One of the most widespread forms of crime is human trafficking. Most of the victims of this criminal offense are young girls and women. Interestingly, the sex industry is not only the second largest criminal business but also the most profitable one. Attempts to combat this form of crime have been futile due to factors such as the sexualization of women and the legalization of prostitution. Studies have established a link between the rise in human trafficking and the prevalence of various psychological disorders such as depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. Likewise, they have also linked the increase in substance abuse to increased cases of trafficking. The prevalence of this criminal act has greatly decreased the quality of teenage and female life. Strategies to prevent and combat it should be developed to promote safety globally.
Human Sex Trafficking
Introduction
Human trafficking is a form of contemporary slavery. According to Atkinson, Curnin, and Hanson (2016), it refers to the recruitment, sheltering, transporting, or kidnap of individuals for the purpose of commercial sex activities. Over the years, the definition has expanded to include any sexual encounters that occur as a result of force, fraud, coercion and involves individuals who are not eighteen years old. Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016) argue that twenty-one million individuals worldwide are either sex slaves, or forced to provide labor without any pay. In detail, the United States hosts between fourteen thousand five hundred and seventeen thousand five hundred victims of this offense annually (Heinrich & Sreeharsha, 2013). Oram et al. (2016) have established a link between the rise in human trafficking and the prevalence of various psychological disorders such as depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. Likewise, most studies link the increase in substance abuse to human trafficking. Hence, a thorough analysis of the causes and impacts of this criminal activity is required so that effective strategies to combat it can be developed.
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Literature Review
Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016) evaluates the screening tools which are used to identify trafficking victims. The article acknowledges the vitality of issuing training to the public, for skill acquisition in detecting victims of this criminal offense. Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016), Grace et al. (2014) and Stoklosa, Dawson, Williams-Oni, and Rothman (2017) both focus more on medical professionals, as opposed to people from other professions. Ideally, the former has the potential to disrupt the vicious cycle of abuse. The logic behind this claim is that most of the victimized individuals visit their physicians regularly. Likewise, the majority of them have as little contact as possible with the outside world. Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016) claim that approximately twenty-eight to fifty percent of these people seek help from medical professionals, even when they are still in captivity. The studies reviewed in the article also suggest that most of them are likely to pay significant visits to their physicians as opposed to police officers. Hence, educating these professionals would give them the potential to play a critical role in preventing these forms of crime. The main limitation of the study is that it fails to address any homogenous curricula for training healthcare providers on this issue (Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale, 2016). However, it makes a comparison of different screening tools to determine the most effective.
Stoklosa, Dawson, Williams-Oni, and Rothman (2017) claims that human trafficking is a highly profitable criminal business in the contemporary world. It affects twenty point nine million individuals worldwide and generates one hundred and fifty billion in profits annually (Shelley, 2013). The authors agree that medical practitioners have a significant role to play in eradicating this form of crime. The article gives insight into the fact that most of the victims who seek the help of medical professionals are not recognized as victims by these professionals. Training is therefore deemed critical in enabling these individuals to prevent, identify, and to respond to the affected individuals.
Nine screening tools are scrutinized in the study. Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016) conclude that the Polaris Project Medical Assessment Tool is the most effective screening tool. It has six feasible and easy to comprehend items. Furthermore, it is structured as an algorithm just like several other tools used for decision making in the medical setting. Likewise, it comprises questions which are relevant to sex trafficking and legal data. However, Bespalova, Morgan, and Coverdale (2016) argue that the tool is not flawless since it not formally validated and is too lengthy for routine use.
Cho, Dreher, and Neumayer (2013) study the impact of the legalization of prostitution in society. The authors contend that the issue above has induced the rise of human trafficking. Furthermore, they fittingly observe that globalization has negatively affected human rights (Budiani-Saberi & Columb, 2013) and especially the rights of women in comparison to men. The rise in human trafficking is said to have a direct correlation with the increase in globalization. Weitzer (2014) stress that the primary victims of human trafficking are women and girls. Ultimately, most of them are sexually exploited via prostitution. Hence, the prevalence of human trafficking is attributed to the legalization of prostitution. The article advocates for the illegalization of this practice to combat the negative consequences that result from it. The studies reviewed in the article argue that there has been a dramatic upsurge in trafficking especially in legitimate sex industries, to meet the demand for women who are needed to pleasure men in these sectors. Notably, trafficking in sex companies increases whenever prostitution is legalized.
Conversely, one of the studies reviewed in the article by Cho, Dreher, and Neumayer (2013) advocate for the legalization of prostitution as opposed to its ban. The authors contend that human trafficking is prevalent in regions where prostitution is banned or illegal. The practice enables traffickers to obtain a considerable number of women and girls to meet the demand for prostitution in various areas. Hence, legalizing it would allow people to engage in prostitution willingly, increasing the supply for sex and meeting the current demand. However, Cho, Dreher, and Neumayer (2013) contend that doing this will not guarantee a total reduction in the share of trafficked women and girls. First, the ill perception held by people towards prostitution may inhibit them from engaging in it despite their willingness to, which would result in insufficient supply. Secondly, trafficked people are preferable since they are more submissive and susceptible to the demands of those who have abducted them. Thus, they are more preferable to those who become legal prostitutes. Cho, Dreher, and Neumayer (2013) emphasize the need for more research on the effects of both the legalization and global ban on prostitution on human trafficking.
