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Empowering Change: Enhancing Practitioner Skills in Identifying and Assisting Trafficking Victims

Empowering Change: Enhancing Practitioner Skills in Identifying and Assisting Trafficking Victims

Introduction

Human sex trafficking is a pervasive global issue that poses significant challenges to healthcare providers, particularly in emergency departments (EDs), where trafficked individuals often seek medical care. Despite the critical role EDs play, many victims remain unidentified due to practitioners' lack of training and standardized protocols. The scoping review by Marcinkowski et al. (2022) highlights these gaps and offers insights into improving the identification and support of trafficking victims.

Understanding the Gaps

The review analyzed 23 studies focusing on adult human sex trafficking identification, screening, interventions, and education within ED settings. It revealed a lack of validated screening tools and formal training programs, which hinders healthcare practitioners' ability to identify and assist trafficking victims effectively.

Key findings include:

Implementing Educational Interventions

Educational interventions are pivotal in equipping healthcare practitioners with the necessary skills to identify and support trafficking victims. The review highlights several successful interventions:

These interventions demonstrate that even brief educational programs can significantly impact practitioners' ability to support trafficking victims effectively.

The Role of Screening Tools

While numerous screening tools exist, none are validated for adult patients in healthcare settings. The review discusses several tools that can be adapted for use in EDs:

Implementing these tools requires practitioners to be familiar with the warning signs of trafficking and local resources available for victim support.

Encouraging Further Research

The findings of this review underscore the need for continued research and development of validated screening tools and educational programs. Practitioners are encouraged to engage in further research to refine these tools and interventions, ensuring they are effective and applicable in real-world settings.

Conclusion

By addressing the gaps in training and screening tools, healthcare practitioners can play a crucial role in identifying and supporting trafficking victims. Educational interventions and research are key to empowering practitioners to make data-driven decisions that lead to positive outcomes for vulnerable populations.

To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Sex trafficking screening and intervention in the emergency department: A scoping review.


Citation: Marcinkowski, B., Caggiula, A., Tran, B. N., Tran, Q. K., & Pourmand, A. (2022). Sex trafficking screening and intervention in the emergency department: A scoping review. JACEP Open, 3, e12638. https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12638
Marnee Brick, President, TinyEYE Therapy Services

Author's Note: Marnee Brick, TinyEYE President, and her team collaborate to create our blogs. They share their insights and expertise in the field of Speech-Language Pathology, Online Therapy Services and Academic Research.

Connect with Marnee on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest in Speech-Language Pathology and Online Therapy Services.

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