Systematic review of facilitators of, barriers to, and recommendations for healthcare services for child survivors of human trafficking globally

Access to health and rights of children in street situations and working children: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Street and working children (SWC) and young people (YP) are highly vulnerable to violence, exploitation, hazardous environments and human rights violations. While the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the International Labour Organisation provide some guidance, there is limited information on their right to healthcare. This study aims to identify enablers and barriers to healthcare access for SWC and document associated rights violations.

METHODS

From 2000 to the present, we conducted systematic searches for SWC (0-18 years) in databases including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EBSCO, PUBMED and PROQUEST, using broad search terms related to street children, working children, healthcare access and rights. The searches were supplemented by grey literature and hand searches. Two independent reviewers finalised the included studies, and data were analysed using a rights-based framework with narrative analysis and thematisation.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 7346 articles (5972 for street children and 1374 for working children), with 35 studies (18 for street children and 17 for working children) included in the review. Most studies on working children (13/17) focused on trafficking/commercial exploitation. Studies were predominantly from Africa, followed by the USA, Asia, the UK and Canada, with only two employing a rights framework. SWC face barriers such as cost, distance, visibility/accessibility of services, stigma, seclusion, threats of violence, lack of legal documents, crisis-oriented healthcare use and self-medication. Enablers included agency, self-efficacy, positive relationships with adults and proactive healthcare use when accessible. Emergency departments are frequently accessed by SWC, indicating a need for healthcare professionals to be trained and sensitised. Holistic and comprehensive healthcare is essential.

CONCLUSION

Significant research gaps exist, with many SWC populations under-represented. SWC share healthcare access barriers with other marginalised groups. Healthcare for SWC must be tailored to their unique needs and strengths and be holistic and trauma-informed.

Experiences of child sex trafficking identification among Ontario pediatric emergency department healthcare providers: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

More than 60 % of people exposed to sex trafficking access hospital emergency departments (ED), making the ED a critical setting for child sex trafficking identification. Children exposed to sex trafficking (CEST) do not always recognize that they are being exploited. With many ED leaders confirming that there are no formal processes or assessment tools to screen for human trafficking in EDs, it is especially challenging for healthcare providers to identify CEST. Accordingly, the following study sought to examine healthcare providers' child sex trafficking identification practices in Ontario pediatric EDs.

METHODS

We conducted interviews with healthcare providers (N = 12) who work in an Ontario pediatric ED and have provided services to CEST. Thematic analysis and intersectionality theory guided our analytic approach.

RESULTS

Participants underscored the key role of Registered Nurses for identifying presentations of child sex trafficking in Ontario pediatric EDs. Although white, feminine presenting youth are the predominantly identified demographic of CEST in Ontario pediatric EDs, healthcare providers also described key intersections between race, poverty, child welfare agency system involvement, and adverse childhood life experiences as factors that heightened vulnerability to child sex trafficking. Common presentations to the ED were for non-specific concerns, injuries, following a sexual assault, or for mental health concerns. Suggested methods for identification varied but were centred around the principles of trauma- and violence-informed care.

CONCLUSION

Identifying child sex trafficking in Ontario pediatric EDs is a complex practice, requiring human trafficking training and education for healthcare providers. The interrelated indicators of child sex trafficking, including the sociodemographic and clinical profile of the patient, must be considered jointly, using a trauma- and violence-informed approach.

Clinical care of childhood sexual abuse: a systematic review and critical appraisal of guidelines from European countries

Background

The clinical management of Child sexual abuse (CSA) demands specialised skills from healthcare professionals due to its sensitivity, legal implications, and serious physical health and mental health effects. Standardised, comprehensive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) may be pivotal. In this systematic review, we examined existing CSA national CPGs (NCPGs) from European countries to assess their quality and reporting.

Methods

We systematically searched six international databases and multiple grey literature sources, reporting by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards. Eligible guidelines were CSA guidance from national health agencies or societies in 34 COST Action 19106 Network Countries (CANC), published between January 2012 and November 2022. Two independent researchers searched, screened, reviewed, and extracted data. NCPGs were compared for completeness with reference WHO 2017 and 2019 guidelines. We used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) to appraise quality and reporting. PROSPERO: CRD42022320747.

