Month/Year of Graduation

5-2025

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Criminology and Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Kimberly Retzlaff

Abstract

Domestic violence survivors are affected by long-term trauma from abuse, which can lead to them being more vulnerable and susceptible to sex trafficking tactics. Sex trafficking survivors are also at risk of becoming involved in an abusive relationship because they may have been previously exposed or due to a normalization of abuse. Both domestic violence and sex trafficking are prevalent issues within the world that continue to be ongoing due to their hidden nature. This study highlights the connections between domestic violence and sex trafficking and how each can be portrayed differently based on the environment and cultural norms within developed and developing countries. India is a developing country with a patriarchal viewpoint with gender inequality, while the United States is a patriarchy with gender equality. This study uses a qualitative method of data collection by conducting a content analysis of previous research to highlight the differences in cultural norms and how they affect the portrayal and opinion of domestic violence and sex trafficking in each respective country. Possible limitations to this study would be the availability of data from a developing country such as India, variations in definitions between the two countries, and differences in legal frameworks.

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