These groups may seem to have little in common, but they are all at a greater risk for trafficking. These populations include ● Children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. ● Runaway and homeless youth. ● Children working in agriculture. ● American Indians and Alaska Natives. ● Migrant laborers. ● Foreign national domestic workers in diplomatic households. ● Employees of businesses in ethnic communities. ● Populations with limited English proficiency. ● Persons with disabilities. ● Rural populations. ● Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
(U.S. Department of State, 2015) Certain factors, such as previous abuse or homelessness, make individuals more vulnerable to trafficking. Traffickers target marginalized persons, often those with a weaker social support system, as well as those who have limited financial support. Traffickers seek individuals with limited communication abilities, such as limited knowledge of the indigenous language, because this vulnerability makes it more difficult for trafficked persons to leave the trafficker or report the abuse. Living in rural areas increases vulnerability to human trafficking, because sparsely populated regions make the act of trafficking easier to hide.
RECOGNIZING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Trafficking is often a cyclical process, with several stages and reiterations of a similar chain of events. Individuals who are trafficked may return to this cycle multiple times for a multitude of reasons. Understanding the process allows healthcare Elements of human trafficking Healthcare professionals can use the elements of human trafficking – the act, the means, and the purpose – to recognize human trafficking (UNODC, 2014). This knowledge enables healthcare professionals to identify scenarios in which screening for trafficking is appropriate and gives them a better understanding of what trafficked persons may have experienced. The act The act refers to the traffickers’ actions. These actions, which may include recruiting, transporting, transferring, and harboring, are common among traffickers who seek to profit from the lives of others. A complex dynamic exists between traffickers and those they are exploiting; the means and purpose that drive the acts provide a deeper perspective into the crime. The means The means used by traffickers are integral to the definition of this element of human trafficking. Use of threats or force, coercion, and fraud define human trafficking. A common misconception of trafficking is that it always involves physical force; that is, a weaker individual is physically forced to live with and provide services for the trafficker. However, not all traffickers use physical force to exert control. Instead, traffickers use a myriad of powerful coercive techniques, such as deception and legal threats, to groom and exploit others (UNODC, 2014). Traffickers may use deception to insert themselves into the lives of those they are controlling. False promises and offers evolve into a more sinister reality of abuse and exploitation. Threats of legal or social repercussions may control the individual; many traffickers prey upon the person’s fear of being deported or arrested. Conversely, traffickers may show intimacy and affection toward the person, who may have been deprived of both before The process of human trafficking The process of trafficking is often complex. A clinician can intervene at any point to disrupt the process. Note that the process can be cyclical, with one trafficked person experiencing retrafficking after periods of reintegration. Recruitment Recruitment ties into the vulnerabilities of the trafficked person. Traffickers look for traits they can exploit, such as a history of abuse, economic instability, and psychological conditions (e.g., depression, self-harm; Zimmerman et al., 2011). Traffickers may target a person who does not have a strong support group, knowing that such a person may find it difficult to withstand their coercion. Substance abuse and other forms of abuse can also predispose individuals to trafficking (Reid & Piquero, 2014). Traffickers may supply the person with an addictive substance as a means of gaining control. Research has indicated that substance abuse may be a tool for both recruitment and exploitation during trafficking (Reid & Piquero, 2014).
professionals to better aid and recognize potential trafficked persons. Additionally, recognizing the means by which traffickers manipulate and use coercion is a first step toward prevention.
and during trafficking (Zimmerman, Hossain, & Watts, 2011), and then use that perception of a close relationship to manipulate and exploit the person. The purpose The purpose of human trafficking is often to gain profit from others without their consent. Using complex and dehumanizing means, traffickers have generated one of the largest industries in the world (UNODC, 2014). Human trafficking is estimated to gross more than $150 billion (USD) worldwide (International Labour Office [ILO], 2014). The illegal practice is highly profitable for traffickers because services provided by trafficked persons, whether they involve sex or labor, may be exploited repeatedly. The ILO notes that profits per victimized person are highest within sex trafficking (ILO, 2014). This is because the demand for these services and the prices clients pay far outweigh the low operating costs and capital investments (ILO, 2014). Factors such as proximity to international borders, larger immigrant populations, numerous ports and airports, and industries that attract forced labor increase trafficking. The NHTRC data from 2007 to 2012 show the highest reports of potential human trafficking cases arose from California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Georgia (Polaris Project, n.d.a). Traffickers used these states as both entry and exit points for transporting individuals. Labor-trafficked individuals supply human resources and profits for industries such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, manufacturing, the hospitality sector, sales crews, shipyards, health and elder care, salon services, fairs and carnivals, and even peddling and begging (U.S. Department of State, 2015). Traffickers are often master manipulators, and they use a variety of methods during this stage. As the recruitment progresses and the coercion escalates, some individuals still may not recognize that they are being trafficked. Instead, they might believe they are in an intimate relationship with their trafficker (Zimmerman et al., 2011). Travel and transit The second stage of the human trafficking process is travel and transit. Movement is a common feature among trafficking cases, and although trafficking can occur without the physical transportation of people, often individuals are taken to a new city or state to evade detection (NHTRC, 2016; Zimmerman et al., 2011). Traffickers may create a pretext in which such travel seems innocuous, such as protecting the individual, but their actions can rapidly evolve into a pattern of coercion and open the door to further exploitation.
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