Measuring anti-trafficking policy: Integrating text and statistical analysis

This paper reviews the existing indices on anti-trafficking policy and proposes the integration of statistical indicators into the indices coded from qualitative texts in order to improve the objectivity of evaluation. Examining the validity of the existing indices, the 3P Index and the GRETA-Scorecard, the results suggest that these measurements are not free from subjectivity regarding the selection of policy requirements and evaluation standards. To enhance objectivity, the utilization of the European Statistics is proposed and the validity of these statistics is investigated through multi-covariate analysis. The results show that the EU statistics are relevant indicators reflecting the quality of anti-trafficking policy, suggesting that, by integrating text and statistical information, an index on anti-trafficking policy can enhance its comprehensiveness and objectivity