Findings

Of 2919 records identified by database searches, none met inclusion criteria. Of 4714 records identified by other methods, 24 NCPGs from 17 (50%) of CANC countries were included. In 17 (50%) of eligible countries, no NCPGs were found. Content varied significantly within and between countries. NCPGs lacked many components in state-of-the art clinical practice compared to WHO reference standards, particularly in safety and risk assessment, interactions with caregivers, and mental health interventions. Appraisal by AGREE II revealed shortcomings in NCPG development, regarding scientific rigour, stakeholder involvement, implementation and evaluation.

Interpretation

A notable number of European countries lack an NCPG; existing NCPGs often fall short. The healthcare response to CSA in Europe requires a coordinated approach to develop and implement high-quality CPGs. We advocate for a multidisciplinary team to develop a pan-European CSA guideline to ensure quality care for survivors.

Funding

Funding was provided by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

Integrating Social Care Into a Specialized Medical Home for Sex-Trafficked Youth

After a series of meetings between medical personnel and community stakeholders, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia successfully launched the Adolescent Protection Collaborative in July 2021. This novel clinic created a specialized medical home for sex-trafficked youth. The clinic was staffed by a core team of child abuse pediatrics and adolescent medicine physicians and a social worker who provided coordinated evaluations and same-day services, followed by ongoing long-term care. The Adolescent Protection Collaborative model was built on interdisciplinary collaboration with the goal of consolidating medical services and reducing fragmentation of care. A Community Advisory Committee was formed and aided in linking interested youth with additional services. Healthcare navigation was facilitated through support of a clinic-specific social worker, and transportation barriers were largely eliminated through a grant-funded program. Pilot data from the initial 21 months of clinical operations revealed that 88% of 43 referred patients (ages ranging from 13-22 years with a mean of 16 years) attended a scheduled appointment with 55% returning for follow up. Most patients (68%) identified as Black. All (100%) had past or present involvement with child protective services. Fifty percent of referrals tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection with a total of 33 sexually transmitted infections diagnosed and treated. Patient-desired contraception was facilitated for approximately 67% of referrals. Social care needs, such as referrals for educational support, case management, housing and employment resources, and mental health linkages, were offered alongside standard medical services. The described clinic model demonstrates promise in meeting the unique healthcare needs of sex-trafficked youth.

Evaluation of a Human Trafficking Educational Intervention for Nursing Professionals

BACKGROUND

Human trafficking (HT) is a serious public health issue. Survivors of HT seek medical care. Health care professionals may be inadequately trained to identify and support survivors. This study evaluated improvements in nurses' knowledge after a professional development workshop on HT.

METHOD

Pre- and postevaluation surveys assessed nurses' self-reported changes in perceived knowledge of HT and its vulnerability factors, the health impact of HT, strategies for identification and assessment of HT, and response to and follow-up of HT.

RESULTS

After the workshop, participants showed significant improvement in perceived knowledge of all measures, regardless of hours of previous training and years of practice.

CONCLUSION

Perceived knowledge of HT identification and response can be improved through training of nurses, regardless of hours of previous training and years of practice. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(1):26-32.].

Health care professionals' self-efficacy in identifying and treating human trafficking victims

BACKGROUND

Human trafficking is characterized as a violation of human rights that exploits males and females of any age for personal or financial gain. Recently, health care professionals have been identified as feasible change agents in this global issue. However, many health care professionals are not trained in identifying and treating human trafficking victims. Through human trafficking education, health care professionals have the potential to be better equipped to recognize and assist trafficking victims and guide them to the specialized care they need.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a trauma-informed human trafficking education intervention and the impact of this training on the self-efficacy of health care professionals in identifying and recognizing human trafficking victims in healthcare settings.

DESIGN

The study was a quasi-experimental research design with snowball and convenience recruitment SETTING: 100 % virtual, online.

PARTICIPANTS

Health care professionals (N = 30) including Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Medical Assistants, Certified Nursing Assistants, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Paramedics from a variety of healthcare settings.

METHODS

30 min total program to include Qualtrics pre-intervention Violence Against Women Health Care Provider survey, 20 min educational intervention on YouTube©, and an identical Qualtrics post-intervention survey.

RESULTS

Total of 30 sets of paired data. The results showed statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy in all survey questions pre- and post-human trafficking educational intervention (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

An increase in health care professionals' self-efficacy in identifying and treating human trafficking victims yields better patient and health care system outcomes. Trauma-informed human trafficking education for all health care professionals is recommended.

