Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Research Informing Advocacy: An Anti-Human Trafficking Tool

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Human Trafficking Is a Public Health Issue

Abstract

Rigorous research is a powerful tool that may be used in advocating for improved health policy, legislation, and services for trafficked persons. The purpose of this chapter is to first define research and advocacy in relation to public health; second, explore the role of public health-related human trafficking research; and finally, discuss the application of research to the service of trafficked persons through a public health lens. The historical evolution of research concerned with health and trafficking in persons has informed policy, legislation, health care professional education, and funding. Research in trafficking in persons is, at the time of this writing, in its infancy with many gaps in knowledge still to be filled. It is through the generation and application of quality research that advocates across disciplines and geographic locations will inform the future of anti-trafficking public health efforts.

The original version of this chapter was revised. An erratum to this chapter can be found at DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-47824-1_25

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Change history

  • 05 May 2017

    In Chapter 5 titled “The Ignored Exploitation: Labor Trafficking in the United States” the affiliation of the author Susie Baldwin has been updated to read as “HEAL Trafficking, P.O. Box 31602, 3001 North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031, USA, e-mail: SBaldwin@healtrafficking.org”.

Notes

  1. 1.

    A type of visa providing legal status to foreign-born trafficked persons .

  2. 2.

    Complex trauma is the experience of multiple and/or chronic and prolonged developmentally adverse traumatic events, often of an interpersonal nature [29].

  3. 3.

    Trauma informed care is the systemic approach that realizes, recognizes, and responds to trauma, in addition to seeking to avoid re-traumatization for patients and providers [29].

  4. 4.

    Reintegration and integration both refer to a person entering fully into the cultural, civil, and political life in their country of origin or to their new country, respectively.

References

  1. De Chesnay M, editor. Sex trafficking: a clinical guide for nurses. New York: Springer; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dovydaitis T. Human trafficking: the role of the health care provider. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2010;55(5):462–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Stoklosa H, Grace AM, Littenberg N. Medical education on human trafficking. JAMA Ethics. 2015;17(10):914–21. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.10.medu1-1510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. United States Department of Health & Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons. The power of framing human trafficking as a public health issue. 2016. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/endtrafficking/resource/publichealthlens. Accessed 25 May 2016.

  5. Centers for Disease Control. Distinguishing public health research and public health non research. 2010. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf. Accessed 25 May 2016.

  6. Streubert HJ, Carpenter DR. Qualitative research in nursing: advancing the humanistic imperative. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Merriam-Webster. Online. n.d. Web. Accessed 25 May 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chisolm-Straker M, Alter H, Atkinson H, Losonczy L, Miller C, Stoklosa H. Expanding and coordinating human trafficking-related public health research, evaluation, education, and prevention. APHA Policy Statement. 3 November 2015. Available at: http://apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database?q=trafficking&y=2015. Accessed 15 Aug 2016.

  9. Laczko F. Data and research on human trafficking. Int Migr. 2005;43:1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gozdziak EM, Collett EA. Research on human trafficking in North America: a review of literature. Int Migr. 2005;43:99–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. United Nations. Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations convention against transnational organized crime. 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  12. United States Department of Health & Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons. The power of framing human trafficking as a public health issue. 2016. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/endtrafficking/resource/publichealthlens. Accessed 25 May 2016.

  13. Zimmerman C. The health risks and consequences of trafficking in women and adolescents: findings from a European study. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2003. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/ghd/docs/traffickingfinal.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2016.

  14. Zimmerman C, Watts C. World Health Organization ethical and safety recommendations for interviewing trafficked women. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  15. International Organization for Migration (IOM). Caring for trafficked persons: guidance for health providers. Geneva: International Organization for Migration; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hossain M, Zimmerman C, Hawkes S, Watts C. Recommendations for the reproductive & sexual health care of trafficked women in Ukraine: focus on STI/RTI care. 1st ed. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg (London) and Int Migr. 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Baráth Á, International Organization for Migration. The mental health aspects of trafficking in human beings: a set of minimum standards. Budapest: International Organization for Migration; 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Polaris. Policy & legislation. n.d. Retrieved from http://polarisproject.org/policy-legislation. Accessed 25 May 2016.

