Understanding Forced Labor in Brazil: Using Latent Class Analyses to Identify Characteristics and Classes

Author: Hickman, Shelby & Borlido Haddad, Carlos Henrique

Abstract: Forced labor exploitation is a pervasive crime, yet few perpetrators face consequences in criminal or civil court systems, in part because the characteristics of this crime are not well understood by investigators, prosecutors, and judges. This study details information about the characteristics of forced labor exploitation cases in Brazil, including describing the ways employers induce, recruit, transport, and obtain workers as well as the forms of force, fraud, and coercion that employers use to compel forced work. We leverage an original dataset that compiles all 1,764 forced labor exploitation cases investigated in Brazil between 2008 and 2019 as well as 28 interviews with labor inspectors, police, and prosecutors to achieve two primary objectives: 1) Describe the characteristics of forced labor exploitation cases forwarded for processing in criminal and civil courts and 2) Analyze differences in types of forced labor exploitation. Using latent class analysis, we identify one overarching category of forced labor exploitation: degrading conditions, and two sub categories: degrading conditions and debt servitude, and degrading conditions and surveillance. These findings can help guide training for investigators, prosecutors and judges who oversee forced labor cases. They can also inform the development of real-world training scenarios which can be used to improve prevention and detection efforts more broadly.

Keywords: human trafficking, labor exploitation, latent class analysis, forced labor