A Scoping Review of Human Trafficking Screening and Response

Service providers are increasingly asked to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking and to connect them with resources and support. Nonetheless, identification is complicated by the reality that those who are experiencing trafficking may rarely self-identify, and providers may fail to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking due to lack of guidance on how to screen for trafficking capably and sensitively. With the aim of guiding practice, we undertook a scoping review to search for and synthesize trafficking screening tools and response protocols. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), we located 22 screening tools contained in 26 sources. We included any documents that described or tested human trafficking screening tools, screening or identification protocols, response protocols, or guidelines that were published in any year. All documents were abstracted using a standardized form. Key findings showed that most tools were developed by practice-based and non-governmental organizations located in the U.S. and were administered in the U.S. Few screening tools have been rigorously evaluated. The common types of screening questions and prompts included (a) work conditions; (b) living conditions; (c) physical health; (d) travel, immigration, and movement; (e) appearance and presentation; (f) mental health, trauma, and substance abuse; (g) associations and possessions; and (h) arrests and prior involvement with law enforcement. We were not able to locate specific response protocols that provided step-by-step guidance. Nonetheless, the review revealed available practice-based and research-based evidence to help inform guidance concerning how screening and identification of human trafficking may be administered.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Europe: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review is to provide a systematic and critical summary of findings regarding empirical studies conducted on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Europe. The purpose is to gain an understanding of the characteristics and main topics addressed in European research on CSEC, identify gaps, and give suggestions for future studies.

METHOD

The review was guided by the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis-Protocols". A comprehensive search on several databases was conducted to identify published and unpublished empirical research on CSEC in Europe, revealing 3,846 documents. In total, 56 research papers that focused specifically on CSEC in European samples were included.

SYNTHESIS

Research concerning European studies of CSEC and trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation has developed significantly over the last 20 years but is still rather limited and mainly focused on the UK and Sweden. Most of the studies reviewed suffer from important methodological flaws such as an inaccurate definition of the phenomenon analyzed, small and convenience samples, and nonvalidated and nonspecific instruments.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study demonstrate the need for greater exploration and research around a number of areas of sexual exploitation of children in Europe. Further work is necessary in terms of capacity building, training, and awareness-raising for society as a whole and, specifically, professionals providing direct support to children and young people at risk of exploitation.

Global Perspectives on the Health and Social Impacts of Child Trafficking

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Survivors of child sex trafficking (CST) experience many health and social sequelae as a result of stigma, discrimination, and barriers to health care. Our objective was to obtain a cross-cultural understanding of these barriers and to explore the relationship between stigmatization and health outcomes through application of the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework (HSDF).

METHODS

In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 45 recognized CST expert service providers. Interview data were analyzed using established content analysis procedures and applied to the HSDF.

RESULTS

Barriers to medical and mental health services span each socioecological level of the HSDF, indicating the various contexts in which stigmatization leads to adverse health and social outcomes. Stigmatization of CST survivors is a complex process whereby various factors drive and facilitate the marking of CST survivors as stigmatized. Intersecting stigmas multiply the burden, and manifest in stigma experiences of self-stigmatization, shame, family and community discrimination, and stigma practices of provider discrimination. These lead to reduced access to care, lack of funding, resources, and trained providers, and ultimately result in health and social disparities such as social isolation, difficulty reintegrating, and a myriad of physical health and mental health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The HSDF is a highly applicable framework within which to evaluate stigmatization of CST survivors. This study suggests the utility of stigma-based public health interventions for CST and provides a global understanding of the influence and dynamics of stigmatization unique to CST survivors.

Sex Trafficking: A Literature Review With Implications for Health Care Providers

Sex trafficking often goes unrecognized, yet is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects marginalized populations. Survivors suffer adverse health effects and often present to health care facilities while still under control of their traffickers. Health care providers, including nurses and advanced practice nurses, lack understanding of risk factors, signs and symptoms, and means of offering assistance. A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing EBSCOhost and WorldCat. Studies were considered eligible for inclusion if subject matter dealt directly with domestic sex trafficking and included implications for health care or health care education. There are some identified risk factors that place people at higher risk for victimization and survivors may present for care with a common symptom, including physical and mental health issues. Barriers to care include both survivor and health care system characteristics; however, health care providers can undertake specific actions to help overcome these barriers. Health care providers are in a prime position to identify and assist sex trafficking survivors. However, they need to be aware of common risk factor presentations, and they need to be trained to offer assistance. Ongoing research is needed to determine the best way to develop, introduce, and evaluate these trainings.

