Best Strategies To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

Healthcare professionals must know the strategies to identify human trafficking victims since they are uniquely positioned to prevent these incidents.  By recognizing the indicators of human trafficking and responding appropriately, you can save lives and assist victims in obtaining justice.

A victim of human trafficking is someone who has been forced or tricked into doing some kind of work, service, or sex act for money. People who have been trafficked are often found in homes, businesses, and large-scale agricultural operations.

This article will teach you to spot signs of human trafficking, such as red flags in patients' descriptions about their jobs or where they live. Other red flags include trouble speaking or communicating, signs of abuse, malnutrition, anxiety, and fear. You'll also learn how to train healthcare workers on the best strategies to identify human trafficking victims.

What’s In The Article?

• Train Healthcare Workers To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

• Best Strategies To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

• Dealing Properly With Human Trafficking Victims

• Final Thoughts

Train Healthcare Workers To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

Healthcare is in a unique position to assist victims of human trafficking, and healthcare workers play a crucial role in identifying victims. It is frequently the initial point of contact for victims who flee or seek assistance. Although most victims are women and children, men can also be victims of human trafficking. Healthcare workers should maintain a high level of local resource awareness and know how to assist those in need. Here are some ways to train healthcare workers to identify human trafficking victims.

Have Education Programs

Education programs must train healthcare professionals on the risk factors for human trafficking, the warning signs of human trafficking, and how to respond if they suspect a patient is a victim. They should understand the distinction between abuse and criminal activity, as well as what to do if they suspect someone is being abused or trafficked.

It is essential that healthcare professionals receive education on this subject. They should also learn the best strategies to identify human trafficking victims and how to identify common grooming techniques employed by traffickers who target vulnerable individuals, such as young people with low self-esteem or substance abusers seeking drugs or shelter.

Healthcare professionals can take these programs online. AchieveCE offers accredited human trafficking continuing education (CE) courses for healthcare professionals, such as Texas Required Human Trafficking Training and Florida Required Human Trafficking Training. These courses will provide answers to several questions related to human trafficking such as what are the impacts of human trafficking on its victims, what are the common misconceptions, and how healthcare professionals can prevent human trafficking.

Use Specific High-risk Settings

Provide training for particular high-risk environments. Training healthcare professionals to recognize the signs of human trafficking can assist them in identifying victims. The training should be adapted to these kinds of environments, for instance:

• Healthcare facilities that treat migrant workers or refugees who may be exposed to human trafficking; 

• Residential care facilities; or 

• Emergency rooms and urgent care centers where victims of human trafficking may seek treatment after enduring violence.

Develop Close Relationships With Community Organizations

This strategy involves establishing close relationships with community organizations that serve as advocates for victims. These organizations can help you identify potential cases of human trafficking and connect victims with available services and resources.

In addition to providing information about the types of services available to victims, these organizations may also be able to refer you to other human trafficking experts. 

Best Strategies To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

The ability to recognize victims of human trafficking, as well as screen them, document their experiences, and report them, is essential for those working in the healthcare industry. It is required by law that healthcare professionals conduct screenings for victims of human trafficking.

Recognizing the characteristics that may indicate someone has been a victim of human trafficking is an important step that healthcare professionals should take in identifying human trafficking.  Here are the best strategies to identify human trafficking victims.

Be Aware Of Signs And Red Flags

This is one of the most important strategies to identify human trafficking victims - be aware of signs of trafficking. Healthcare professionals should be able to recognize situations that may involve human trafficking and respond appropriately. Although there is no universal checklist or list of red flags, there are a number of general considerations for them to keep in mind.

The first thing to do when trying to determine whether or not someone has been a victim of human trafficking is to look for signs of trauma. Although not all victims will have physical scars or wounds, many will have emotional wounds that manifest in how they behave and speak as a result of their experience. 

It is essential to remember that a person who has experienced severe trauma may not always appear traumatized. This is especially true if their captors have taught them to hide their condition.

