Abstract

Cluster Analysis on Demographics in Human Trafficking Source Provinces, Cambodia
Track: Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Affairs
Authors: Vanessa Damato

Cambodia is an origin, transit and destination country for human trafficking (for the purpose of sexual exploitation) characterized by significant internal and external activity. While past research has assessed certain socio-demographic, economic and cultural variables underlying the problem of human trafficking in the region, statistical analysis to examine these variables from a spatial context, as they occur in reported source provinces of this phenomenon, is lacking. In this study potential spatial relationships were explored between reported source provinces and various socio-economic, demographic and cultural variables using spatial statistics techniques to examine patterns and trends in the 2008 Cambodia Population Census and 2005 Cambodia Demographic and Healthy Survey (CDHS) datasets. Analysis of historical data on natural disasters and internal migration was also conducted to determine if these variables, indicating population vulnerability, were more prevalent in victim origin locations.