Human trafficking is universally recognized as a severe problem for teenagers’ health and well-being. According to the International Labor Organization statistics, the annual number of victims exceeds 40 million worldwide, and 25% of these victims are children (International Labour Organization, 2017). The duration of unfavorable exposure also aggravates such alarming statistics. On average, victims spend 20 months in forced labor and 23 months in case of their sexual exploitation (Patterson & Zhuo, 2018). The long-lasting pressure of adverse circumstances often leads to significant harm to victims’ mental and physical health, and teenagers are an especially vulnerable group in this regard. Therefore, the review of known teenage trafficking cases with an assessment of the applied recovery strategies is an issue deserving of profound research.
Background of the Study
The available scientific publications provide a thorough review of the aftermath of human trafficking in teenagers. It includes an assessment of the survivors with an evaluation of their psychological traumas (Hopper, 2017). Then, many researchers examined specific methods and means available for victim treatment. Munsey et al. (2018) presented a comprehensive model for the treatment of sex trafficking survivors. That model was introduced by a San-Diego non-profit organization and contained clinical therapy and social measures for the locals. Another research was dedicated to community support and reintegration for the victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorders (Okech et al., 2018). Finally, a study was conducted on applying somatic approaches within group intervention strategies (Hopper et al., 2018). This study demonstrated the possible benefits of involvement in creative entertainments to improve interpersonal relationships and self-identity.
The major part of the available research is concentrated on the victims of sex abuse and the applied means of their treatment. Application of the available data to a broader category of victims, along with the review of their particularities depending on the exposure type, would be beneficial for the patients, their families, and care providers. It would contribute to advancing the common recovery strategies and enhance the use of social support mechanisms.
Statement of the Problem
The extensive available research provides means intended to identify human trafficking victims among teenagers, determine relevant consequences, and develop appropriate recovery strategies. However, it is mainly focused on sex abuse victims, and the study participants are primarily females. The issues associated with labor trafficking among American adolescents are less researched and covered by the media (Titchen, 2020). Still, they constitute a significant problem, especially considering the existing “systemic gaps in law, policy, data collection, research, and practice” (Walts, 2017, p. 59). Therefore, the health consequences for the teenagers subjected to labor trafficking and their treatment options require a specific review.
Purpose of the Study
This study aims to review the particularities of negative impacts and treatments provided to teenagers subjected to forced labor. This will extend the available research mostly concentrated on sexual abuse victims. Unlike the latter, labor trafficking subjects have a more diverse composition, with a larger share of males reaching over 90% in the case of agricultural workers (Farrell et al., 2018). Thus, this paper will be intended to adjust the current recovery strategies based on the demands of a larger group of victims.
Significance of the Study
The proposed study plays a significant role in advancing the treatment methodology for the labor trafficking victims among teenagers. It will be a useful tool for further application by health care providers and specialized community services. It is critically important to review precisely the issues related to forced labor as they are still not reflected in over a quarter of specialized hospital protocols (Stoklosa et al., 2017).
The comprehensive approach towards a relatively insufficiently researched field makes this inquiry an original one. Based on the review of the existing literature and results of own research, the paper will identify particularities of the mental health issues related to forced labor. This will lead to the adjustment of the existing recovery strategies and development of new ones, which pay specific attention to social life modifications and community support.
Research Question
This research is dedicated to the qualitative questions of determining the proper identification and treatment strategies for labor trafficking victims. Based on the comparison with existing approaches to sex abuse recovery, the study reviews the question of what commonalities and differences should the applied methodologies have. The inquiry pays specific attention to identification and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression as the most common unfavorable developments among trafficking victims (Coverdale et al., 2016). It also dwells into the reasonability of a more in-depth application of educational, social support, and community reintegration methods for the given category of subjects.
Definition of Terms
The primary terms requiring explanation are the ones related to the interpretation of labor trafficking. According to the regulatory definition, such activities involve any child “providing labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion” (Titchen, 2020, p. 71). In this case, force implies physical punishments, while fraud and coercion are forms of mental pressure intended to trick victims or frighten them. It is valuable to understand that adolescents are especially vulnerable to threats involving legal processes due to their limited social knowledge.
Research Design
The research will constitute a comparative study based mainly on direct surveys and secondary data analysis. Specific interviews will be conducted with labor trafficking victims upon their consent and availability. This approach will also include identification of possible hidden victims, which are especially common and hard to detect in the cases of trafficking for criminal activities and illegal labor (Villacampa & Torres, 2017). The interviews will be carried out in strict compliance with the APA Code of Ethics intended to ensure data integrity without inflicting any harm to the participants. Since the opportunities for conducting direct surveys among victims are limited, they will be supplemented by reviewing available scientific publications.
Summary
This paper is dedicated to the research of human trafficking consequences for teenagers and available recovery options appropriate for various cases. It is focused on the victims of forced labor, as they are less covered by public research. The comparison with more profoundly studied sexual abuse cases, along with the interviews of the subjects being reviewed, allows defining the suitability of existing treatment strategies and their necessary adjustments. Such approach will be based on the significant similarities between the symptoms suffered by both groups of trafficking victims, which still differ in some particular aspects (Hopper & Gonzalez, 2018). The obtained results will enhance the social and clinical practices designed for handling patients previously exposed to trafficking.
References
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