Appendix B: Consent Form

OMB Control Number: 0970-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Consent to Participate in a Research Study

Measuring Human Trafficking Prevalence in Construction: A Field Test of Multiple Estimation Measures

What Is the Research About?

We are inviting you to take part in a research study about the working conditions in the construction industry. If you take part in this study, you will be one of 4200 current or former construction workers to do so. You are being invited to participate in a research study because you have worked in construction during the past 24 months.

Who Is Doing the Study?

The study is overseen by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), in collaboration with the Office on Trafficking in Persons, in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The study is being carried out by RTI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute.

Do Any of the Researchers Stand to Gain Financially or Personally From this Research?

None of the researchers participating in this study stand to gain financially or personally.

What Is the Purpose of This Study?

By doing this study, we hope to estimate the prevalence of labor trafficking and labor exploitation among people who work in construction in Houston, Texas. We also hope to learn more about the things that may influence whether construction workers are exploited. We will use the results of the study to improve our understanding of how best to estimate the scope of human trafficking. The results will potentially be used to inform future research on the magnitude of human trafficking as well as policy, programs, and practices intended to prevent, identify, and respond to labor trafficking in the construction industry.

What Will I Be Asked to Do?

If you decide to participate in the survey, you will be directed from this webpage to an online survey. You will be asked questions about your working conditions and experiences you may have had while working in the construction industry. The survey also includes a few questions that will help show how survey respondents are connected to each other. It will probably take you about 25-35 minutes to complete the survey. It may take more or less time. You may skip over any questions or stop your participation in this study at any time and for any reason.

What Are the Possible Risks and Discomforts?

You may find some of the questions we ask to be upsetting or stressful. If so, we will provide you a list of resources that you can contact where there are people who may be able to talk with you about your feelings.

Will I Benefit from Taking Part in This Study?

You will not get any personal benefit from taking part in this study. Your input will help us better understand the work situations that affect construction workers like you.

Do I Have to Take Part in this Study?

You can decide to take part in the study or not. There will be no penalty, and you will not lose any benefits or rights you would normally have if you choose not to participate. If you do participate, you can refuse to answer any questions.

What Will It Cost Me to Participate?

There are no costs associated with taking part in this study.

Will I Receive Anything in Return for Taking Part in This Study?

You will receive a $50 cash card for taking part in this study.

Who Will See the Information I Give?

We keep your responses private to the extent permitted by the law. We keep your survey answers on password protected computers in encrypted folders. We do not identify you by name. In order to send your gift card, we will ask for your email address or mobile phone number, but we will collect it separately from your survey responses and they will not be linked. Only the research team will have access to any personally identifying information (e.g., email address). We will not use information you provide for any purpose other than research. All staff involved in this research signed a Privacy Pledge. In addition, RTI has obtained a federal Certificate of Confidentiality for this study to protect the identity of the research subjects.

In the future, information from this study may be securely shared with qualified individuals to help learn more about the work experiences of construction workers. The information that is shared will only include a study ID number and not your name.

We never identify a single person in our reports. Your information will be combined with information from other people taking part in the study. When we write up the study to share it with other researchers, we will write about the combined information. You will not be identified in any published or presented materials.

What If I Have Questions?

Before you decide whether or not to participate in the study, please ask any questions that come to mind. Later, if you have questions about the study, you can contact the study director, Dr. Kelle Barrick, at kbarrick@rti.org or 919-541-6435. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the RTI Office of Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043.

Research Participant Statement and Signature

I understand that my participation in this research study is voluntary. I may refuse to participate or stop participating without penalty or loss of benefits.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0XXX and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact….

Click here to proceed to the survey