The Value of Crime Scripting: Deconstructing Internal Child Sex Trafficking

This article demonstrates how Crime Scripting is a viable and cost-effective tool in supporting strategic policing without requiring additional data, software, or training. This study shows how a script can deconstruct a complex crime into its component parts and create a set of outcome-focused recommendations informed by the principles of Situational Crime Prevention. Scripting offers an effective framework for collating and condensing voluminous data in order to establish a clear sequence of actions and decisions crucial to a given crime. This practical introduction to Scripting uses the example of Internal Child Sex Trafficking (ICST), a little-understood crime which has increasingly attracted police and government attention. Key findings from the offender-focused script highlight areas for harm-reduction interventions which go beyond traditional enforcement to include detection, disruption, and awareness. This article concludes by exploring the results’ application to diverse areas including policing, legal strategies, policy and research, and youth work and education.