Victims Of Trafficking Research Articles

Humanistic approach in protecting victims of human trafficking crimes

Cases of human trafficking are becoming more prevalent and represent grave abuses of human rights. Both locally and internationally, victims of human trafficking run the danger of being exploited, violent, or infected with contagious illnesses. The Indonesian government has not fully complied with the minimal criteria for safeguarding victims of human trafficking, notwithstanding Law Number 21 of 2007 for the Eradication of the Crime of Human Trafficking. Human rights restoration and respect for victims of human trafficking must be given priority in the implementation of legal protection for these individuals. To strengthen and increase the security of victims’ rights in the future, this study intends to conduct a thorough analysis of the humanism approach model and policies for safeguarding victims of human trafficking. This research uses an empirical technique to support its normative legal analysis. Primary and secondary legal sources are used in this research. The study’s findings show that the protection provided by humanist criminal law for victims of human trafficking is founded on humanitarian principles that derive from the divine principles found in the Pancasila ideology. There are additional requirements for punishment, such as its purpose, its ability to serve as therapy, and its determination to reflect the victim’s and society’s sense of justice. This criminal law is founded on the principles of legality and balance.

Selected issues regarding children’s rights in the war on terror with a particular focus on Syria

Abstract The aim of the article is to analyse the legal situation of the children held in camps in northeast Syria. The situation in the camps is devastating and poses a threat to the children’s right to life as well as physical and mental integrity. The article explores whether the states of citizenship of these children exercise any jurisdiction over them, and if the answer is affirmative, to what extent they exercise this jurisdiction. Next, the research will focus on the question of whether the states of citizenship have the obligation to repatriate those children from Syria. To this aim, the status of these children as victims of human trafficking will be also examined. Lastly, the deliberations will focus on the policy of citizenship revocation that is applied by some states in terrorism combatting and it will be studied whether this policy can be applied to children in conformity with international law. It results from the analysis that states have obligations towards children placed in the Syrian camps being their nationals, especially an obligation to repatriate them and to enable their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Human Trafficking of Boys and Young Men: A Systematic Literature Review of Impacts on Mental Health and Implications for Services in Post-Trafficking Settings

The share of boys and men among detected victims of human trafficking is increasing globally, yet there is limited evidence on the specific experiences of these populations. The knowledge gap on mental health outcomes and support needs is particularly salient, which is problematic given the importance of psychological and emotional stabilisation in promoting recovery and avoiding re-victimisation. This systematic review reports on mental health outcomes identified in boys and young men who have experienced human trafficking. By describing the implications for services, the review seeks to identify challenges and opportunities in accessing and delivering mental health care and support to this population in post-trafficking settings. The review includes 31 papers published in English after 2000 and identified through database and grey literature searches. Despite significant limitations, such as a lack of gender-disaggregated results and imbalanced sample composition, which limit the possibility of extracting male-specific findings, the review highlights several mental health symptoms commonly described in the literature (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, lack of self-esteem, lack of self-control). Regarding mental health care support, the review further identifies challenges specific to boys and young men (e.g., poor identification as trafficking victims) and challenges that disproportionately impact this population (e.g., confidentiality concerns; reluctance to seek help; trust issues).

Identifying the Challenges in the Detection and Protection of Child Victims of Human Trafficking in Spain: A Case Study of the Southern European Border

Despite the improvements in enhanced child protection, there is an increasing concern about the vulnerability and cases of child trafficking in Spain, the southern gateway to Europe from the African continent. Analyzing 23 interviews with professionals in the field, this article identifies the factors that contribute to high levels of child trafficking in Spain. This study identifies three primary results: (1) The dangers of residential childcare as places of recruitment; (2) The southern European and Spanish border as a place of elevated risk for the recruitment of children; (3) The stereotypes regarding child trafficking make invisible male victims, other types of trafficking for non-sexual purposes, domestic trafficking, and individual trafficking. Therefore, it remains imperative to advance a set of policies that: (i) invest in specific residential childcare resources for child victims either alone or with family members; (ii) invest in smaller residential childcare to prevent abuse; (iii) invest in mentoring programs for children previously under state guardianship; (iv) improve the working conditions and the training of residential childcare staff; (v) increase the visibility and diversity of child trafficking while avoiding stereotypes; (vi) improve the regional coordination; (vii) invest in campaigns to inform children about the dangers involved in running away, exploitation and abuse.

