A Systematic Review of Empirically Evaluated Trauma-Informed Care Principles in Criminal Justice System Responses to Human Trafficking

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) has been recognized as a valuable framework for improving engagement with trauma survivors, yet its full implementation within the criminal justice system – particularly as these systems relate to human trafficking survivors – remains limited. This systematic review synthesizes empirical studies examining the application of TIC principles within criminal justice system responses to human trafficking. Specifically, the review examines a) the extent to which study authors have recommended specific guidelines for implementing TIC within policing, prosecution, and court procedures with human trafficking survivors, and b) the strength of the evidence to support these recommendations. We conducted a systematic literature search of empirical studies of TIC in the justice subsystems that interact with human trafficking survivors. Inclusion criteria were set a priori as peer-reviewed, full-text, English-language studies published between 2014-2024; articles published with samples outside of the United States or not explicitly addressing TIC, human trafficking, and/or the criminal justice system were excluded from the sample. After conducting title, abstract, and full-text reviews, 11 studies met the criteria and were extracted for analysis. The results of the systematic review highlight significant gaps in the research on TIC’s impact on survivor outcomes in the justice subsystems that serve them. While some evidence suggests potential benefits of TIC, including improved survivor trust, higher prosecution success rates, and enhanced trafficking identification, rigorously evaluated evidence to support TIC integration remains scarce. Despite these limitations, existing TIC guidelines can provide a foundation for targeted implementation in criminal justice subsystems, inclusive of policing, prosecution, and the courts.