Human trafficking and labor exploitation: Toward identifying, implementing, and evaluating effective responses (original) (raw)
Related papers
2019
Historically, during slavery, the international slave trade promoted normalization of violence against African American women. During slavery, African American women endured inhuman conditions because of the majority race views of them as being over-sexualized, physically strong, and immoral. This perception of the African American women as being highly sexual and more sexual than white women results in slave owner justifying their sexual violation and degrading of the African American women. The stereotypical representations of African American women as strong, controlling, dangerous, fearless, and invulnerable may interfere with the African American women receiving the needed services for domestic violence in the community. The Strong Black Women Archetype has been dated back to slavery describing their coping mechanism in dealing with oppression by developing a strong, less traditionally female role. The authors developed a model: The Multidimensional Perspectives of Factors Contributing to Domestic Violence of African American Women in the United States. This model depicts historically, the factors contributing to domestic violence of African American women in the United States. Also, this model addressed the African American women subscribing to the Strong Black Women Archetype to cope with domestic violence. Despite the increase in domestic violence in African American women, they focused more on the issue of racism instead of sexism in America. African American women have experienced the two obstacles of racism and sexism in America. However, African American women and men believe racism is more critical than sexism. Therefore, domestic violence in the African American population may remain silent because of cultural loyalty. However, the voice of silence of African American females is gradually changing with the upcoming generations.
Journal of human trafficking, 2017
ABSTRACT This study explored health-care providers’ perspectives on practitioner-related factors that can challenge their ability to identify adult victims of labor and sex trafficking seeking medical attention in the U.S. health-care system. Forty-four interviews were conducted with health-care professionals in Houston, Texas, between June 2015 and February 2016. Thematic content analysis was conducted to identify emerging themes. Overall, the number of victims identified by providers was low as was providers’ awareness and knowledge of human trafficking, particularly forced labor. Clinician-related factors inhibiting identification included the following: inadequate community resources for which to refer victims and clinician lack of knowledge of extant resources; the absence of institutional guidance in caring for victims; and clinician-held stereotypes of stigmatized populations. Findings of this study provide support for existing scholarship. They also suggest that health-care settings need to implement protocols for care with mechanisms of referral to vetted community resources for victims who decide to leave their traffickers. Findings also suggest the need for evidenced-based education for health-care providers, which address stereotypes that can impede provider/patient relations. Trainings might draw on established best practices for working with other stigmatized populations such as those with HIV and mental illness.
Human Trafficking Victim’s Service Needs and Outcomes: An Analysis of Clinical Law Data
Journal of human trafficking, 2019
Background: Human trafficking is a human rights violation occurring around the world. Despite the profound social, health, and economic consequences of this crime, there is a lack of research about the prevalence and needs of human trafficking victims. The purpose of this study is to describe the healthcare, social service, and legal needs of human trafficking victims seeking services at the University of Michigan Human Trafficking Clinic. Methods: A secondary analysis of the University of Michigan Human Trafficking Clinic closed case files from 2009-2016 was performed. Data were extracted from the legal files to create a database and data analyses were completed using descriptive frequencies, logistic, and linear regression. Results: Data were extracted from 65 closed cases made up of 49 female victims (75.4%) and 16 male victims (24.6%) between the ages of 13 and 68 years old (M=30.15). Victims had experienced labor (56.9%) and sex (47.7%) trafficking. Logistic regression modeling indicated that trafficking experiences significantly influenced posttrafficking mental healthcare, social service, and legal needs. Conclusions: Victims of human trafficking have extensive needs; however, there are many barriers to seeking and receiving comprehensive services. In order to serve this vulnerable population, collaboration between disciplines must occur. KEYWORDS human trafficking; health needs; service needs; interdisciplinary; human trafficking clinic Background Human trafficking, also known as modern slavery, is a human rights violation occurring around the world. Despite the potential for adverse health, social, and economic consequences related to this crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2004, 2012), there is an abundance of myths and misperceptions about human trafficking and limited high-quality data. Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, harboring, transfer, or receipt of individuals by force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of exploitation (United Nations, 2000). Trafficking of persons includes three elements: 1) the act, or what is done to a person; 2) the means, or how it is done; and 3) the purpose, or why it is done (United Nations, 2000; UNODC, 2017). When a child under the age of 18 years is induced to perform a commercial sex act then it is not necessary to prove force, fraud, or coercion in order to demonstrate that human trafficking has occurred (United Nations, 2000; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2017; United States Department of State, 2016). Labor and sex trafficking are the two most common forms of human trafficking (United Nations, 2000). Labor trafficking can encompass many activities, including but not limited to, domestic servitude, agricultural labor, working in a restaurant, fishing, begging,
Sexes
Human Trafficking (HT) persists in the US, despite multi-level measures designed to mitigate its societal costs. HT instruction for healthcare providers is growing, but there is a dearth of resources and training presenting obstacles for victims accessing suitable healthcare services. Voices of survivors are also scant in the literature, despite the fact that their recommendations would appear essential when designing best practices. This study aimed to methodically gather recommendations from sex trafficking (ST) survivors who sought medical care during their victimization. An exploratory concurrent mixed-methods design was used, and semi-structured interviews (N = 22) were conducted between March 2016 and March 2017, in San Diego, CA, and Philadelphia, PA. Data were analyzed through a coding system to identify meaningful analytical themes. Study participants were recruited through survivor-centered organizations, and their identification was kept anonymous and confidential. Findin...
Unearthing Historical Trauma to Advance Health Equity for Survivors of Human Trafficking
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
In the last decade, the public health field has grown a strong interest in responding to issues related to human trafficking. This specific concentration in healthcare has made efforts to ensure this work includes culturally appropriate tools to serve patients. While curricula to guide health professionals in areas such as cultural competency, cultural responsiveness, or cultural humility exist, historical trauma is not often integrated in the understanding of health outcomes for patients experiencing human trafficking. This paper asserts that advancing health equity for these patients necessitates a deeper historical perspective.
