Amber Horning-Ruf is an Assistant Professor in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Criminology and Justice Studies

Amber Horning-Ruf

Assistant Professor, Master’s Program Coordinator

College
College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
School of Criminology and Justice Studies
Office
Health and Social Sciences Building - 4th Floor

Expertise

Commercial sex market, human trafficking, forced migration, refugees and risk

Research Interests

Commercial sex market, human trafficking, forced migration, refugees and risk.

Education

  • Ph D: Criminal Justice, (2015), CUNY Graduate Center / John Jay College of Criminal Justice
    Dissertation/Thesis Title: Pimps of Harlem: Talk of labor and the sociology of risk
  • MA: Forensic Psychology, (2008), John Jay College of Criminal Justice
    Dissertation/Thesis Title: South African serial homicide: Offender crime scene Interpersonal styles in relation to victims target
  • BA: Sociology and Creative Writing, (1997), Sarah Lawrence College

Selected Publications

  • Horning-Ruf, A., Marcus, A. (2017). Introduction: In Search of Pimps and Other Varieties. Third Party Sex Work & Pimps in the Age of Anti-trafficking, 1.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Sriken, J. (2017). Pimps, Bottoms, and the Nexus of Caring and Cash in a Harlem Sex Market. Third Party Sex Work & Pimps in the Age of Anti-trafficking, 71.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Marcus, A. (2017). Third Party Sex Work and Pimps in the Age of Anti-trafficking. Springer
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Marcus, A., Sanson, J., Curtis, R., Thompson, E. (2016). Is Sex Trafficking Profitable? Pimp Business Models, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Street Sex Markets in the United States. Sociological Perspectives.
  • Marcus, A., Sanson, J., Horning-Ruf, A., Thompson, E., Curtis, R. (2016). Pimping and Profitability: Testing the Economics of Trafficking in Street Sex Markets in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sociological Perspectives, (1) 46.
  • Ruf, A.H. (2016). Pimps of Harlem: Talk of Labor and the Sociology of Risk. ProQuest Information & Learning
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Sriken, J. (2016). Pimps, Bottoms and the Nexus of Caring and Cash in a Harlem Sex Market. Springer Publications
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Paladino, A. (2016). Walking the Tightrope: Ethical Dilemmas of Doing Fieldwork with Youth in US Sex Markets. Ethical Concerns in Research on Human Trafficking, 205.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Marcus, A., Curtis, R., Sanson, J., Thompson, E. (2015). Pimping Dynamics: Conflict and Agency in Pimps’ Relation with Underage Trafficking Victims. Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, 653 225-246.
  • Horning-Ruf, A. (2015). Review of Sex Slaves and Serfs: The Dynamics of Human Trafficking in a Small Florida Town, by Erin C. Heil. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1(1) 104.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C.G., Labuschagne, G.N. (2015). South African Serial Homicide: A Victim-Focused Behavioural Typology. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, (1) 44.
  • Salfati, C.G., Horning-Ruf, A., Sorochinski, M., Labuschagne, G.N. (2015). South African Serial Homicide: Consistency in Victim Types and Crime Scene Actions Across Series. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, (1) 83.
  • Salfati, C.G., Labuschagne, G.N., Horning-Ruf, A., Sorochinski, M., De Wet, J. (2015). South African Serial Homicide: Offender and Victim Demographics and Crime Scene Actions. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 12(1) 18 - 43.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Paladino, A. (2015). Walking the Tightrope: Ethical Dilemmas Doing Fieldwork with Youth in Us Commercial Sex Markets. Springer Publications
  • Marcus, A., Horning-Ruf, A., C, C. (2014). Child Sex Trafficking: Toward an Agent Centered Approach. Open Society Institute
  • Marcus, A., Horning-Ruf, A., Curtis, R., Sanson, J., Thompson, E. (2014). Conflict and Agency Among Sex Workers and Pimps: A Closer Look at Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 653(1) 225 - 246.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C., Labuschagne, G., Sorochinski, M. (2014). Demographics of All Solved Serial Homicides in South Africa 1950-2007. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Haberfeld, M., Lieberman, C. (2014). Introduction to Policing: The Pillar of Democracy. Carolina Academic Press
  • Horning-Ruf, A. (2014). Qualitative Interviewing. Wadsworth Cengage Learning
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C., Labuschagne, G. (2014). South African Serial Homicide: A Victim Focused Behavioral Typology. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling.
  • Salfati, C., Horning-Ruf, A., Sorochinski, M., Labuschagne, G. (2014). South African Serial Homicide: Consistency in Victim and Crime Scene Action Focused Sub-Types Across Series. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Thomas, C., Henninger, A.M., Marcus, A. (2014). Trafficking in Persons Report: A Game of Risk. International Journal of Comparative Applied Criminal Justice, 38(3) 257 - 280.
  • Horning-Ruf, A. (2013). Peeling the Onion: Domestically Trafficked Minors and Other Sex Work Involved Youth. Dialectical Anthropology, (2) 299.
  • Marcus, A., Riggs, R., Horning-Ruf, A., Rivera, S., Curtis, R., Thompson, E. (2012). Erratum to: Is Child to Adult as Victim is to Criminal? Social Policy and Street-Based Sex Work in the USA. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, (2) 167.
  • Marcus, A., Riggs, R., Horning-Ruf, A., Rivera, S., Curtis, R., Thompson, E. (2012). Is Child to Adult as Victim is to Criminal? Social Policy and Street-Based Sex Work in the USA. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, (2) 153.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Schwester, R., Dank, M. (2010). Defining Critical Incidents. M.E. Sharpe
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C.G., Crawford, K. (2010). Prior Crime Specialization and Its Relationship to Homicide Crime Scene Behavior Type. Homicide Studies: An Interdisciplinary & International Journal, 14(4) 377 - 399.
  • Osborne, J., Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C. (2009). Influential Factors on Serial Homicide Time Intervals. Conference Papers – American Society of Criminology, 1.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Salfati, C.G. (2008). South African Serial Homicide: Behavioral Consistency and Victim Types. Conference Papers – American Society of Criminology, 1.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Crawford, K., Salfati, C.G. (2007). Homicide: Prior Criminal Specialization and Type of Crime Scene Behaviors. Conference Papers – American Society of Criminology, 1.
  • Horning-Ruf, A., Crawford, K., Salfati, C.G. (2006). Single Homicide: Prior Criminal Specialization and Crime Scene Behaviors. (pp. 1).

