Human trafficking is where people are moved/taken across borders to be exploited and forced into slave labor. These used and forced human populations mostly comprise women, children, migrants, and the impoverished. They are objected to supposedly because of their socioeconomic background, Legal vulnerability, or marginality in society. Human trafficking victims require special attention as they deal with challenges of human rights violation, exploitation, and lack of access to justice and support services. Suppose they do not respond to these vulnerabilities. In that case, the cycles of abuse and suffering continue to flourish. Survivors of these human trafficking crimes cannot be recovered or rehabilitated, but taking action to address them would not only be for the recovery and rehabilitation of the survivors but also the prevention and prosecution of the human trafficking crimes. Hence, identification and reduction of the vulnerabilities has to be prioritized as it will help to eradicate the human trafficking problem and ensure the safety of the most susceptible people.
Human trafficking, which is an exploitative version of labor and the violation of the rights of the victims, is specifically a problem with the vulnerable populations of indigenous women in Monterrey, Mexico, according to Acharya (2019). These victims are at high risk on account of socioeconomic disparities, legal protection, and cultural marginalization, leading to additional risk factors that put them in a more vulnerable position. In the same way, Al-Asaaf (2021) contrasts legal protections for the victims in Jordanian law with the U.K. Modern Slavery Act, pinpointing the discrepancy between the TWO juridical systems in safeguarding vulnerable individuals. John (2020) has a critical analysis of human trafficking in the Caribbean that points to systemic problems that create an exploitative environment, including poverty, corruption, and inadequate law enforcement.
However, according to Kitterlin-Lynch et al. (2024), the human capital approach is the best approach to use to control human trafficking. The authors suggest that education in hospitality is a strategy that should be embraced to empower and protect individuals who are vulnerable to exploitation. The findings of Richie-Zavaleta et al. (2020) advocate for multi-disciplinary approach collaborations at the heart of successfully helping the victims beyond immediate rescue and rehabilitation.
Sassetti and Thinyane (2021) recommend the concept of inclusive innovations for building an effective population that has control of their own life by recognizing the role of technology and community involvement in countering vulnerability factors. Moreover, Viuhko (2019) analyses the dyadic dynamics between layoffs and victims, thus shedding light on the power games and intelligent manipulation techniques practiced to exploit the vulnerable.
When it comes to victims, their physical and mental health is affected in many ways by vulnerability factors, which can be categorized under the social, economic, and psychological aspects. The availability of health care systems is lacking. In addition to trauma and stigma, these are aggravating health inequalities among the victims. Incidence and prevalence data will show the magnitude of diseases occurring in individuals, in this way promoting the need for a thorough health care program.
Empowering health and medical facilities to provide quality care, integrated support services, and psychological counseling to the victims who often suffer morbidity and mortality as a consequence of the many health issues such as physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections, malnutrition, and chronic illnesses caused by long-term abuse and neglect is crucial. Studies regularly demonstrate horrible mortality and morbidity rates of the victims among traffic victims by the general population’s standard. That is to say – restricted access to health care services because of their marginalized status, limited knowledge about available resources, and obstacles such as language, documentation status, and fear of retribution from traffickers – are the factors of the mentioned health perils. On the other hand, the trauma suffered from trafficking experiences becomes worse, and physical health problems become more prevalent. Also, the chances of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex trauma increase (Casassa et al., 2022). These groups face the challenge of accessing mental health care due to stigmatization about mental issues, low income, and lack of culturally competent care, making their psychological suffering worse. It is also important to note that recovery is a long and challenging journey that requires healthcare professionals to identify and appropriately deal with multi-layered health and psychological issues in order to support and encourage trafficking survivors in their successful recovery process.
The extent to which a person is vulnerable to human trafficking depends mainly on social and economic inequalities. One of the significant factors, which are poverty and lack of economic opportunities, is that those persons who have economic problems are more likely to be exploited by traffickers, who reveal good prospects and job opportunities. Furthermore, the absence of social networks (including family and friends, which normally offer emotional support) makes individuals more vulnerable. The traffickers then use the victim’s loneliness and desperation to connect or to seek help. Another aspect includes the perpetuation of cultural and societal norms, which make victims who are especially women and some marginalized communities, more vulnerable, considering that they face gender inequality, discrimination, and stigmatization that might prevent them from reporting exploitation due to fear of shame or retaliation (Kuran, 2020). Legal and policy issues tend to worsen vulnerabilities as victims lack adequate legal protections they can use in defense and response; thus, gaps in policies addressing trafficking lead to ineffective prevention and response. In addition, immigration policies are also an issue of vulnerability, especially for undocumented migrants or people with insecure legal status, as they can worry about deportation or consequences of violating the law, which will make them out of reach for help. At the same time, the rigid immigration policies also limit access to the support services and paths to the legal residence, so they cannot break the cycle of exploitation.
