WOMEN TRAFFICKING

Introduction- Trafficking of women is an international commercial activity in which force, coercion and fraud are used to transport women and children across international boundaries for economic gain.

Risk Factors for Vulnerability to Trafficking

·?Factors that undermine the ability to protect oneself or that disrupt connections to social and family support increase susceptibility to coercion.

·?Variables that contribute to a person’s vulnerability to being trafficked include: membership in a marginalized group; prior victimization and trauma; disabilities; immigrant or refugee status; and family disruption. These may be magnified by globalization, poverty, political instability and war.

?Trafficking Leaves Both Visible and Invisible Scars

·?Trafficked women and girls encounter high rates of physical and sexual violence, including homicide and torture, psychological abuse, horrific work and living conditions and extreme deprivation while in transit.

·Serious mental health problems result from trafficking, including anxiety, depression, self-injurious behavior, suicidal ideation and suicide, drug and alcohol addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), dissociative disorders and complex PTSD.

·?Physical symptoms among trafficking victims include neurological issues, gastrointestinal disturbances, respiratory distress, chronic pain, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, uro-genital problems, dental problems, fractures and traumatic brain injuries.

In order to effectively combat trafficking, psychologists and policy makers must collaborate to better understand the deleterious risks of trafficking and exploitation and prevention and intervention strategies for vulnerable populations.

“There is no typical case of human trafficking, which often overlaps with other closely related crimes such as human smuggling, prostitution, intimate partner violence and child abuse.”

Policy Recommendations-

·?Safe Harbor legislation would provide policy provisions that conceptualize trafficked persons involved in illegal activities (eg-prostitution) as victims rather than criminals and support funding for legal protection and psychosocial safeguards for victims.

·?Support for individuals in transition would fund research and prevention programs that include early identification of vulnerable populations and effective interventions.

·?Coordination must include effective collaboration between state and federal officials as well as across government agencies including Department of Justice and state institutional systems.

·Data collection would provide specific outcome reporting on the needs of girls in the juvenile and criminal justice systems and inform the implementation of best practices for at-risk and system-involved youth.

·?Research, education, advocacy and prevention efforts should include media, school settings, advocacy groups and community-based organizations that address the sexualization of girls and vulnerability of minority populations.

·Humanitarian implementation and intervention strategies should protect victims and offer appropriate resources, services and support to ensure safety and optimal medical and mental health outcomes.

?TYPES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

·?Trafficking for forced labor-Victims of this widespread form of trafficking come primarily from developing countries. They are recruited and trafficked using deception and coercion and find themselves held in conditions of slavery in a variety of jobs. Victims can be engaged in agricultural, mining, fisheries or construction work.

·Trafficking for forced criminal activities- Victims are often provided with false travel documents and an organized network is used to transport them to the destination country, where they find themselves forced into sexual exploitation and held in inhumane conditions and constant terror.

·Trafficking for the removal of organs- In many countries, waiting lists for transplants are very long and criminals have seized this opportunity to exploit the desperation of patients and potential donors. The health of victims, even their lives, is at risk as operations may be carried out in clandestine conditions with no medical follow-up.

·?People smuggling- Closely connected to human trafficking is the issue of people smuggling as many migrants can fall victim to forced labor along their journey. Smugglers may force migrants to work in inhumane conditions to pay for their illegal passage across borders.

?CONCLUSION- Human trafficking is a global problem that does not discriminate against any age, gender or race. Training for all healthcare workers on signs of trafficking is imperative to change these victims into survivors with a chance for recovery. Setbacks are common as many suffer from post- traumatic stress issues, anxiety and depression. Physical or mental scars must be dealt with once they are free from their captures. Even when no physical abuse is evident, mental abuse can be hidden and even more damaging. Survivors likely will have to deal with the memories and trauma for the remainder for their life.