Digital training in the wake of a pandemic: Using technology to train health care professionals in the identification of human trafficking victims

Human trafficking training is crucial for victim identification and appropriate service provision in health care settings. Over the past decade, the health care profession has made significant strides in the education and training of health professionals. However, access to quality training is still varied, and a unified education program has not been established. At best, educational programs are uneven in their goals and standards. Further complicating matters, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing regulations, in-person training has been less optimal. To provide all health care professionals with much-needed education on human trafficking identification and service provision, the authors recommend that human trafficking trainings incorporate online platforms and provide justification from the literature for this recommendation. The authors contend that virtual training programs provide easy access and provide a convenient platform for health care professionals to broaden their knowledge and awareness of the unique demands and challenges that trafficked persons encounter.

Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis

INTRODUCTION

Violence against women (VAW) affects one in three women globally. In some countries, women are at much higher risk. We examined risk factors for VAW in countries with the highest 12-month prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence (IPV) to develop understanding of this increased risk.

METHODS

For this systematic review, we searched PUBMED, CINAHL, PROQUEST (Middle East and North Africa; Latin America and Iberia; East and South Asia), Web of Science, EMBASE and PsycINFO (Ovid) for records published between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2021 in English, French and Spanish. Included records used quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods, reported original data, had VAW as the main outcome, and focused on at least one of 23 countries in the highest quintile of prevalence figures for women's self-reported experiences of physical and/or sexual violence in the past 12 months. We used critical interpretive synthesis to develop a conceptual model for associations between identified risk factors and VAW.

RESULTS

Our search identified 12 044 records, of which 241 were included for analysis (2 80 360 women, 40 276 men, 274 key informants). Most studies were from Bangladesh (74), Uganda (72) and Tanzania (43). Several quantitative studies explored community-level/region-level socioeconomic status and education as risk factors, but associations with VAW were mixed. Although fewer in number and representing just one country, studies reported more consistent effects for community-level childhood exposure to violence and urban residence. Theoretical explanations for a country's high prevalence point to the importance of exposure to other forms of violence (armed conflict, witnessing parental violence, child abuse) and patriarchal social norms.

CONCLUSION

Available evidence suggests that heightened prevalence of VAW is not attributable to a single risk factor. Multilayered and area-level risk analyses are needed to ensure funding is appropriately targeted for countries where VAW is most pervasive.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020190147).

Implementation of a screening tool for child sex trafficking among youth presenting to the emergency department - A quality improvement initiative

BACKGROUND

Identification of sex-trafficked youth in the emergency department (ED) is difficult and routine screening is uncommon.

OBJECTIVES

Our Quality Improvement (QI) Project aimed to increase ED screening and identification of high-risk youth using the Short Screen for Child Sex Trafficking (SSCST).

PARTICIPANTS

Youth (11 through 17 years) seeking care at two metropolitan EDs with a high-risk chief complaint triggering a best practice alert (BPA).

METHODS

A BPA prompted administration of the SSCST and referral of screen 'positive' youth for comprehensive evaluation for child sex trafficking by the forensic nurse examiner (FNE). Targeted QI interventions defined three study periods (SP). Outcomes measures included screening 50% of high-risk youth with 50% of those youth referred for FNE evaluation.

RESULTS

Over three study periods, 5454/13,956 (39.1%) youth triggered a BPA for high-risk chief complaint; 4354 (78.6%) received the SSCST screen; 1336 (76.0%) of screen-positive youth were referred for FNE evaluation. Outcomes measures were exceeded during all three study periods. SSCST modifications to increase specificity led to a significant decrease in the percentage of positive screens (42.8% SP1 vs 29.4% SP3). Financial programmatic support and further staff training led to an increase in FNE evaluations (86.4 SP3 vs 5.7% of referred youth SP1). Identification of trafficked patients increased from 1.3% of screen-positive youth to 11.3% (SP1 vs SP3; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Routine screening for child sex trafficking can be implemented in the ED setting and increases the identification of at-risk youth.

Human Trafficking ICD-10 Code Utilization in Pediatric Tertiary Care Centers Within the United States

BACKGROUND

Human trafficking is a global public health issue that affects pediatric patients widely. The International Labor Organization estimates children comprise approximately 25% of the identified trafficked persons globally, with domestic estimates including over 2000 children a year. Trafficked children experience a broad range of health consequences leading to interface with healthcare systems during their exploitation. In June 2018, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) released diagnostic codes for human trafficking.

