How Cultural And Language Barriers Impact Human Trafficking

Healthcare workers must be able to address cultural and language barriers in human trafficking that affect patient health. Their patient’s unique condition requires healthcare workers to provide culturally competent medical care. 

You can use various cultural and linguistic practices to support someone who has been a victim of human trafficking. As a healthcare professional, you should know how these barriers affect victims and what you can do to mitigate their impacts.  Continue reading to learn about the cultural and language barriers to identifying and helping human trafficking victims.

What’s In The Article?

• Barriers To Identifying Human Trafficking Victims

• Cultural Barriers In Human Trafficking

• Language Barriers In The Healthcare Industry

• Language Barriers In Human Trafficking

• Overcoming Language Barriers

• Final Thoughts

Barriers To Identifying Human Trafficking Victims

Language differences, fear of authority figures, and a lack of information are all obstacles to identifying a human trafficking victim. Language barriers can hinder communication between healthcare providers and patients. Victims frequently have limited or no English knowledge, making it difficult for them to communicate about their situation. Patients cannot be properly assessed for signs of abuse or neglect if healthcare providers do not speak the same language as them. It is more difficult for victims to disclose information about themselves, even if they want to if they cannot fully understand what is being asked or told by healthcare providers. 

These barriers in human trafficking can have a significant impact on the identification and support of victims. Due to these challenges, healthcare professionals may be unaware of how to provide basic care and support to victims and navigate complex legal issues involving patient confidentiality.

Cultural Barriers To Human Trafficking

Cultural differences can make it difficult for healthcare professionals to identify and reach out to victims of human trafficking and provide them with effective care.

Cultures differ greatly around the world, and within the United States, so there is no single way to understand or interpret culture from a person's perspective. Personal experience or educational background may provide a healthcare professional with knowledge of a specific culture. However, since each person interprets their own culture differently based on their experiences within that community, this information may only sometimes be accurate or complete enough to understand what is happening in their patient's life. Cultural barriers may influence how a patient interacts with healthcare professionals, such as:

• What they think about the role of the medical provider

• The level of comfort they have in seeking medical attention

• Their approach to disclosing personal information about themselves or others, such as family members

Language Barriers In The Healthcare Industry

Patients may struggle to understand the medical procedures going through or the proper way to care for themselves after leaving the hospital due to language barriers. They may also need clarification about why they were admitted to the hospital in the first place, whether their health condition is serious, or whether pain medication will be prescribed. These circumstances can harm their health outcomes since they may not receive proper treatment after they leave the hospital.

Language barriers can also affect physicians' ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with patients. If a physician does not speak a patient's native language fluently, the patient may be less likely to ask questions about their condition, which could lead to further complications. Furthermore, if multiple people are involved, such as translators, additional time will be required before information is passed around, resulting in longer wait times at clinics or hospitals. This situation can be frustrating for all parties involved, especially those who require immediate medical attention.

Language Barriers In Human Trafficking

Language barriers can make identifying victims of human trafficking difficult. Healthcare workers won't easily recognize if someone is being forced into labor or sex work if they don't understand their language. Language barriers can also make communicating with victims complicated.

It would be challenging for healthcare workers to let victims know they can help if they don't speak the same language. Even more importantly, understanding cultural norms and words can be difficult when two people do not share a common language. Language barriers may also affect these interactions:

• Patients' difficulty understanding medical staff instructions due to dialect or accent differences

• Healthcare providers inability to communicate effectively with patients because they do not speak their patients' native language fluently enough or do not understand how to use interpreters effectively.

Overcoming Language Barriers

Interpreters can help victims understand what is happening during their medical appointments, feel more comfortable and safe, and communicate effectively with healthcare providers. They will speak for the victim and help them communicate with their healthcare provider. Another option is to hire translators who can translate any written materials into a language that all parties understand. A third option is for community members fluent in English or another language to assist with translations as needed. Finally, paired interaction between a healthcare provider and an interpreter, translator, or community member who has already established rapport with a victim seeking medical care is another way to overcome language barriers in human trafficking.

Final Thoughts

To provide culturally and linguistically competent care to human trafficking victims, a multidisciplinary approach to cultural competency is required. It includes appropriate language needs assessment, interpretation services, access to trained interpreters when needed, and sensitivity training for healthcare professionals. 

Healthcare professionals can overcome language and cultural barriers in human trafficking. They can accomplish this by learning about their patients' unique cultures and being open-minded about how these factors may affect treatment plans. If healthcare professionals understand how to attain this goal, they will be able to provide appropriate care for victims of human trafficking.