GCHT Research, Education and Training

The Global Center on Human Trafficking (GCHT) is housed on Montclair State University’s campus and, as such, is intricately woven into the fabric of a vibrant teaching and research community. GCHT’s commitment to education, outreach and training as well as research is well-established as a strategic priority.

 

Speakers at the podium for a GCHT Event

Creating Lasting Change

Research

The Global Center on Human Trafficking (GCHT), housed within Montclair State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, serves as a cross-disciplinary research hub in the global effort to combat human trafficking.

Montclair began its important work to address all forms of human trafficking in 2018 and GCHT has brought together research faculty from across campus to conduct research, develop programming, and influence policies that drastically and measurably reduce human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Through our research, we contribute to a better understanding of global human trafficking in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive context.

Our researchers work with community partners to inform policy and practice as we seek to understand the forces that drive human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad. Recognizing that a survivor-informed perspective in human trafficking research is underrepresented in existing anti-trafficking research, we are dedicated to a survivor-led approach that goes beyond simply including survivor voices. Survivors are at the forefront of our research initiatives, actively participating in every aspect of our projects, from inception to dissemination.

Our aim is to challenge existing norms and create a model of research that is not just survivor-informed but survivor-driven. This approach is not just a moral obligation but a strategic decision for more effective, ethical, and impactful outcomes in the fight against human trafficking

Grants:

  • Peterka-Benton, D., Yang, L., Robinson, C. (2023). Human Trafficking in Ghana – Perspectives from the United Nations. ​​CHSS Interdisciplinary Groups Award
  • Boak, A., Peterka-Benton, D. (2023). The Possibilities Program—Building Human Trafficking Survivor Leadership. Funder: Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey.
  • Boak, A., Callahan-Harrison, B., Douglass, E., Ramos, I., Salvatore, C., (2022) Legislative Breakfast:  Addressing Human Trafficking in New Jersey: Policy, Research, and Practice. ​​CHSS Interdisciplinary Groups Award.
  • Peterka-Benton, D., Rafiefar, M., Boak, A. (2022). “We Are More Than Our Stories”. CHSS Interdisciplinary Groups Award.
  • Boak, A. (2021) Comprehensive Campus Response to Human Trafficking (2021) CHSS Interdisciplinary Groups Award.
  • Boak, A., Kyse, E. (2021) Prevention of Girls Trafficking, United States Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), Sub-Award
  • D’Urso, A., Laguardia, F. & Peterka-Benton, D. (2020-2021) Understanding Human Trafficking in New Jersey: An Analysis of Data Collection. Funder: New Jersey Commission on Human Trafficking/Division of Criminal Justice


For a complete list of Center Articles, Presentations, and Reports, as well as Teaching and Learning Resources please go to our repository on Digital Commons.

We welcome submissions of short, narrowly focused articles of contemporary interest related to human trafficking. Submissions undergo editorial review and should be submitted to: Daniela Peterka-Benton, peterkabentd@montclair.edu

Please visit Global Center on Human Trafficking News to learn more about our research!

Educational Inititatives

As a university center we are committed to serving the educational needs of our students, staff, and faculty, but also the larger public, nationally and internationally.  With our work we build and support a learning community of individuals from all walks of life who all believe in the same goal–ending human trafficking. Our educational initiatives give participants the ability to discover, evaluate, apply, and share knowledge to expand awareness and understanding of human trafficking across various disciplines and sectors.

Learn more about our Global Human Trafficking Certificate

The purpose of this research project is to increase our understanding of the role that libraries play or can play in preventing and addressing human trafficking. As the trend of library social work grows, libraries are increasingly serving patron’s needs not only as a learning resource, but through building community networks, crisis intervention, and meeting unmet social service needs where patrons are. This project aims to surveyi Public Libraries, K-12 Libraries in Schools, and University or College Based Libraries about their experience and interest in preventing and addressing human trafficking.

If you are a library staff member and are interested in getting involved, please contact gcht@montclair.edu.

Montclair State University and the University of Graz (Austria) share a partnership stretching back 75 years, connecting students, faculty, and staff across the Atlantic through reciprocal academic exchanges.

A new annual program centered on law, crime, and justice started in the fall of 2023, when students and faculty from the University of Graz Law School traveled to Montclair as part of a course on “Transnational Crime and Justice – Human Trafficking”. Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Director of the Global Center on Human Trafficking and Professor in the Department of Justice Studies, serves as the program's stateside partner, organizing a multi-day itinerary of lectures, panels, and field visits. Austrian visitors have heard from survivor advocates, FBI victim specialists, state and federal law enforcement, and legal service providers, and have toured sites such as Northern State Prison, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and Essex County Criminal. Dr. Nina Kaiser and Dr. Sebastian Gölly serve as the Graz-based faculty partners, and the program has grown in scope and visibility each year.