Supporting ALL victims of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation: guidance for health providers
BMC International Health and Human Rights
Smaller groups of victims of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitationsuch as male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), victims of elder abuse, victims of abuse by carers, victims of parent abuse, victims of human trafficking, girls and boys below 18 years engaging in sex work, victims of sexual exploitation by gangs or groups and victims of honour based violence (such as forced marriages and female genital mutilation)are often in contact with the health care system without being identified as such and frequently do not receive appropriate treatment. To address this problem, two things need to happen: 1) that ALL groups of victims of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation are explicitly listed in policies and protocols, and 2) that both the similarities as well as the differences between the groups with regard to identification, support and referraldescribed in this articleare explained, so that health providers are appropriately supported in this important function.
Trafficking in Women: When Survivors Find Their Voice
The purpose of this study is to help survivors of human trafficking, who so desire, break the silence and give voice to their stories of trafficking and surviving in order to educate the public about trafficking, help service providers improve current advocacy/assistance programs available to and help protect others who are at risk of being trafficked. There is a need for the creation of protected spaces for victims and survivors of trafficking where those who choose to break the silence feel safe and for those who choose to keep silent to be nurtured. It is through these stories that we can identify some of the conditions that lead to trafficking, thereby, helping us to disrupt the pattern of slavery and combat the problem. In addition, hearing from survivors helps improve aftercare services based on their specific needs reducing the possibility of re-victimization and victim blaming which marginalize the victim/survivor making recovery even more difficult. The research paradigm used in this study is the qualitative approach utilizing a narrative study and an advocacy/participatory worldview by conducting a holistic interview process with research participants. Data was collected over six months and included individual interviews and field notes from anti-human trafficking campaign conferences.
Affilia, 2018
Much of the research on human trafficking focuses on the prosecution of traffickers and protection of survivors after the crime has occurred. Less is known about the social disparities that make someone vulnerable to trafficking. This project examines human trafficking from a preventive focus, using data from a case study of service providers working with at-risk populations in the Kansas City, MO-KS area. The research team conducted 42 in-depth interviews with service providers working in the medical, educational, legal, and social services sectors from 2013 to 2016. Participants identified risk factors that could make someone vulnerable to labor or sexual exploitation. These factors clustered into four key areas: economic insecurity, housing insecurity, education, and migration. The research findings also suggest that human trafficking may be driven by an accumulation of risk factors that move vulnerable persons closer to labor exploitation and sex trafficking, fitting with a chai...
Access to Healthcare for Victims of Human Trafficking: A focus group with Third Sector Agencies
Diversity & Equality in Health and Care
Human Trafficking is becoming increasingly recognised as a global public health epidemic with an estimated 45.8 million individuals affected by some type of exploitation. The effects of trauma and exploitation have profound health implications and often leave victims isolated from society. Victims of Human Trafficking are commonly associated with vulnerability, comorbidities, poor access to, and engagement with, healthcare services. Given this situation, an exploration of trafficking and access to healthcare was indicated. A focus group explored the experiences of six third sector workers in supporting victims of Human Trafficking. Thematic analysis was used and four overarching themes emanated: a call for improved access to treatment for victims affected by mental illness; improved knowledge and training of health professionals in identifying victims; the challenges for victims navigating two complex systems (National Referral Mechanism/Asylum Process) and victim's self-identification. The findings highlighted the associated complexities that victims commonly face when accessing healthcare and emphasised the fundamental need for ensuring that equitable services are available. To enable safeguarding and individualised care to become embedded, a shift in culture and a move away from judging healthcare need on immigration status was recognised as a key requirement. Improved access to psychological therapy for victims was also suggested, alongside better education for all health professionals and frontline staff. To improve healthcare for victims of Human Trafficking in the ways recommended would require Government and National Health Service (NHS) support including increased financial and staff resources.
A Descriptive Study of United States-Based Human Trafficking Specialty Clinics
Psychiatric Quarterly, 2019
Human trafficking is a crime associated with serious adverse health and mental health outcomes. It has been estimated that more than 40 million people worldwide have been victimized, which has resulted in high rates of traumatic injuries, unwanted and high-risk pregnancies, mental illness, substance use disorders; and suicidality among trafficked persons. Little is known as to what models of health care delivery are best in engaging and sustaining the involvement of trafficked individuals with health care and trafficked individuals have reported discouragement and/or re-traumatization as a result of inadequate or fragmented care. To address the gap in knowledge regarding best practices for engaging and sustaining trafficked patients with health care, the authors of this study set out to identify and describe medical and mental health specialty clinics that work exclusively with trafficked adults, with the goal of assisting organizations and health care providers in program development and to improve clinical outcomes. A patient-centered, comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and trauma informed approach to clinical care is recommended for the treatment of trafficked patients. The authors strongly suggest that human trafficking specialty clinics prioritize psychiatric care and mental health services given the high rate of trauma and mental health issues among trafficked persons. Keywords Human trafficking. Health care. Treatment. Clinics. Mental health. Trauma Human trafficking is a crime associated with serious adverse health and mental health outcomes. In the U.S., "human trafficking" is an "umbrella term used to describe the activities involved when someone obtains or holds a person in "compelled service" for labor and/or commercial sex [1, 2]. More than 40 million people are enslaved worldwide in 2016 by one estimate [3]. High rates of psychological abuse and physical and/or sexual violence are associated with trafficking [4]. Resultant conditions include traumatic injuries, unwanted and Psychiatric Quarterly