Physical Signs

• Difficulty communicating or speaking

• Indications of physical abuse, including bruises, scars, or other injuries

• Lack of hygiene or clothing/shoes 

• Signs of malnutrition include emaciation and unhealthy skin color (pale, yellowish), hollow eyes and cheeks, and illnesses such as jaundice, emaciation, and brittle bones. Typically observed in older children or adults who have been trafficked for longer, they are frequently malnourished due to a poor diet. This can result in growth retardation and delayed development.

One of the strategies to identify human trafficking victims through physical evaluation is to look for other signs like sexual abuse, such as vaginal bleeding or STDs, and self-harm, such as cutting themselves with sharp objects.

Psychological Signs

• Victims may be tense, anxious, fearful, or concerned about something. They may have trouble sleeping due to nightmares or flashbacks and believe there is no way out of their miserable condition. 

• Victims may also isolate themselves from others because they don't want them to learn incriminating information about their lives.

• Another terrible outcome of how human trafficking impacts the mental health of victims is having PTSD and suicidal thoughts.

These strategies to identify human trafficking victims will enable healthcare professionals who encounter patients exhibiting these symptoms not only to recognize human trafficking but also to determine how to treat these individuals best.

Other Red Flags to Look For

• Victims may not speak or behave similarly to other patients.

• Suspected victims may have few belongings with them.

• Patients' descriptions of their jobs and living situations.

• Patients who are accompanied by a person who refuses to allow them to be alone with you and may even answer their questions for them.

• Patients with multiple seemingly unrelated health or behavioral issues may be victims of human trafficking. A minor with sexually transmitted diseases, depression, and substance abuse, for instance, may be at risk of being trafficked for commercial sex or forced labor.

• If the patient does not want their family to know about their situation, this could also be an indication that they are a potential victim of human trafficking.

• A patient who refuses to provide basic personal information such as a name, address, or identification card is a cause for concern.

• Be mindful of patient histories, including substance abuse, mental illness, and foreign status issues.

Keep in mind that these are not the only factors to consider. Healthcare providers should also be aware that victims of human trafficking may have learned to conceal their experiences from others and may not want to share information or even refuse necessary care.

Ask Questions But Avoid Interrogation

Best strategies to identify human trafficking victims also include asking useful questions. Ask about the presence of violence, coercion, or force in a relationship. If a potential victim refuses to discuss a topic, do not force them; doing so could increase their risk of harm.

Avoid interrogating.  Many individuals in healthcare settings, such as emergency rooms and urgent care centers, have limited training on human trafficking and may feel uncomfortable determining whether a patient is a victim of trafficking. As a result, they may resort to interrogating victims in order to learn more about their situation or obtain consent for treatment. However, this approach can be extremely overwhelming for a victim who simply wants help and support.

Instead, healthcare professionals may ask straightforward, open-ended questions while assuring patients that they are safe and respected. This will help establish trust, allowing the victim to share more details about their experience without feeling threatened.

Dealing Properly With Human Trafficking Victims

Healthcare professionals must treat victims of human trafficking with compassion and respect, as they are frequently hesitant to come forward. 

If you suspect a patient is a victim of human trafficking, it is essential to be compassionate and nonjudgmental. Avoid making statements that would make the victim feel like a criminal. In many instances, the trauma of being a victim can induce feelings of guilt and self-blame. Instead of assuming they are a criminal or have committed wrongdoing, ask them open-ended questions about their well-being. This will allow you to gain their trust so that you can learn about their situation and ensure that they receive the appropriate care.

Avoid asking excessive questions about their story, and do not assume they are lying or exaggerating. Furthermore, do not reveal their identity or location to protect them from retaliation by traffickers. Victims of human trafficking frequently fear for their lives if their abusers discover where they are.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to keep in mind that many victims may not self-report, so healthcare professionals need to know the best strategies to identify human trafficking victims and provide them with the help they need. It includes asking questions about their jobs or living situations and being aware of red flags such as malnourishment and signs of abuse.

Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in identifying victims and addressing the physical and mental effects of human trafficking. They are trained to ask questions and look for signs of abuse and can often provide the first glimpse into situations of human trafficking that would otherwise go undetected. 

Human trafficking is a serious crime, and healthcare professionals must understand how to handle suspected cases. They are required by law to report any suspected instances of human trafficking that they observe or hear about. This obligation exists even if the patient does not want the incident to be reported.