Hardy, Compton, and McPhatter (2013) study domestic minor sex trafficking. It is a multifaceted type of child abuse. People think that human trafficking only occurs in third world nations. Approximately two million children in the US are subjected to sexual abuse year after the other. Undeniably, female minors are at a higher risk than males (Farrell & Pfeffer, 2014). Furthermore, it is estimated that one hundred and ninety-nine cases of sexual abuse in minors are reported every year in America (Haynes, 2014). Today, there are limited programs to help those who have been victimized. The first way in which the offenders acquire control over minors is through psychological and physical manipulation. The article stresses the vitality of identifying individuals of eighteen years or younger as victims, even if force, fraud, or intimidation are not employed during recruitment.
The previously mentioned step is deemed crucial for inhibiting voluntary participation in exploitation. Usually, most victims of human trafficking have a history of sexual abuse. Hardy, Compton, and McPhatter (2013) argue that they constitute seventy to ninety percent of the total number of victims. Young girls are the primary targets due to the prevalence of female sexualization, which fosters the notion that women and young girls are objects of sexual abuse. Many youngsters suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to such experiences (Chuang, 2014). Furthermore, they also have a high potential of committing suicide due to the horrific experiences they have been through. Trauma-based therapeutic approaches are advocated for, to restore and improve the mental health of survivors.
Likewise, Hopper (2017) stresses the importance of prioritizing the evaluation of trafficking survivors, since it is a critical strategy in promoting safety, detecting at-risk survivors, and making referrals for intervention. Trauma centers are particularly helpful in providing mental health services to the victims. An analysis of the impacts of trafficking on women is also conducted in the article — human trafficking results in impaired self-perceptions, self-efficacy, and broken relationships (Richards, 2014). The experiences force female characters to feel like they lack any significant control over their lives. Furthermore, victims are often unable to develop and sustain interpersonal relationships. Hopper (2017) argues that it is not enough for these programs to be designed. Instead, other steps should be taken to ensure their effectiveness.
First, the interests and willingness of the victims to receive help should be determined prior to their integration. Comprehensive information about the significance of the assessment and what the procedure involves should also be provided. Furthermore, the consent of these individuals should be sought before the program begins. Undeniably, failure to obtain active permission forces some survivors to push back and ignore the provided advice so that they can feel like they have some control. Priority should be given to the development of a good relationship between the health care provider and the victim, as well as the provision of information. The availability of these two aspects helps patients to make informed decisions. Furthermore, cultural competency is also required to promote the delivery of culturally sensitive care. One of the main factors that inhibit the accomplishment of health care objectives is the deficiency of the previously mentioned skill. The prioritization of all these factors would ensure that the goals set for the programs are fully met.
Lee (2013) focusses on the factors that inhibit the identification of both the perpetrators and victims of trafficking argues that it is difficult to identify the perpetrators of this criminal acts and its victims since they are the hidden population. Researchers face difficulty when collecting information on the people who constitute this group because they are not easily recognizable or locatable. It is challenging to define the size and precise characteristics of these people. Furthermore, most of them are often stigmatized and accused of illegal activities when they are identified, making them reluctant to cooperate in the research and with law enforcers. Likewise, those who reveal themselves often provide false information to protect themselves from further harm, which leads to the acquisition of inconsistent and unreliable data. Lee (2013) encourages the use of specialized methodological approaches which differ from the ones used in current research, or in studies where the target populations are readily observable.
Sanford, Martínez, and Weitzer (2016) explore the impacts of mass media on people’s perceptions of human trafficking, as well as the development of its related policies. News media portrays this act as violent behaviors, promoting the stereotypes related to traffickers and their motives. Reid (2013) suggests that it is doing so that people gain an ill perception of human trafficking, which inhibits youngsters from voluntary recruitment. However, news media also has the potential to simplify the issue, making it insignificant to the public. The author suggests that this is one factor that inhibits the prevention and mitigation of this activity.
Human trafficking is one of the most predominant problems facing the world today. The reviewed studies indicate that women and young girls are often victimized as compared to men and young boys. They attribute the dramatic rise in cases of trafficking to the sexualization of women, the legalization of prostitution, the influence of social media, and the lack of awareness among the younger generation on the tactics used during recruitment (McGough, 2013). It is vital for medical practitioners to receive extensive training on human trafficking so that they can not only identify the victims but ensure that they provide quality and culturally sensitive care to improve their mental wellbeing. More research is required on this topic, to determine the most effective prevention interventions for human trafficking.
References
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