  19. Family Violence Prevention Fund. Turning pain into power: trafficking survivors’ perspective on early intervention strategies. San Francisco, CA: Family Violence Prevention Fund; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Fehrenbacher A. First, do no harm: designing a model of trauma-informed care for survivors of human trafficking in Los Angeles county. Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles Center for the Study of Women Update; 2013. p. 16–24.

    Google Scholar 

  21. United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN GIFT). Human trafficking: new directions for research. Cairo: International Organization of Migration; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Andrees B, van der Linden MNJ. Designing trafficking research from a labour market perspective the ILO experience. Int Migr. 2005;43:55–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. United States Department of Justice. Evaluation of comprehensive services for victims of human trafficking: key findings and lessons learned. 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  24. 110th Congress of the United States. H.R. 7311 William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Doherty S, Oram S, Siriwardhana C, Abas M. Suitability of measurements used to assess mental health outcomes in men and women trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation: a systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3(5):464–71. http://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30047-5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Oram S, Abas M, Bick D, Boyle A, French R, Jakobowitz S, et al. Human trafficking and health: a survey of male and female survivors in England. Am J Public Health. 2016;106(6):1073–8. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303095.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach. (HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  28. McNiel M, Held T, Busch-Armendariz N. Creating an interdisciplinary medical home for survivors of human trafficking. Obstet Gynecol. 2014;124(3):611–5. 5p.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Cole J, Sprang G. Sex trafficking of minors in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural communities. Child Abuse Negl. 2015;40:113–23 [serial online].

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Miller CL, Duke G. Child sex trafficking-recognition, intervention, and referral: an educational framework to guide the development of health care provider education. J Hum Trafficking. 2016;2:177–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Baldwin S, Eisenman D, Sayles J, Ryan G, Chuang K. Identification of human trafficking victims in health care settings. Health Hum Rights Int J. 2011;13(1):1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lederer LJ, Wetzel CA. The health consequences of sex trafficking and their implications for identifying victims in healthcare facilities. Ann Health Law. 2016;23(1):61–92.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Chisolm-Straker M, Baldwin S, Gaïgbé-Togbé B, Ndukwe N, Johnson PN, Richardson LD. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2016;27(3):1220-33. doi:10.1353/hpu.2016.0131.

  34. Ahn R, Alpert EJ, Purcell G, Konstantopoulos WM, McGahan A, Cafferty E, et al. Human trafficking: review of educational resources for health professionals. Am J Prev Med. 2013;44:283–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Newby A, McGuinness T. Human trafficking: what psychiatric nurses should know to help children and adolescents. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2012;50(4):21–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Hackett A. The role of the school nurse in child protection. Community Pract. 2013;86(12):26–9. 4p [serial online].

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Chisolm-Straker M, Richardson L, Cossio T. Combating slavery in the 21st century: the role of emergency medicine. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2012;23(3):980–7. 8p [serial online].

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. American Dental Association (JADA). 2012;143(5):498–504. 7p [serial online].

    Google Scholar 

  39. 113th Congress of the United States. H.R.898. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013

    Google Scholar 

  40. Clawson H, Layne M, Small K. Estimating human trafficking into the United States: development of a methodology. Washington, DC: ICF International; 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Zimmerman C, Hossain M, Watts C. Human trafficking and health: a conceptual model to inform policy, intervention, and research. Soc Sci Med. 2011;73(2):327–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Centers for Disease Control. Understanding sex trafficking. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/trafficking.html. Accessed 25 May 2016.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, 6300 Ocean Drive, Island Hall 328G, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Cathy L. Miller

  2. University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Michelle Lyman

Authors
  1. Cathy L. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michelle Lyman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cathy L. Miller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Makini Chisolm-Straker

  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Hanni Stoklosa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Miller, C.L., Lyman, M. (2017). Research Informing Advocacy: An Anti-Human Trafficking Tool. In: Chisolm-Straker, M., Stoklosa, H. (eds) Human Trafficking Is a Public Health Issue. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47824-1_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47824-1_17

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47823-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47824-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation