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THE EMPOWERED NURSE

ARTICLE

Research projects submitted by nurse researchers at VUMC

Enlightening Nurses through Human
Trafficking Education

Human trafficking is quickly becoming a community health ). The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (2017) found
crisis across the United States. The multiple forms of trafficking that ninety-seven percent of these victims were not given re-
include sexual exploitation/trafficking of minors and children, sources by health care professionals, additional findings from this
sex trafficking, forced labor, forced child labor, child soldiering, same study report identification and access to resources im-
debt bondage labor, and organ trafficking. Human sex traffick- proves HST victims ability to find safety and healing. Most
ing (HST) is one of the most common and devastating forms of nurses are willing to act but are unaware of the prevalence
trafficking. HST can be defined as the use of force, threatening, within their community and/or lack the confidence in their own
manipulation, or fraudulent behavior to make adults or children ability to identify victims, communicate with them, and effec-
preform sex acts unwillingly. Estimation of HST victims on an tively intervene (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking,
international level is around 4.5 million individuals. Over 200,000 2017).
children are enslaved by HST in the United States. One out of
six endangered runaways are likely to become a victim of child Who is at Risk?
sex trafficking. The average age that most enter HST in the U.S. Anyone can become a victim of Human Sex Trafficking.
is between 11 to 14 years old. The average lifespan of these vic- Many studies suggest that being a member of these vulnerable
tims estimated to be only seven years after entering HST with populations places a person at an increased risk of falling victim
death occurring through overdose, sexually transmitted diseases to HST. Vulnerable populations include men, women, children,
(including HIV), malnutrition, suicide, or victims of violence victims of sexual assault, social discrimination, domestic assault,
(The Jonah Project, 2018). Fewer than 1% of these children are childhood abuse, or victims of war crimes who are United States
successfully rescued from slavery. HST has been reported in all citizens or foreign nationals. Children who are in social services,
fifty states, including Tennessee (TN). Out of Tennessee’s 96 the juvenile system, foster care and/or runaways are at an in-
counties, 76 report known cases of HST. Coffee, Davidson, creased risk because of the lack of resources to meet their basic
Knox, and Shelby Counties have the highest number of reported survival needs. Migrant workers and undocumented immigrants
cases (End Slavery TN, 2018). are at a high risk of being trafficked because of their nomadism
Nurses in this region have a unique opportunity to help and fear of deportation. Those with a substance abuse history or
solve the crisis of HST. Research indicates that nearly ninety per- mental illness may not even recognize that the traffickers are tar-
cent of human trafficking victims will encounter health care geting them until it is too late (Ernewein & Nieves, 2015; Coali-
workers. More than 63% of surveyed trafficked victims are cared tion to End Slavery and Trafficking, 2017).
for in an emergency department setting. However, the majority
are not identified as being victims of HST (Ernewein & Nieves, Barriers in Communication
Multiple factors attribute to the lack of assistance given by
those in health care. First, health care professionals lack aware-
ness of the prevalence of HST within their own community.
“ training for health care workers about HST are a significant bar-
Hachey & Phillippi (2017) claimed that the lack of education and

rier in providing optimal care for the patient. Secondly, there is
Nurses in this region have a unique oppor- limited availability of screening tools specific to identifying those
tunity to help solve the crisis of HST. Re- being trafficked. Lastly, emergency department nurses and other
search indicates that nearly 90% of human health care professionals lack information about the resources
accessible to them to assist in identification of HST victims and
trafficking victims will encounter health
how to safely advocate on their behalf (Hachey & Phillippi,
care workers.”
2017).