Professional Documents
Culture Documents
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, human trafficking is defined
as the act of recruitment, transportation, transfer, or harbouring, or receipt of persons by means
of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of
abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or
benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose
of exploitation. As it becomes a modern slave trade, there are commonly known reasons of why
such act is done.
The reasons of why traffickers use people they victimized vary in specific aspect. But all
traffickers shares similar goal that is the exploitation on people for profit – which can either way
be a financial gain or material benefit.
Sexual Exploitation
Domestic Servitude
A domestic worker or helper is a person who works within their employer‟s home,
performing a variety of tasks. The arrangement becomes exploitative when there are restrictions
on the domestic worker‟s movement as they are forced to work long hours for little pay.
Domestic workers may be trapped in servitude through the use of coercion such as physical or
emotional abuse.
Bonded/Forced Labour
Debt bondage is defined as one force or coercion using bond or debt to keep a person
under subjugation. It is a method of control and prevents trafficking victims from escaping. In the
context of human trafficking, a person trafficked for forced labour is made to work for little or no
remuneration, or may be paid a full wage, but then forced to return most of it in cash to the
trafficker. Forced labour refers to situations where people are coerced to work often under threat
or punishment.
The following are a number of means through which a person can be coerced:
- Use of violence or intimidation
- Accumulated debt
- Retention of identity papers
- Threat of exposure to immigration authorities
Human organs are in high demand around the world for people who need a replacement
but cannot find a legitimate donor. The trafficking in organs involves removing a part of the
body, commonly the kidneys and livers, to sell often as an illegal trade. The organ removal is
often conducted in clandestine clinics, with little or no attention given to the trafficked person‟s
post-operative care. Organs can be taken in a variety of ways:
Trade – a victim formally or informally agrees to sell an organ but is then cheated
because they are not paid for the organ, or are paid less than the promised price.
Ailments – a vulnerable person is treated for an ailment, which may or may not exist,
and the organs are removed without the victim‟s knowledge.
Extortion – a victim may be kidnapped from their family and organs are removed
without consent.
The organ is sold on the international black market for large amount of money; if the
trafficked person survives the surgery, they may receive a tiny portion of that money.
Given the nature of human trafficking, its consequences are mostly hidden and
unnoticeable. Since trafficking is primarily based on exploitation, trafficked persons may be
subject to physical, psychological, and social impacts. Most victims have suffered from
traumatic events and might adapt psychological tactics to cope with the effects of these events.
Victims of trafficking are generally exposed to traumatic experiences as a result of their inability
to predict and control events during the trafficking process. The essence of trauma is that it
overwhelms the victim‟s psychological and biological coping mechanisms. This occurs when
internal and external resources are inadequate to cope with the external threat. Complex trauma
involves multifaceted conditions displayed below.
Depression
Depression, anxiety, and hostility are symptoms frequently detected among victims of
trafficking. Depression as a symptom reported by human trafficking victims were described as
an overall and consistent feeling of sadness, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness,
hopelessness about the future, and a significant reduction in interest.
Anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety are reported as one of the most prevalent cases experienced by
trafficked persons. This symptom is normal however, to victims of human trafficking; they
regularly experience disproportionate levels of anxiety such as excessive nervousness, fear,
apprehension and worry.
Self-Hatred
Victims of human trafficking may dislike themselves for the situations they have
encountered. Anxiety and low self-esteem can also create loneliness which only reinforces an
individual‟s negative self-image.
Dissociation
Self-destructive behaviour
Victims of any forms of human trafficking may display harmful behaviours and attitudes
as a result of the past events or trauma which is uncontrollable to them. Self-harm is the
extreme form of self-destructive behaviour. Some victims use it as a coping mechanism to
provide temporary relief of intense feelings or emotions. According to a new study published in
JAMA Paediatrics, self-harm and suicide attempts are common among children and
adolescents who have been trafficked for forced labour or sexual exploitation.
Re-victimization
Victims of human trafficking who have experienced early victimization are 3 times more
vulnerable to different exploitations during their adult stage. This occurrence is referred to as
revictimization (re-victimization) or simply when a survivor of a situation is victimized again
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report). Usually, victims of human trafficking who
experienced sexual abuse are more likely to experience adult sexual victimization.
Stockholm syndrome
HIV/AIDS
The Victim-centered approach is defined as the systematic focus on the needs and
concerns of a victim to ensure the compassionate and sensitive delivery of services in a non-
judgemental manner. This approach seeks to minimize retraumatization associated with the
criminal justice process by providing the support of victim advocates and service providers,
empowering survivors as engaged participants in the process and providing survivors an
opportunity to play a role in seeing their traffickers brought to justice.
Too often, victims are required to wait for too long periods of time for critically needed
services. Service providers assist large number of clients with limited resources to address all
their needs. Time pressures on overburdened police departments often place the priorities of
other cases ahead of the trafficking case/victim. Heavy caseloads in prosecutor‟s offices can
often take the focus off the victim‟s need for sensitive treatment and helping the victim
understand what occurs during the prosecution case. When law enforcement prosecution,
service providers, or other professionals are involved in a case, the needs of victims mist remain
central in the process.
In victim-centered approach, the victim‟s wishes, safety, and well-being take priority in all
matters and procedures.
SMART PRACTICE:
All professionals involved in human trafficking cases must advocate for the victim. Avoid
activities that can ostracize a victim, those that mirror the behaviour of a trafficker, however
unintentionally, by limiting or not offering a victim choice in the recovery process. It will require
patience, empathy, and compassion from you, as well as from your partners involved in the
effort.
In the context of victim advocacy and service provision, the terms „victim‟ and „survivor‟
both have significance and implications. The word victim is referred to as individuals who
suffered harms as result of criminal conduct. This term has legal implications within the criminal
justice process and refers to an individual who suffered harm as a result of criminal conduct.
The laws that give individuals particular rights and legal standing within the criminal justice
system use the term “victim.” Federal law enforcement uses the term “victim” in its professional
capacity. On the other hand, survivor’, is used to recognized the strength and courage in
overcoming victimization. This term is used widely in service providing organizations to
recognize the strength and courage it takes to overcome victimization. Both terms are used in
the context of victim identification, outreach, and service startegies.