The exchange runs in both directions: in May 2025, a group of Montclair students, led by Dr. Peterka-Benton and Dr. Elenice De Souza Oliveira, traveled to Austria for a 10-day program on "Law, Crime and Punishment in Austria." Students visited a state prison, criminal court, and probation services, attended lectures at the University of Graz Law School, and toured the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial near Vienna, gaining firsthand exposure to Austria's civil law system 

Together, these exchanges reflect a sustained institutional commitment to transnational cooperation, cross-cultural understanding, and comparative justice education. For more information about this transatlantic partnership please contact Dr. Peterka-Benton: peterkabentd@montclair.edu.
 

One of the core missions of the Global Center on Human Trafficking (GCHT) is to increase awareness, strengthen prevention efforts, and promote informed action to address human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Through education, outreach, and collaborative partnerships, GCHT engages students, faculty, staff, and community members in recognizing risk factors, understanding prevention strategies, and responding in trauma-informed ways.

Throughout the academic year, GCHT participates in campus-wide events such as Accepted Students Day, 9/11 Day of Service, Student Appreciation Week, Homecoming, MLK Day of Service, Earth Day, Denim Day, World Fair Day, and other university initiatives that provide opportunities to educate and engage the Montclair community.

In addition to these events, GCHT develops and leads a variety of awareness campaigns and prevention initiatives, including the Blue Safe Space Program, the Red Card to Trafficking athletics campaign, Stalls for Safety, Blue People Campaign, student-led educational programs, awareness displays, resource distributions, social media campaigns, guest speakers, film screenings, and interactive workshops. These initiatives are designed to foster meaningful conversations, increase awareness of exploitation and trafficking, and connect individuals with available resources and support.

GCHT also collaborates with campus departments, community organizations, schools, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and survivor-informed partners to expand prevention education and strengthen community responses to human trafficking.

Interested in bringing a training, awareness program, or educational presentation to your class, department, organization, or community group? We welcome opportunities to collaborate and tailor programming to meet the needs of your audience.

To learn more about GCHT's current initiatives or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact us at gcht@montclair.edu. 

Training

The Global Center on Human Trafficking is a leader in providing training by lived-experience professionals. GCHT offers training opportunities on a wide variety of topics on and off-campus. Our trainings are web-based and can be tailored to the needs of the interested parties, unless otherwise specified. Our team of experts and lived experienced professionals can also develop custom workshops and trainings. There are opportunities to learn more about human trafficking throughout the semester at no cost. Stay up-to-date with events on our website, Instagram, or on Engage if you are Montclair-affiliated.

The Global Center on Human Trafficking at Montclair State University is committed to educating organizations and individuals through various trainings and services.

Purchase A Training Session 
Services and Fees Effective Date: September 2024

We provide the following virtual workshops and training. Any of the listed trainings can be tailored to your organization’s needs for an additional fee. Training is typically virtual but can be done in person with notice for an additional fee.
 

Human Trafficking 101
1.5 hr
$300 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
• Definition of labor and sex trafficking
• Why human trafficking occurs, including root causes
• Who the traffickers are and how they recruit others
• Vulnerabilities that may make people targets of traffickers
• Where trafficking occurs
• Indicators of human trafficking
• Best practices of working with survivors of human trafficking
• How to report a potential case of human trafficking

Labor Trafficking 101
1.5 hr
$300 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
• Understand and define the core elements of labor trafficking.
• Analyze the historical perspective and evolution of labor trafficking.
• Reflect on and critique global legal and policy frameworks.
• Connect the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to labor trafficking.
• Explore corporate social responsibility and supply chain transparency in combating labor trafficking.

Human Trafficking Training Libraries
1.5 hr
$300 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
• What is Human Trafficking?
• How do I recognize the signs?
• What is the appropriate response if you suspect human trafficking?
• How can libraries safely and responsibly address human trafficking?

Human Trafficking Training for Healthcare Professionals
2 hr
$500 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
• Definition of labor and sex trafficking
• Why human trafficking occurs including root causes
• Who the traffickers are and how they recruit others
• Vulnerabilities that may make people targets of traffickers
• Indicators and how to recognize them in a healthcare setting
• Trauma-informed care with victims and survivors
• What to victims need?
• Case Study

The History and Intersection of Human Trafficking and Disabilities
1.5 hr
$300 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
• Identify vulnerabilities
• Comprehend their underlying dynamics
• Discern warning signs indicating potential risks.
• Learn how to assess their services, locations, and programs to improve accessibility, equitability, diversity and inclusion
• Explore prevention of explotiation and trafficking within disability community

Please contact gcht@montclair.edu to determine training options and costs.

Human Trafficking Blue Safe Space Program for College Campuses
1.5 hr
$300 Virtual
Learning Objectives:
The Blue Safe Space Program works to provide a safe environment for anti-trafficking advocacy, support, and connecting individuals to the appropriate resources.The primary goal of the Blue Safe Space Program is to prevent human trafficking by raising awareness of the issue of human trafficking and to connect potential victims to appropriate resources and support.

This program consists of two components:
1) Completion of the Blue Safe Space 1.5-Hour Training
2) Signed Contract Agreeing to the Roles and Responsibilities of a Blue Safe Space Ambassador

Please contact gcht@montclair.edu to determine training options and costs.

Please contact gcht@montclair.edu to determine training options and costs.