Human Trafficking of People with a Disability: An Analysis of State and Federal Cases

The current academic discourse examining human trafficking is lacking in focus on survivors with a disability. The increased likelihood of abuse experienced by people with a disability is well documented in the research literature, and a small body of research indicates heightened sex trafficking victimization of minor girls with a disability. Yet, very little research specifically examines sex and/or labor trafficking of people with a disability, and no systematic research analyzes prosecuted cases of trafficking with disability as the focal point of analysis. Drawing from a content analysis of 18 federal and 17 state cases of human trafficking, the current study specifically aimed to increase our understandings of sex and labor trafficking involving survivors with a disability. The findings revealed the following patterns and themes: 1) the type of trafficking experienced (sex, labor, or both), 2) whether state level or federal cases 3) the types of disabilities identified among trafficking survivors, 4) the nature of the relationship between traffickers and survivors, 5) methods of recruitment, 6) case outcomes; and 7) demographic characteristics of traffickers and survivors (e.g., gender/citizenship). Implications include prevention efforts in the form of developmentally grounded sex education and healthy relationships curriculum for survivors with an intellectual disability, as well as specialized anti-trafficking training for those in legal, healthcare, and social services that is inclusive of people with a disability.

Child Labor and Sex Trafficking

Regardless of their practice setting or subspecialty, pediatricians are likely to encounter children who have experienced sex or labor trafficking or who are at risk for exploitation. Only 24.1% of health professionals in one study reported receiving previous training on human trafficking; after a brief presentation on the topic, 39.6% indicated that they knew or suspected they had cared for a trafficked person in the past 3 months. Trafficked and exploited children can present with myriad physical or mental health conditions; most have experienced repeated, significant trauma; and few are likely to spontaneously disclose their exploitative situation. As a result, clinicians face challenges in recognizing and appropriately responding to potential human trafficking. Knowledge of common risk factors and potential indicators of exploitation can assist the pediatrician in recognizing affected and at-risk youth. However, health professionals report that existing training tends to focus on general information about trafficking, with relatively little time spent discussing the specifics of the trauma-informed approach to patient interactions. Given the critical importance of building patient trust, empowering patients to share their concerns, and engaging them in their own care and safety planning, this article focuses on the practical aspects of working with trafficked and exploited children. A brief overview of human trafficking is followed by an extensive discussion of rights-based, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed strategies for interacting with vulnerable patients.

Everyday Life of Slum Children: A Case Study from Education Perspective

Every year, the city of Pune attracts migrant workers due to urbanization, and these migrants form residential pockets called slums. Today, around 40% of Pune's population lives in urban slums, around 11% of children, who have little or no access to education with the everyday hand-to-mouth struggle for survival. This study explores the lives of slum children and their educational conditions. Three case studies were conducted with three slums from uptown areas of Pune. Focus group discussions, interviews, and visual survey methods were employed, leading to qualitative analysis. Analysis threw light on the everyday challenges faced by slum children in accessing education. The visual studies imply the need for architectural intervention. The findings also suggest policy implications towards the provision of education towards the betterment of the lives of slum children. Working and learning are the two social processes; without breaking the legal structures on child labor, children working within the home as domestic labor or in the household enterprise is a common occurrence in urban centers, particularly among those who are household income is derived from the informal sector and who have lower income levels. Working modes and times differ depending on the situation. Owing to the size of India's informal economy and attempts to reduce child labor trafficking, a strong emphasis has been placed on developing and implementing social policies that address child labor.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Labor and Sex Trafficking in a Community Sample of Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Metro-Atlanta

Research suggests that runaway and homeless youth (RHY) in the United States are vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking. In this paper, we report and analyze estimates of sex and labor trafficking collected as part of the Atlanta Youth Count 2018, a community-based field survey of RHY between the ages of 14 and 25 in the metro-Atlanta area. A total of 564 participants were recruited and completed a survey that included questions about their backgrounds as well as the Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST). We found that 39.9% experienced some form of trafficking while homeless. While 15.6% of the youth reported commercial sexual exploitation while homeless, coerced labor (29.3%) or fraud (25.2%) were even more common experiences. Women, transgender, and gender nonconforming youth, as well young people who had prior system involvement and those who had been homeless for more than a year were the most likely to report having been trafficked. The significance of these findings for research and policy on RHY and trafficking are discussed.

What Can Organizations Do to Combat Human Trafficking?

This chapter discusses the current topic of human trafficking in the context of organization management and corporate social responsibility. First, human trafficking is defined, presenting the scope and various forms of modern slavery, with a special emphasis on labor trafficking. Second, the chapter sheds light on some ways in which organizations may combat human trafficking, within the framework of prosecution of traffickers, protection of victims, prevention of the offense, and transformative partnership. In particular, effective management of a supply chain constitutes a way for organizations to engage in fighting modern slavery, not only in line with the corporate social responsibility, but also in fulfillment of national legislation imposing mandatory requirements onto companies to disclose information about labor issues in their supply chains. Third, some examples from different types of organizations in diverse cultures are presented, emphasizing how such efforts fit with the missions and visions of these philanthrocapitalists.