Selected Presentations

  • Unaccompanied Minor Refugees’ Narratives of Risk - American Society of Criminology, November 2016 - New Orleans
  • Third Parties’ Perspectives of the Nexus of Intimacy and Economy in a Harlem Sex Market - e International, Human Trafficking, Prostitution and Sex Work Conference, September 2016 - Toledo Ohio
  • The Refugee Crisis: Compassion, Justice and Public Policy - The Ghandhian Forum for Peace & Justice, April 2016 - William Paterson University. Wayne, N.J
  • Coloring with Invisible Lines: Ethical and Moral Quandaries of Doing Fieldwork with Youth Who Identify as Sex Workers and Pimps - American Society of Criminology, November 2015 - Washington, D.C
  • Pimp Business Models: Intersections of Cash and Caring - American Society of Criminology, November 2015 - Washington, D.C
  • Media Portrayals of “Villain Pimps” and Constructions of Dang, November 2015 - Washington, D.C
  • Whims, Plans and Business Models: Intersections of Cold Cash and Caring - Comparing European Prostitution Policies: Understanding Scales and Cultures of Governance. Troubling prostitution: Exploring intersections of sex, intimacy and labour, April 2015 - Vienna, Austria
  • Teen Pimp/ Sex Worker Dyads: Coercion, Cooperation and the Political Economy of the Young - American Society of Criminology, November 2014 - San Francisco
  • Walking the Tightrope: Ethical Dilemmas Doing Fieldwork with Youth in Us Commercial Sex Markets - International, Human Trafficking, Prostitution and Sex Work Conference, September 2014 - Toledo, Ohio
  • Ground Floor Pimps/Traffickers in New York City and Risky Business - John Jay International Conference, June 2014 - Athens, Greece
  • Pimps of Harlem: Talk of Doing and Quitting an Illicit Market - Sociologiska institutionen. Lund University, April 2014
  • Swindler Pimps and Slides: From High School Hallways to Entrepreneurial Dyads in the Sex Market - American Anthropological Association Conference, November 2013 - Chicago, IL
  • Pimps of Harlem: Youth Caught in the Sex Trafficker Net and the Role of Agency - American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2012 - Chicago, IL
  • Boyfriends, Swindlers and Slides: Youth, Technology, and the Changing Game - Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, November 2012 - Tampa, FL
  • Pimps’ Management Styles in an Informal Economy - John Jay International Conference, June 2012 - New York, NY
  • See Spot Pimp: Pimping and Powerlessness - American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2011 - Washington, D.C
  • Constructed Evidence: The Thing Makes Its Forum - Forensic Aesthetics Conference, November 2011 - Veralist/New School for Social Research NY
  • Serial Homicide in South Africa: Victim Types and Behavioural Classification - John Jay International Conference: Societies in Transition: Balancing Security, Social Justice and Tradition, June 2010 - Marrakesh, Morocco
  • Influential Factors on Serial Homicide: Time Intervals - American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2009 - Philadelphia, PA
  • Serial Homicide in South Africa: Classification and Consistency - European Society of Criminology Conference, September 2009 - Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • South African Serial Homicide: Behavioral Consistency and Victim Types - Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences,, March 2009 - Boston, MA
  • South African Serial Homicide: Crime Scene and Victim Consistency - American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2008 - St Louis, MO
  • Conceptualizing, Defining, and Operationalizing Critical Incidents - The Symposium on Critical Incident Analysis, October 2008 - New York, NY
  • Theoretical Issues in Serial Homicide: Multiple and Live Victims - Annual Meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group, June 2008 - Huntsville, Texas
  • South African Serial Homicide: An Overview of Characteristics - Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, March 2008 - Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Homicide: Prior Criminal Specialization and Type of Crime Scene Behaviors - Annual American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2007 - Atlanta, GA
  • Single Homicide: Prior Criminal Specialization and Crime Scene Behaviors - American Society of Criminology Conference, November 2006 - Los Angeles, CA

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Human Trafficking Victims Risk Assessment: An Intersectional Approach to Identifying Victims and their Health Needs (2019), Grant - University of Massachusetts Lowell
    Fantasia, H.C. (Co-Principal), Horning-Ruf, A. (Co-Principal)
  • South Africa Homicide Project (2007), Sponsored Research - Forensic Psychology Research Institute (FPRI)
    Horning-Ruf, A.
  • Project Coordinator. Evaluation of Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act (SACPA) (2002), Sponsored Research - Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
    Horning-Ruf, A.
  • Research Associate. California Treatment Outcome Project (CalTOP) (2001), Sponsored Research - Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
    Horning-Ruf, A.