Policy reforms are the first step toward the process of addressing the vulnerabilities of the victims of human trafficking (Recknor et al., 2022). A vital part of protecting victims is the improved legal protections that help to uphold their rights and bring the perpetrators to justice. It entails the enactment of those laws that make all forms of trafficking a crime, thus giving protection and justice to victims. (Recknor et al. 2022 An integrated approach to policymaking is critically indispensable to combat, prosecute traffickers, and shield victims, and so together with law enforcement agencies, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations, to deal with the root causes of exploitation like poverty and inequality, collaboration is essentially required. The immigration policy is effective for protecting vulnerable groups, especially undocumented migrants, by assuring such groups access to legal and community support without fear of deportation or persecution (Recknor et al., 2022). The right kind of community interventions are a must to meet the needs of suffering victims. They should include expanding the healthcare and social services, providing victim-centered trauma care, and creating awareness of the issue in order to prevent exploitation. In conclusion, policy reforms and community service are vital in protecting the vulnerable and providing help to the victims of human trafficking.
Nurses play a leading part in the process of reducing the chances of victims of human trafficking being highly exposed and affected. Nurses should also take a stand for victims’ rights and access to healthcare; this will give them a a voice in the healthcare system while ensuring they receive adequate treatment (Raker, 2020). The nursing intervention also includes the aspect of delivering trauma-informed care by acknowledging the psychological consequences of trafficking and psychologically attuned care that aims to promote healing and resilience (Raker, 2020).Multidisciplinary teams’ collaboration is imperative in creating holistic victim support. Nurses operate in collaboration with social workers, psychologists, law enforcement officials, and legal professionals to meet the diverse needs of trafficking survivors, which helps to bring coordinated care (Raker, 2020).A significant role for nursing practice is a comprehensive health assessment to detect and address mental and physical disorders. Educating victims of domestic violence about their rights and available resources is a way in which they will be able to make informed choices about care and recovery options (Dianne et al., 2023). Nursing leadership on policy formulation enables the systemic change in victims’ support and ensures that the legal frameworks are consistent with the complex needs of victims of trafficking and simply also allow these survivors to access essential services
Human trafficking victims suffer from multifactoriness that is bound with social, economic, and legal aspects such as poverty, lack of legal rights, and access to medical care. Identifying these vulnerabilities is critical since they offer protection for the people and promote their recovery. Nursing professionals can meaningfully contribute to these prevention efforts by championing the victims’ rights, adopting trauma-informed care, and collaborating with multidisciplinary groups to fulfill their needs. Through practical health assessments and explaining victims’ rights, nurses will be able to contribute greatly to improved outcomes for trafficking survivors. It is necessary to highlight the fact that the role of healthcare providers is to identify issues of vulnerability and to provide supportive and empowering care for human trafficking victims.
Casassa, K., Knight, L., & Mengo, C. (2022). Trauma bonding perspectives from service providers and survivors of sex trafficking: A scoping review. Trauma, violence, & abuse, 23(3), 969-984.
Kuran, C. H. A., Morsut, C., Kruke, B. I., Krüger, M., Segnestam, L., Orru, K., … & Torpan, S. (2020). Vulnerability and vulnerable groups from an intersectionality perspective. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 50, 101826.
Acharya, A. K. (2019). Prevalence of violence against indigenous women victims of human trafficking and its implications on physical injuries and disabilities in Monterrey city, Mexico. Health Care for Women International, 40(7-9), 829–846. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2018.1564612
Al-Assaf, S. A. (2021). Protection of victims of human trafficking in the Jordanian law: A comparative study with the U.K. Modern Slavery Act 2015. Cogent Social Sciences, 7(1), 1948185. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.1948185
Diane, S., Oh, S., & Conrad, M. E. (2023). Human Trafficking Myths as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Ambivalent Sexism and Sex Trafficking Attitudes Among Undergraduate, Medical, and Public Health Students. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2023.2210043
John, M. (2020). A critical approach to understanding human trafficking in the Caribbean. The International Journal of Human Rights, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2020.1762577
Kitterlin-Lynch, M., Cain, L., & Paul-Ward, A. (2024). Micro-Credentialing in Hospitality Education: A Human Capital Approach to Combating Human Trafficking. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2024.2316349
Richie-Zavaleta, A. C., Baranik, S., Mersch, S., Ataiants, J., & Rhodes, S. M. (2020). From Victimization to Restoration: Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative Approaches to Care and Support Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking. Journal of Human Trafficking, 7(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2020.1730132
Sassetti, F., & Thinyane, H. (2021). Apprise: inclusive innovation for enhancing the agency of vulnerable populations in the context of anti-trafficking responses. Innovation and Development, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930x.2020.1854249
Viuhko, M. (2019). Just trust me, and you’ll make a fortune – relationships between offenders and victims of human trafficking. Nordic Journal of Criminology, 20(2), 196–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/2578983x.2019.1591036
U.S. Department of State. (2023, December 12). Understanding Human Trafficking. United States Department of State. https://www.state.gov/what-is-trafficking-in-persons/