The Hard Truth About Human Trafficking

Author: Sanchez, Rosario & Stark, Sharon

Abstract: Human trafficking is a vicious crime against a person’s human rights and has been denoted as a form of modern-day slavery. Globally, it has become a $12 billion industry and about 14,500–17,500 victims are trafficked in the United States annually. Trafficked victims are subjected to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse through forced labor, commercial sex, and slavery–like practices. Traffickers sell, trade, and exploit victims using violence and coercion as their means of control. Healthcare providers, especially forensic nurses, are one of the few groups of professionals likely to interact with trafficked victims while they are still in captivity. Forensic nurses have the best opportunity to screen, identify, intervene, and rescue these victims. Once identified, victims should be referred to systems and supports where they can obtain the much needed physical and psychological care. More research on the field of human trafficking is needed in order to collect empirical data and continued the development of practices for effective development of policies, victims’ response, and service model approaches among health care providers and law enforcement agents.

Keywords: human trafficking, modern day slavery, abuse, coercion, healthcare providers, forensic nurses