Healthcare professionals can help human trafficking victims rebuild their lives through medical care and emotional support since they are often on the front lines when dealing with survivors. Victims frequently suffer from severe health problems such as HIV/AIDS or substance use disorders due to their traffickers' actions and abuse.
Human trafficking constitutes a public health and human rights crisis. It affects millions of people worldwide and has serious implications. Not only should healthcare workers recognize signs of human trafficking, but they should also understand how their work fits into the larger picture of combating this issue.
Read this article to learn about ways to help human trafficking victims, such as understanding their culture, connecting them to different services like employment and education, providing medical care, and ensuring their privacy.
What’s In The Article?
Human Trafficking As A Public Health And Human Rights Emergency
How Healthcare Workers Can Help Human Trafficking Victims
Person-Centered Care For Human Trafficking Victims
Final Thoughts
Human Trafficking As A Public Health And Human Rights Emergency
Human trafficking is the recruitment or acquisition of people for forced labor or sexual exploitation through force, fraud, or coercion for profit or other economic benefits. It frequently begins with false promises of employment opportunities in other countries that turn into debt bondage once victims arrive. For instance, someone was promised a job as a domestic worker but forced into prostitution upon arrival in their destination country.
Human trafficking is a public health emergency that affects all aspects of society. It is the world's third largest criminal industry, after drugs and arms trafficking, which can occur anywhere--in large cities, small towns, rural areas, or online. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), over 20 million people are victims of human trafficking, with many more at risk.
In response to this urgent need for action by governments worldwide to address human trafficking as a public health issue, WHO has released a strategy for combating sexual exploitation and abuse, the Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PRSEAH). WHO creates a systematic approach to help and support survivors of exploitation and abuse in coordination with other government and non-government organizations. Policies are also made to protect them from retaliation.
Human trafficking is a global health issue with serious physical and mental health consequences. It causes physical and psychological health problems for those who are trafficked or exploited. Human trafficking can result in long-term or permanent disabilities that affect both the individual's quality of life and their ability to live independently.
How Healthcare Workers Can Help Human Trafficking Victims
Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to help human trafficking victims. They may notice signs that someone is a victim of human trafficking or has been trafficked while interacting with patients.
Healthcare professionals can connect these people with services that will help them recover and rebuild their lives, such as legal assistance, social services, mental health support, housing assistance, job training programs, and other resources. If necessary, they can also assist victims in the criminal justice process against traffickers.
Patients trust healthcare professionals, so they may be more willing to talk about their experiences with them. Healthcare professionals can help in identifying human trafficking victims and provide a safe space for them to discuss their experiences.
The following sections discuss how healthcare workers can help human trafficking victims rebuild their lives.
Recognize that trafficking victims are survivors.
Human trafficking is a form of exploitation, abuse, and slavery. It is considered torture when a victim is forced to perform sex work or hard labor for little or no pay. The trauma these people endure can leave them feeling worthless and hopeless for years after they have been rescued from the clutches of their traffickers. Victims need compassion and support to heal from the trauma of their captors' abuse and move on with their lives.
Understand the survivor's culture.
One of the most important ways to help human trafficking victims through culturally competent care is to understand that culture is a way of life that includes language, beliefs, values, and norms. It also has an impact on how people think and behave. To support survivors in rebuilding their lives, healthcare workers should understand how their cultural identity affects them as an individual. You should learn about their cultural background, how it may influence the way others perceive them, and what services are appropriate to support victims from diverse backgrounds.
Then, consider whether there are any gaps in the services provided by community organizations for survivors--are certain needs not being met? Are some groups overrepresented while others are underrepresented? These questions will help remove barriers the victims face while ensuring everyone has equal access to services required during their recovery processes.
Provide medical care and emotional support.
Human trafficking victims frequently suffer from physical and emotional trauma, so providing them with the necessary services is critical. Medical care is essential to a survivor's health and well-being. It can be immediate medical attention or the long-term treatment of physical injuries.
Healthcare workers should also understand how human trafficking impacts the mental health of victims. Medical needs can also be psychological, such as counseling or therapy to address mental health issues caused by trafficking trauma.
Local health clinics, domestic violence shelters, and organizations that provide counseling services to children who have been sexually exploited can all provide both types of services. Medical needs also include access to food and shelter, which are basic human rights that governments or other organizations must provide.
Help victims connect to services.
When healthcare workers help human trafficking victims, they identify what services are available in their community and connect them with those services. You can also assist them in finding a safe place to live, a job, and legal assistance if necessary.
Healthcare workers may not be able to provide all the resources, but they can support victims appropriately when they need assistance or reassurance that someone will be there for them. Survivor-centered services ensure that all survivors receive the treatment and resources they need.
Access to healthcare is critical for survivors' physical and mental health.
Survivors frequently need housing, which can be difficult to obtain due to a lack of income and a poor credit history, as well as victim discrimination based on immigration status or previous involvement with law enforcement.
Employment services can assist survivors in finding jobs that allow them to earn enough money to pay their rent and support themselves while also protecting them from traffickers.
Education programs provide survivors with opportunities for higher education and vocational training to help them build better futures.
Aid in the criminal justice process.
Healthcare workers can assist law enforcement during this process by providing necessary information about the trafficking victim's medical and mental health history. Remember that when sharing victims' information, you must ensure it is done correctly and confidentially. Healthcare workers should also be prepared to testify in court if necessary.
Respect the patient’s privacy.
When you see a patient who is a victim of human trafficking, take extra precautions to ensure their privacy and safety. Healthcare providers have a professional obligation to protect their patients' confidentiality. At all times, the patient's right to privacy must be respected. If law enforcers ask for their information, only give them what is absolutely necessary--and even then, avoid disclosing any information without first consulting with another trusted colleague or supervisor.
If they are underage, notify their parents or guardians right away so that victims can be reunited with their family members as soon as possible after being freed from their traffickers. Adult patients who choose not to notify their family members about what happened to them should be allowed to do so without judgment.
Develop safe environments for victims.
Healthcare providers should create a safe environment for patients when discussing their experiences. They should develop communication strategies that make patients feel comfortable discussing human trafficking, such as:
Promoting trust between the healthcare team and the patient by keeping all personal information confidential and private.
Ask open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions so that patients can answer honestly without fear of being judged or criticized.
Person-Centered Care For Human Trafficking Victims
Person-centered care has been around for several decades. It is built on the premise that patients are the experts in their own lives and that healthcare providers should listen to what patients want rather than make decisions for them. Person-centered care generally requires healthcare providers to consider individual needs, preferences, and circumstances when providing treatment or making treatment decisions.
Final Thoughts
Healthcare professionals can help human trafficking victims rebuild their lives by providing access to medical care and emotional support, connecting them with needed services such as legal assistance, protecting victims' privacy and safety as they heal from trauma, and more. They must be able to recognize signs of abuse and exploitation to give victims the necessary support and address the physical and mental effects of human trafficking.
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