. History of being system-involved

11. Multiple victimization

12. Generational trauma

21. How would you describe the Office of Trafficking in Persons to other people?

22. How would you describe the Look Beneath the Surface campaign?

23. In what ways has the Look Beneath the Surface campaign been useful? [SHOW EXAMPLES]

1. What do you like about it? What could be better?

2. Have you ever used or co-branded materials from the campaign (or OTIP) before?

1. IF YES: How so? With which audiences?

2. IF NO: Why not? What keeps you from using the materials? What would make you more inclined to use the materials?

3. Have you heard of any positive outcomes associated with the use of OTIP’s materials? IF YES: Please describe.

4. Would you recommend these materials to others? [IF YES: To which audiences? Why?]

5. Are there any topics you would like to see LBS better address?

24. What attitudes, perceptions, or behaviors are most likely to change in response to campaigns like Look Beneath the Surface?

25. What do you see as important goals or objectives for a campaign like Look Beneath the Surface? What are the key messages the LBS campaign should communicate?

26. What are key channels, formats, locations, and languages for LBS campaign materials?

27. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the work OTIP is doing or these materials, what would you change? Why?

This has been a really great discussion. Thank you for your time today. Do you have any final comments or questions for me? If you have questions about this interview or how this information will be used, please contact Vera Soto at Vera.Soto@acf.hhs.gov.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and

helping to improve the Look Beneath the Surface campaign!

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BURDEN: Through this information collection, ACF is gathering information to update the Look Beneath the Surface campaign. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per respondent, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. This is a voluntary collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0531 and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact Vera Soto at Vera.Soto@acf.hhs.gov or (202) 527-5407.