Graduation Semester and Year
Spring 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Kathleen Murray Preble
Second Advisor
Jaya B. Davis
Third Advisor
Morgan PettyJohn
Abstract
Across the globe, an estimated 27.6 million people are in forced labor. Despite this widespread prevalence, labor trafficking (LT) in the United States remains difficult to identify and is often overlooked. This study aims to synthesize LT experiences of survivors and providers accounts at the point of recruitment and during victimization to inform identification efforts. A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis was conducted using directed content analysis guided by Social Cognition Theory. Peer-reviewed studies documenting LT survivor experiences from 2013-2025 were systematically analyzed to identify the interaction between cognitive processes, environmental influences, and behavioral responses. Across seven studies, the findings reveal that LT involves severe physical and psychological abuse, manipulation, and isolation that shape survivors’ behavior and create critical, time-sensitive barriers to identification and intervention. In addition, survivors engage in ongoing risk evaluation to survive, with their decisions shaped by prior vulnerabilities, outcome expectations, and coercive environmental constraints that influence behavior during both recruitment and victimization. These patterns enhance understanding of force, fraud, and coercion by illustrating how they operate through dynamic interactions between cognition, behavior, and environment that move beyond isolated indicators. Implications underscore the need for interventions that improve identification through coordinated multi-agency responses, targeted training and outreach, and comprehensive support for survivors following victimization.
Keywords
Human trafficking, Labor trafficking, Lived experience, QIMS
Disciplines
Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Chavez Reyes, Paola T., "A QUALITATIVE INTERPRETIVE META-SYNTHESIS ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LABOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS" (2026). Social Work Theses. 1.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_theses2/1