Empowering Salon Professionals: A Needs Assessment to Understand Training Preferences and Strategies for Addressing Sex Trafficking and Violence

ABSTRACT In some U.S. regions, laws mandate violence training for salon professionals, but Indiana has no current requirement. Our study surveyed 408 licensed salon professionals in Indiana to explore their experiences with violence and sex trafficking and their training preferences. Participants aged 18 to 70 came from all 92 counties, with most holding barber, cosmetologist, or massage therapist licenses. A significant majority (80.1%, n = 327) reported encounters with sex trafficking victims, and 88.0% (n = 359) noted interactions with intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. Barbers and instructors were more likely to encounter both IPV and sex trafficking victims compared to other professionals (χ2 = 7.45, p < .02; χ2 = 8.74, p < .01), while licensed estheticians and electrologists expressed significantly more uncertainty in responding to cases compared to non-licensed professionals (χ2 = 33.34, p < .001). Participants emphasized the need for mandatory violence prevention education covering intervention strategies, victim identification, resources, and safety plans. They also highlighted the importance of collaboration with state agencies, policymakers, and community partners. Longer-tenured professionals reported more frequent encounters with victims (F(2, 403) = 5.91, p < .01), reinforcing the need for ongoing, role-specific training to boost confidence in responding to suspected cases.

Human trafficking in nairaland digital community: A corpus-assisted critical discourse study

Human trafficking in Nigeria as a topical issue has enjoyed more sociological interrogation with very scant attention in linguistics and discourse. This paper applies a corpus-assisted critical discourse study to examine representative posts on human trafficking in Nigeria (2019 to 2022) retrieved from the Nairaland digital community. Using the Sketch Engine corpus tool and social actors representation model, this paper investigates how different constructions were deployed by participants to represent human trafficking, human traffickers and traffick victims in Nigeria. Findings suggest four constructions oriented to negativity: prostitution/commodification of sex, abuse of underage for sexual satisfaction, maltreatment of others for huge labour, dismembering of humans for occultism and health-assurance. Participants deployed role allocation, nominalisation, and others to negatively evaluate human traffickers, especially as economic usurpers, exploiters, and fraudsters, while the traffick-victims were represented as naïve, non-violent, armless, defenceless and (in)active recipients of the activities of the human traffickers. The dominant negative constructs manifested implicitly and explicitly through tagging, negative comparison, appeal to sentimentalities, and expression of detest, while the positive constructs of victims manifested through pity and appeal to humanity. Online participants attack the political class, and declare their ideological stances on human traffickers in Nigeria, making efforts to project suppressed stances.

Human trafficking victims in Portugal: Perceptions of service providers

This study aims to explore the perceptions of service providers in Portugal, specifically regarding (i) how victims of human trafficking are aided; (ii) the victims&amp;rsquo; needs and their understanding of the &amp;ldquo;condition of special vulnerability&amp;rdquo;; and (iii) the opinions of service providers on the obstacles victims face in seeking and receiving assistance. According to our research, most organizations offered assistance, ranging from legal aid to food and lodging, to victims of all ages, genders, and forms of exploitation. Participants recognized that the needs of human trafficking victims differ from those of victims of other crimes, such as domestic abuse survivors, particularly in terms of the unique challenges they face in rebuilding trust. They also identified challenges in delivering assistance, including insufficient financial resources, inadequate interinstitutional cooperation, and the victims&amp;rsquo; lack of cooperation. Fear of traffickers along with feelings of humiliation, embarrassment, and fear of reprisal against themselves or their families were cited as major reasons why victims refuse assistance.

