Human Trafficking and Exploitation: The Texas Requirement _______________________________________
ROLES AND LIMITATIONS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT
RESOURCES
Victims of human trafficking should be empowered with choice whenever possible, including the ability to determine whether to participate in the criminal justice process [100]. Cases involving abuse or neglect at the hands of a traditional caregiver may be investigated by the DFPS, but all other cases must be handled by a law enforcement agency [118]. For victims who choose to participate in the criminal justice process, safety and protection considerations apply. There are limitations to law enforcement involvement, particu- larly with victims who may be reluctant to trust these figures. It is important that the law enforcement contact be trained and experienced in the intricacies of human trafficking and com- plex trauma. While building a criminal case and prosecuting perpetrators is important, measures should be taken to avoid re-traumatizing the victim. ORGANIZATIONAL PROTOCOLS Whenever possible, facilities should create trauma-informed organizational protocols to ensure that human trafficking survivors receive the best possible care. These protocols should include guidelines for appropriate assessment, documentation, reporting, intervention, and referral and may be incorporated into existing protocols for interacting with potential victims of child abuse, violence, and/or sexual assault. CONCLUSION Human trafficking is a severe human rights violation. Because the roots of human trafficking are multifaceted, no one solu- tion exists to eliminate this problem. Unfortunately, as the problem grows, practitioners will be confronted with the issue in their patient populations. Practitioners should be committed to the collaboration amongst disciplines to address poverty, racism, discrimination, and oppression in order to reduce the vulnerable positions of human trafficking victims and their families. Because of the social justice component in the codes of ethics of professionals such as physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and counselors, all practitioners can play a key role in the individual, community, and systemic levels to help address this gross abuse of power. One way to begin is to educate oneself and one’s respective disciplines about the global nature of human trafficking and the complex dynamics of the problem.
NATIONAL National Human Trafficking Hotline https://humantraffickinghotline.org 1-888-373-7888 TTY: 711 Text: 233733 U.S. Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for- civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-moni- tor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons Girls Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS) https://www.gems-girls.org Love146 https://love146.org National Center for Missing and Exploited Children https://www.missingkids.org Administration of Children and Families Office on Trafficking in Persons https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip Polaris Project
https://polarisproject.org Shared Hope International https://sharedhope.org Truckers Against Trafficking https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org
STATE Children at Risk https://childrenatrisk.org/human-trafficking Children Advocacy Centers of Texas https://www.cactx.org
Office of the Texas Governor Child Sex Trafficking Team https://gov.texas.gov/organization/cjd/childsextrafficking Attorney General of Texas https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/human- trafficking Texas Health and Human Services https://hhs.texas.gov/services/safety/texas-human-traffick- ing-resource-center Texas Youth Connection https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/txyouth
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