OBJECTIVE

To use a large, multicenter database of US pediatric hospitalizations to describe the utilization of the ICD-10-CM codes related to child trafficking, as well as the demographic and clinical characteristics of these children.

METHODS

This study was descriptive in nature. Encounters using data from the Pediatric Health Information System database (PHIS) with ICD-10-CM codes indicating trafficking from June 1, 2018 to March 1st, 2020 were included in the study cohort, with data collection continuing for 30 days after first hospital encounter, until March 31st, 2020. Patients 19 years old and younger were included. Condition-specific prevalence as well as demographic and clinical characteristics for patient encounters were analyzed. Study subjects were followed for 30 days after first hospital encounter to describe healthcare utilization patterns.

RESULTS

During the study period, 0.005% (n = 293) of patient encounters in the PHIS database were identified as trafficked children. The children of our cohort were mostly female (90%), non-Hispanic Black (38%), and had public insurance (59%). Nearly two-thirds of patients (n = 190) had a documented mental health disorder at the initial encounter, with 32.1% classified as the principal diagnosis. Our cohort had a 30-day hospital inpatient, overnight observation, or emergency department readmission rate of 16% (n = 48).

DISCUSSION

Our study demonstrates a low utilization of human trafficking ICD-10-CM codes in academic children's health centers, with code usage predominantly assigned to Non-Hispanic Black teenage girls. As comparison, in 2019 the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 2,582 trafficked US children in a single year. These results suggest widespread under-recognition of child trafficking in health care settings, including the intensive care unit, in addition to racial and socioeconomic disparities amongst trafficked children.

Training Experiences of Emergency Department Providers in the Recognition of Child Trafficking

OBJECTIVE

Trafficked children face challenges to obtaining appropriate health care that may be addressed by clinician training. We evaluated emergency department (ED) staff's training experiences regarding child trafficking and attitudes toward educational efforts to provide informed recommendations for improvement in the recognition and evaluation of trafficked children in the ED setting.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study of general and pediatric ED staff across 6 cities in the United States, participants completed a 25-question, online anonymous survey. Differences in proportions between categorical data were examined using χ2/Fisher exact tests. Differences in means were evaluated using Student t test and 1-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The 484 participants included physicians (33.0%), nurses (27.4%), resident physicians (12.2%), and social workers (10.1%). Only 12.4% reported being very confident in recognizing child trafficking. Barriers to recognition included lack of awareness and training on child sex trafficking (37.4%, 58.3%) and labor trafficking (38.4%, 50.6%), sensitivity of the topic (44.4%), lack of institutional guidelines (29.8%) and social work coverage (26.0%), and the assumption that children will not disclose victimization (16.5%). Although 62.2% of the respondents had prior training in child sex trafficking, only 13.3% reported that it was adequate. Barriers to training included lack of easy access (82.5%), belief that prior training was adequate (13.3%), poor-quality curricula (5.1%), and low priority of topic (4.1%). Recommendations for training included a 1-hour module/webinar/lecture (43.1%), rounds (40.5%), written guidelines (9.8%), and individualized, case-based learning (6.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that although most ED providers stated that they had prior training in the recognition of child trafficking, few expressed confidence in their ability to recognize and evaluate trafficked children. Barriers to education included a lack of awareness of and access to available curricula. Providers supported a variety of formats for further education. Strategies for improving educational access are discussed.

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.

Nurses' experiences of emergency care for undocumented migrants who travel by boats

AIM

The aim of our study is to describe and understand the experiences of nurses providing emergency care to undocumented migrants who arrive in Spain in small boats.

BACKGROUND

Spain receives thousands of undocumented migrants every year who arrive by sea. Provision of appropriate emergency care to undocumented migrants is a public health problem.

INTRODUCTION

Nurses, along with other health care providers, such as doctors or cultural mediators, make up the Spanish Red Cross Emergency Response Team. Nurses, in particular, are associated with all phases of emergency care to undocumented migrants who arrive in small boats, offering first aid as well as clinical and humanitarian care.

METHODS

Qualitative descriptive study. Seventeen nurses from the Spanish Red Cross Emergency Response Team participated in face-to-face interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.

