Abstract
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) defines sex trafficking as the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.” When the trafficking involves resident minors within the United States, the act is referred to as domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). However, because DMST enmeshment often involves elements of criminal activity, a minor may be implicated as a recruiter in friend-type trafficking, and a third-party trafficker is not required to constitute sex trafficking involving minors, the designation of “survivor” or “criminal” remains complicated in many cases. Due to these blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, the criminal justice system has traditionally criminalized DMST victims and formally processed them through the legal system. Practitioners and policymakers both face challenges in addressing DMST survivors, especially amid shifting attitudes toward decriminalizing and protecting victims. This body of research examines these challenges and then provides actionable recommendations to address them, both in policy and practice.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. April N. Terry
Department/Program
Criminal Justice
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
3-30-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Zimmerman, Mackenzie
(2026)
"The Criminalization of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) Survivors,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 27.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/27
