Human Trafficking

Description

Sex trafficking:

• Commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion
• Includes minors under 18 yr old involved in commercial sex acts

Labor trafficking:

• Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor
• Use of force, fraud, or coercion
• Purpose: Involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery

Epidemiology

Incidence and prevalence estimates:

• Most human trafficking victims will present to the emergency department (ED) during their exploitation
• Global prevalence: >40 million victims
• Over 50,000 individuals trafficked into the US every-year
• Estimated over half of sex trafficking involves minors
• Up to 1% of randomly selected ED patients screen positive for trafficking

Etiology

• Exploitation for sex, labor, services
• Vulnerabilities exploited: poverty, abuse, isolation
• False promises: jobs, relationships
• Traffickers control victims through threats, violence, psychological manipulation
• Dependence on traffickers for basic needs and survival
• Can happen within victim’s home community or victims can be trafficked elsewhere
• Populations at greater risk:
  • Minorities
  • Migrant patients or patients with limited English
  • Intellectually disabled patients
  • LGBTQ patients
  • Runaway youth