Tom McLaughlin's research cited in Sunday Telegram story on sex trafficking in Maine

Research by Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Ph.D., 91AV professor of social work, was cited in a Nov. 17th Maine Sunday Telegram story on sex trafficking in Maine.

The story explains that Preble Street, a Portland social services agency, last month received $400,000 in federal funding to identify and help victims of sex trafficking in Maine. The organization's grant application was in large part based on a survey of 80 people at Preble Street’s Florence House for chronically homeless women and youths at Preble Street’s Teen Center.

McLaughlin co-authored the survey with Daniela Cameron, supervisor of Preble Street’s teen services.

The study found that 12 of the 80, about 15 percent, had been recruited to have sex with a stranger in exchange for money. Eleven people had traded sex for money, drugs or a safe place to stay. And 20 of those surveyed, or 26 percent, had been offered money in exchange for sex with a stranger.

“I think we got a good sample size here. I feel confident that the data we got back is pretty telling of what we had at that time,” said McLaughlin. .

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