On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, University and Departmental Honors student, Kammy Kasher, successfully defended her honors thesis. Kammy's thesis is titled "Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire: Extending Its Utility in Rural Appalachia", and her thesis abstract reads:
The purpose of this paper is to gauge the perceptions of social work students at Appalachian State University utilizing the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ). Under the permission of the original developers, this research provides insight into the social work department at this institution by exploring the question: are social work students prepared to serve victims of human trafficking? The survey research design utilizing a Likert scale was analyzed through SPSS. Findings insinuated that social work students do not have a perceived preparedness for service regarding a victim of human trafficking, but do acknowledge it as a global issue. However, students with professional experience or prior training in anti-trafficking work were more likely to demonstrate preparedness for providing service for victims. Implications call for further discussion in the classroom regarding the identification of trafficking victims and how to increase perceived preparedness for the field.
Dr. Leah Hamilton served as thesis chair, Dr. Cathy Marcum (Dep't of Government and Justice Studies) served as second reader.