As part of the evaluation of San Francisco's Human Trafficking Task Forces, this report focuses on the formation, structure, functions, and contributions of the Community Advisory Board (CAB), whose members identified as cis- or transwomen who experienced trafficking in the commercial sex industry.
CAB members joined the project because they believed in the importance of survivor voice and the research questions, were curious about the project, wanted personal and professional development, were interested in a community of survivors, and felt empowered through participation. The CAB was not able to structure meetings that would be accessible to non-English speakers. The content of CAB meetings was in the three broad endeavors of community-building, research updates, and research project activities. Community building consisted of general well-being check-ins, sharing meals, discussing other professional and personal endeavors, and sharing common experiences in the anti-trafficking movements. Research updates involved various formats. At times, the CAB Research Assistants presented progress on data collection or their initial findings and interpretations. CAB meetings that focused on research project activities included the soliciting of feedback on measurement tools, interview guides, and data interpretation. Researchers held in-depth interviews with CAB members to better understand their experience of the project and to solicit feedback on the project's infrastructure. CAB members found their overall experience in the project to be positive. This report profiles CAB publications and CAB opportunities for training and professional development. Four recommendations are offered for peer-research with people who experienced trafficking.