Research shows the myth of Super Bowl sex trafficking
January 28, 2020
New research shows no correlation between the Super Bowl and increases in sex trafficking. The research analyzed empirical evidence regarding major sporting events and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
"The Super Bowl doesn't cause trafficking. That's a myth. People are trafficked 365 days a year. Exploitation happens all the time,” said Lauren Martin, PhD, School of Nursing associate professor, who conducted the research with Annie Hill, PhD, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin.
The research, Debunking the Myth of ‘Super Bowl Sex Trafficking’: Media hype or evidenced-based coverage, was published in Anti-Trafficking Review.
Martin and Hill worked with an Anti-Sex Trafficking Committee convened to prepare for an anticipated increase in trafficking for sexual exploitation in relation to the Super Bowl LII, hosted in Minneapolis. They pursued two research questions: What does the available empirical evidence say about major sporting events and trafficking for sexual exploitation? And, how should evidence inform both anti-trafficking efforts and media messaging?
The Super Bowl doesn't cause trafficking. That's a myth. People are trafficked 365 days a year. Exploitation happens all the time.
After determining there wasn’t a correlation between the Super Bowl and increases in sex trafficking, Martin and Hill wrote a report to share with the media at a press event held before the 2018 Super Bowl and developed a communication strategy with the committee to convey an evidence-based message, which successfully shifted coverage. Nearly 70% of Minnesota print media stories took a skeptical stance toward Super Bowl sex trafficking, in effect reversing the established tone of media coverage on this topic.
“We've shown that academics can partner with people in the field to shift media coverage in ways that are more accurate,” said Martin.