Toward effective protection of victims of human trafficking in mixed migration flows: referral mechanisms shaped on individual need. The Italian experience and the European perspective

An overview of emerging trends on trafficking of human beings in Italy shows not only an extremely heterogeneous phenomenon but also a complex overlapping of experiences and need of protection of every single victim. In the context of mixed migration flows, persons reaching Italy through the Central Mediterranean and the Balkan routes have often experienced or are at risk of trafficking, and they also apply for international protection upon arrival. Legal categories such as “victims,” “asylum seekers,” and “refugees” are increasingly interconnected and not exhaustive in describing individual experiences and multifaceted vulnerabilities. Against this background, ensuring early identification and assistance for victims of trafficking among asylum seekers is extremely relevant. In Italy, this has led to the development of good practices aimed at implementing the coordination between the asylum and the anti-trafficking systems. In particular, specific Guidelines for Asylum authorities have been adopted to preliminarily identify potential victims of trafficking within the asylum procedure and enable their effective access to protection measures. To comply with specific provisions of the European Trafficking Directive and its transposition into the Italian legal framework, the Guidelines have created a referral mechanism among the asylum authorities and the anti-trafficking system that is unique in the European context. For this reason, the present contribution aims at describing this good practice, its implementation and effects—also at the juridical level—and its limits. Indeed, after the adoption of the instrument, a higher recognition rate of international protection for victims of trafficking has been registered in Italy, both at the administrative and judicial levels; asylum seekers and refugees have also increased their access to the specific protection program for trafficking survivors. In general, the system has strengthened its capacity to fulfill the legal obligation of identifying victims through a multi-agency approach. On the other hand, the ability to conduct screening and preliminary identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers is still limited to the “victim model” in terms of gender (women) and form of exploitation (sexual), and to certain stages of the asylum procedure (the first instance before the asylum authorities). With reference to this latter, a comprehensive protection response at the borders is missing despite the political debate on sea and land arrivals to Italy and the recent introduction of border procedures for the assessment of asylum applications. Given the geographical and political centrality of the south-Mediterranean situation in the current migration agenda, the goal of this paper is to analyze the Italian experience on referral mechanisms among trafficking and asylum as an experience that would help to shape future European prospects. The ongoing evolution of mixed migration flows—with particular reference to secondary movement across European countries—and the revised European Directive on trafficking in persons impose the promotion of a reflection on referral mechanisms with a transnational perspective enabling effective protection and the meeting of specific human rights.

LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT FOR TRAFFICKING WOMEN RETURNED IN THE PERIOD OF 2019-2023 (Case study in Ha Giang province)

Ha Giang is a mountainous border province in the North of Vietnam, with a strategic location in terms of politics, economy, national defense and security of our country, to be home to many ethnic minorities. In recent years, with the attention and investment of the Party and State, along with the drastic efforts of the Border Guard, police, functional forces and local authorities, the illegal human trafficking across the border has been prevented and achieved many results. However, besides that, this buying and selling situation in the border area of ​​the province is still quite complicated. Among the victims of buying and selling, the majority are ethnic minority women. When trafficked back, victims face many difficulties in reintegrating into the community such as: psychological crisis, discrimination, lack of jobs, lack of production capital... Therefore, supporting victims of human trafficking to reintegrate into the community so that they have jobs, income, livelihood support, economic development and stable lives is extremely necessary

Compounding Institutional Exclusion and Harm: A case study of federally funded Alaskan anti-trafficking service providers

Federal funds for human trafficking victim programmes and services in the United States have increased from approximately USD 10 million in 2002 to more than USD 90 million in 2022. This increase in fund availability, however, has not necessarily translated into meaningful or accessible services for trafficking survivors. This paper examines the distribution of Department of Justice anti-trafficking funds through the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), particularly looking at OVC recipients in Alaska. It highlights certain trends in OVC funding in the state, including changes in funding distribution, the emphasis on task force creation and collaboration between service providers and law enforcement, and discussions of equity and inclusion. The paper further explores institutional mechanisms of exclusion and harm of some victims, complexities in collaborating with law enforcement, criminalisation of trafficking survivors, and criteria to qualify for services. As the reality faced by trafficking survivors does not always align with OVC narratives, these mechanisms are illustrated through the experiences of a sex trafficking survivor who has been turned away as not qualifying for services by many of the OVC funded providers in Alaska. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of this research for policymakers and service providers.