FINDINGS

Three main themes emerged: (i) guaranteeing comprehensive emergency care, (ii) the nurse, the key member of the multidisciplinary care team for undocumented migrants and (iii) 'making a difference', volunteering as a nurse's role.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses try to guarantee comprehensive care provision for undocumented migrants, even though they face stigma, ethical concerns or an impossibility to prescribe pharmacological treatments. Personalised care, more time and protocols, better training and the incorporation of debriefing are elements that are required to improve the emergency care given to undocumented migrants.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Institutions must develop policies to support provsion of emergency care to undocumented migrants. A public health issue cannot depend upon volunteer healthcare providers. Governments must guarantee funding, training and established care teams. Understanding nurses' experiences could increase awareness of the problem, reduce stigma and improve the comprehensive emergency care provided to undocumented migrants.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Stigma, and Trauma: A Detrimental Trio for an Altered Sense of Self

This study aimed to assess whether, and to what extent, the commercial sexual exploitation of female adolescents placed in residential care predicted different manifestations of an altered sense of self in emerging adulthood while considering the possible confounding effects of child maltreatment and perceived stigmatization. Data were gathered in a broader longitudinal study conducted among a sample of 124 female adolescents placed in residential youth care centers. Commercial sexual exploitation was self-reported during adolescence. Altered sense of self was self-reported in emerging adulthood with the following dependent variables: sense of failure, sense of defensiveness and shame, lack of self-awareness, and other-directedness. Findings suggest that, even after accounting for the significant effects of confounding variables, commercial sexual exploitation increases specific vulnerabilities pertaining to identity development. This creates unique intervention needs among young women. Our study adds to the literature by highlighting the unique influence of commercial sexual exploitation experiences among vulnerable female adolescents on their sense of self in young adulthood. Our results point to the relevance of considering the intersection of trauma and stigmatization when working with and providing services to adolescent females with a history of commercial sexual exploitation.

Physicians' experiences of providing emergency care to undocumented migrants arriving in Spain by small boats

INTRODUCTION

Access to emergency care for undocumented migrants (UMs) is a public health problem. Spain receives thousands of UMs who arrive by sea. A multidisciplinary team of the Spanish Red Cross, made up of physicians, nurses, police, and cultural mediators, developed emergency care for UMs.

AIM

The aim of our study is to describe and understand the experiences of physicians in emergency care for UMs who arrive in Spain by small boats METHODS: Qualitative study, based on Gadamer's phenomenology. Convenience and purposive sampling was carried out and included sixteen in-depth interviews with physicians, between June 2019 and March 2020 in Spain.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: 1) Rediscovering humanistic medicine; 2) Leaving the personal and professional comfort zone; 3) Improving medical emergency care.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage, pharmacological prescription, and the closure of the emergency care process are the key contributions of medical care. Cultural, language and security barriers make emergency care difficult.

Identifying novel forms of reluctance in commercially sexually exploited adolescents

BACKGROUND

Research has largely overlooked expressions of reluctance in commercially sexually exploited adolescent ("CSEA") victims. This is problematic because gaining information from known victims is of the utmost importance in order to better serve the needs of current and potential future victims.

OBJECTIVE

The current study proposes a novel conceptualization of reluctance based on CSEA victims' transcripts from police interviews and courtroom examinations.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study examined police interviews (n = 8 victims, 1558 utterances) and courtroom transcripts (n = 6 victims, 1961 utterances) conducted with female CSEA victims aged 15-17 years old (M_age = 16.29). The victims were associated with the same trafficker and were thus interviewed by the same group of police officers, and for those who testified, were questioned by the same lawyers in court.

RESULTS

Sixteen reluctance tactics were identified, including several that have been overlooked in previous literature. The current reluctance measure identified more reluctance than previous studies' reluctance measures. Reluctance was much more common in police interviews (26.4%; p < .001) than in court (5.5%), and if victims were more reluctant in the police interviews, they were less likely to appear in court (p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have implications for future conceptualizations of reluctance, and illustrate the importance of considering the age of the victim and the circumstances under which the victim is questioned in identifying reluctance.

Human Trafficking of Children

Human trafficking has been increasingly recognized worldwide as a major public health problem. It is a crime based on exploitation of the most vulnerable and marginalized people of any community and is a violation of human rights. Children, especially immigrant and refugee children, are at risk of victimization and may experience considerable physical and mental health consequences. Adding these problems to pre-existing vulnerabilities and adversities makes human trafficking a complex health issue that needs to be addressed by a multidisciplinary team that includes health care providers. This article aims to provide an overview of human trafficking and the red flags that may alert the pediatrician to the possibility of exploitation, with a special focus on immigrant and refugee children. It describes a trauma-informed, rights-based approach and discusses ways in which pediatricians can contribute to a multidisciplinary response to human trafficking. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(5):e209-e214.].