People
Lab Director
Dr. Joan A. Reid is a Professor of Criminology and Director of the USF Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab. Dr. Reid received her MA in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and PHD in Criminology from the University of South Florida. Dr. Reid is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. While primarily focused on advancing research to inform anti-human trafficking policies and practices, Dr. Reid also provides counseling services and forensic mental health assessments in sex trafficking court cases in her private practice.
Dr. Reid has authored over 60 publications primarily focused on child sex trafficking in Florida including groundbreaking research documenting the disproportionate risk of exploitation in sex trafficking among children with disabilities. The real-world impact of her research is extensive, appearing as a citing authority in human trafficking cases in various State Supreme Courts and an amicus brief related to the U.S. Supreme Court case Jane Doe vs. Backpage. Dr. Reid’s research has been cited in state and federal government agency policy reports on child trafficking in Florida, California, and in National Reports to the U.S. Congress.