Human Trafficking and Gender Inequality: How Businesses Can Lower Risks and Costs

Human trafficking continues to be a profitable multi-billion dollar business. People are either callous toward human rights or they are unaware of the crime occurring. Many businesses may unknowingly facilitate human trafficking by providing services, such as transportation, hotels, or haircuts, or purchasing products from unfamiliar sources that secretly use forced labor. To be socially responsible, a business must establish effective enterprise governance policies that help prevent and detect trafficking. A business can incur legal fines, damage to its reputation, incur lost business, and be subject to litigation, all as a result of human trafficking. Worldwide, estimates are that 50 million people are being trafficked. Human trafficking is especially harmful to females, both adult women and girls, who comprise about 70 percent of all trafficking victims. Gender theory helps explain this disproportionate impact on women. This study provides an overview of human trafficking, an empirical analysis of the relationship of gender inequality to trafficking, and specific steps that a business can take to help prevent this crime, protect its reputation, and avoid fines and lost business.

Narrating Trauma as Victims of Human Trafficking in China: A Study on Select North Korean Memoirs

The memoirs titled In Order to Live; A North Korean Girl's Journey, to Freedom and; A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea are written by Yeonmi Park and Eunsun Kim two women who managed to escape from North Korea. They went through an experience of being forced into labour in China as victims of trafficking. In their memoirs these authors vividly depict the pain that comes with being exploited. The main aim of this study is to analyse how memoirs can effectively address the issue of trafficking. These remarkable women skilfully use the memoir genre to make a personal plea for action. They strategically make choices appeal to readers emotions openly share their distressing experiences and support their stories with research and evidence that connect their experiences with the broader problem of human trafficking in China. This study clearly shows that both these memoirs emphasize the importance of the memoir genre in advocating for rights. It also highlights how survivor memoirs have the potential to inspire advocacy and involvement, in combating trafficking.

Look Beneath the Surface: The Role of Healthcare Providers in Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking, encompassing both labor and sex trafficking, is a pervasive issue that affects people across all demographics globally, nationally, and locally. Family physicians, due to their long-term relationships with patients, are in a unique position to identify victims. Studies show that many trafficking victims access healthcare, particularly in primary care, during their trafficking experience. Recognizing the signs of human trafficking—such as inconsistencies in medical histories, controlling behaviors from companions, and multiple unconnected medical issues—is crucial for early identification. Family physicians can play a pivotal role in offering trauma-informed care and support, helping victims escape exploitation. This article discusses various indicators, including physical, mental, and social signs, and highlights how tools like the PEARR (Privacy, Educate, Ask, Respect, Respond) Tool can assist in victim care. By applying these methods, family physicians not only provide essential healthcare but can also contribute to breaking the cycle of trafficking.

The Impact of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws on Local Communities in Cambodia: A Case Study of the Phnom Penh Region

This study examines the impact of Cambodia’s anti-human trafficking laws on local communities in the Phnom Penh region, focusing on both social and economic dimensions. The research highlights how these laws, while essential in combating human trafficking and providing legal protection to victims, have complex consequences for local livelihoods, employment, and community cohesion. It also explores the specific challenges faced by vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, in accessing protection services. Despite the intention to prevent trafficking and support victims, the enforcement of these laws often leads to unintended outcomes, such as economic disruption, social stigmatization, and gaps in service provision. The findings underscore the need for a more balanced approach that integrates robust law enforcement with sustainable support systems, community engagement, and tailored services to address the needs of affected populations effectively.

Part III - Navigating an Encounter with a Trafficked Person in the Dermatology Clinic

Patients experiencing or having experienced trafficking frequently interact with the healthcare system, highlighting the need for healthcare providers to be equipped with the appropriate tools to serve these patients effectively. The third part of this series focuses on navigating encounters with trafficked persons within the dermatology clinic, emphasizing the importance of trauma-informed, patient-centered care. We review the barriers trafficked patients face and mechanisms to overcome these, the importance of comprehensive needs assessments, and the implementation of effective healthcare protocols. Additionally, we review the role of dermatologists in mandatory reporting and the use of appropriate ICD-10 codes for documenting a potential trafficking victim encounter in the electronic medical record. We conclude with recommendations for specialized training, emphasizing the critical role dermatologists play in identifying and supporting trafficked patients within the healthcare system.

The Role of the Police in Providing Legal Protection for Victims of Electronic-Based Trafficking

The Role of the Police in Providing Legal Protection for Victims of Electronic-Based Trafficking

The Eradication of Human Trafficking: What Can We Learn From East Lombok District?

The lack of information regarding labor migration in the society of West Nusa Tenggara Province means that quite few prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) are vulnerable to malpractice recruitment and can result in exploitation so that they have the potential to become human trafficking victims. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Regulation Number 10 of 2008 and the obstacles and also the opportunities for preventing and eradicating human trafficking as an effort to prevent human trafficking in East Lombok Regency. The results of this study that are West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Regulation Number 10 of 2008 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Human Trafficking and its derivative, namely East Lombok Regency Regional Regulation Number 9 of 2013 concerning Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking and Acts of Violence against Women and Children are not running effectively considering that the mandate of these two regional regulations is to form a Cluster Human Trafficking duties at the Regency Level have not been carried out, so that the relevant agencies cannot coordinate optimally. Optimizing the Eradication of Human Trafficking in East Lombok Regency can be done by forming a Human Trafficking Task Force so that inter-agency cooperation can run optimally. The formation of the Human Trafficking Task Force will provide certainty regarding the involvement of human resources, funding and facilities and infrastructure. Apart from the role of the Human Trafficking Task Force, of course there is also a need for public awareness, especially prospective migrant workers, to register themselves legally so that they can prevent them from becoming victims of Human Trafficking.

Perspectivas de estudiantes de secundaria del Departamento de Oruro sobre la trata de personas

Human trafficking is the third most lucrative crime worldwide, after drug trafficking and arms trafficking. The groups most vulnerable to this scourge are adolescents, women and children. In this context, the objective of this research was to determine whether students aged 16 to 18 years at the secondary level, belonging to 4 educational units in the department of Oruro, know the psychosocial risk factors that promote human trafficking, as well as the strategies of coping to avoid being victims. Methodologically, the study adopted a field-level, descriptive design, quantitative approach. 358 students participated, selected through a stratified random sampling, to whom 3 measurement instruments were applied: CRTP, CFRP and ACS. The results were segmented by rural and urban areas. The conclusions indicate that students have knowledge about risk factors, but are not prepared to face them effectively. This situation highlights the need to implement prevention and education strategies that empower adolescents to avoid becoming victims of human trafficking.

Criminal justice policy as evolutionary: A study of disjointed incrementalism and the evolving definition of victim of trafficking in persons in U.S. law

Criminal justice policy as evolutionary: A study of disjointed incrementalism and the evolving definition of victim of trafficking in persons in U.S. law

Right-wing ideology fuels bias against sex trafficking victims: the mediating role of sexism

ABSTRACT The authors examined the relationship between right-wing beliefs and problematic attitudes towards victims of sex trafficking (ST). Study one used a cross-sectional survey (N = 444) to study the relationship between political orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and beliefs about sex trafficking within US and UK populations. Results demonstrated that participants who were right-wing and participants from the US were more likely to report problematic attitudes towards victims of sex trafficking. Study two (N = 126) used a vignette-design to examine whether the relationship between right-wing beliefs and negative attitudes towards a ST victim was mediated by conservative biases such as just world beliefs and sexism. Findings indicated that hostile sexism, but not benevolent sexism or just world beliefs, mediated the relationship between right-wing beliefs and negative ST victim attitudes. Implicationshighlight the need for public organisations to ensure that members of the criminal justice system are educated around common ST misconceptions.