Hidden Crimes: Identification Of Victims
Identification of Victims
Identifications of victims is an issue service providers and law enforcement struggle with daily. Trafficking is very much a hidden crime, meaning most individuals could not identify a trafficking victim, even if they lived in their own community. There is only very recently increased awareness of trafficking, its victims, how to identify them, and how to treat them. According to Heather Clawson and Nicole Dutch, trafficking victims are kept isolated with no freedom and very little movement. Any and all contact with the outside world is controlled by the trafficker, making victims dependent on them for everything (2008). Fear is a huge factor in keeping victims hidden from the rest of the world. Victims fear the …show more content…
traffickers, due to threats made against them and/or their family. Victims also fear law enforcement and feel they cannot trust them; again, due to their traffickers brainwashing them (Clawson and Dutch 2008). There are many ways that have been developed recently to identify trafficking victims. Trafficking victims have similarities with domestic violence victims, which include physical injuries. Broken bones, bruising, etc. are all ways emergency personnel (law enforcement, and ER personnel) are able to identify trafficking victims. Additionally, exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy are also circumstances that send trafficking victims to health clinics. It is important the clinicians are able to recognize symptoms that indicate their patient is a trafficking victim. Another way victims can be identified is indirectly through other crimes such as prostitution. This is the greatest chance law enforcement has to come into contact with these victims. Victims are “pimped out” to “Johns” and exchange sexual favors for money to bring back to their trafficker. The great debate of the discovery of trafficking victims as prostitutes becomes if they should be treated as a victim or an offender. This is another issue that plays into the fear aspect victims feel. They often do not report they are being trafficked because they are afraid of law enforcement. They are afraid they will be prosecuted and like they cannot trust law enforcement. They then go back to their trafficker who drills that idea into them even more, that the trafficker is the only person the victim can trust (Clawson & Dutch 2008). Traffickers brainwash their victims and make it extremely difficult to identify them, in turn making the impact of trafficking more difficult because they often do not feel as though they are victims. Attempting to treat a victim for human trafficking is difficult when the victim does not believe they are a victim. There are also instances where victims do not feel they are trafficked because they like what they are doing. Everything they need is provided to them by their trafficker. They may not want to go into the real world and get a real job and be forced to pay bills, be responsible, etc. They may be completely content with their abuser. Law enforcement has difficulty with this because they have the duty to determine who is a trafficking victim who really does want to get out and get help or if they are a prostitute who wants to continue their lifestyle. It is an extremely fine line. Figure B is a list of the most common "red flags" based on the patterns of trafficking victims. It has been categorized into two parts, adults and children.
Needs During Treatment
The needs of treatment for trafficking victims varies from case to case. This falls directly into how trafficking impacts its victims because depending on the amount of damage done to the victim, a treatment plan will be created in an attempt to reverse that impact. There has been a general list compiled for short term needs and long term needs. Clawson’s short term list includes housing, food, shelter, clothing, medical care and most importantly, safety. Almost all victims have been forced to be completely dependent on their abusers for everything. Without their abusers, victims would not be able to fend for themselves; at least that is what they are trained to think. A list of long term needs include housing education, job training, substance abuse treatment, legal assistance, and psychological care. Jessica Black focused on the psychological needs as well as the substance abuse treatment for victims. Sex trafficking causes a wide variety of psychological issues. Depression, anxiety, separation anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders, are just a few of psychological issues victims can face. The goal of treatment is how to decrease or completely remove all of the symptoms associated with these issues for victims. Substance abuse is extremely prevalent in trafficking. Victims are often drugged so they will comply with orders given to them. Later, they develop an addiction to these substances, most often cocaine or heroin, and use these substances to cope with being victims (Black 2007). There is a growing amount of evidence-based mental health treatment. This is due to the fact that researchers and treatment providers are becoming more knowledgeable about the invisible scars of victims. Mental health issues are increasing in trafficking victims, but this does not mean there are more mental health issues in victims. It means researchers and treatment providers are learning what mental health issues present in victims and how to identify them better. The most common mental health issue, according to Williamson, Dutch and Clawson is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been research done to determine which treatments work best for victims. There are currently five that are rated to be the most effective: cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and stress inoculation training.
Barriers to Treatment
There are endless barriers to the treatment of sex trafficking victims.
They have been categorized into two types, barriers for victims, and barriers for providers. The barriers for victims include fear of the abuser, fear of law enforcement, stigma and PTSD. The stigma of being a trafficking victim involves a sense of shame or fear of the response they will receive. Victims will often times be asked why they did not leave when they had the chance, and the response is typically they did not want to have others, including law enforcement look down on them or pity them. Victims are often afraid their abuser will find them if they leave, or hurt their families if they leave. Victims also fear what they will do next if they do leave. They have no home, often no family, no job, no education, etc. They have no idea what they would do if they were to ever escape their abuser, so they stay where they know they are being given everything they need, even if it is an unhealthy and abusive setting. Being dependent on the abusers makes it difficult for victims to find their own voice, or do things on their own because they have always needed the permission or approval from their abuser (Clawson and Dutch 2008). All of these barriers are also related to the impact of trafficking because without the fear, or the dependency these victims have on their abuser they would be much easier to treat. The barriers are issues the abusers have instilled into the victims to gain control over them. For example, dependency on an abuser for everything such as when to eat, sleep, use the restroom are all ways victims are impacted. Once they are free and no longer being trafficked the issue then becomes realizing they do not have to seek permission to do these things and they may still look to someone, an officer, a family member, a friend, to give the clearance to do certain things. Another barrier for victims is the availability or appropriateness of services. In more rural areas, services are
going to be very limited. It is also more difficult to find culturally appropriate services and gender appropriate services in the rural areas. Rural areas have very basic, if any services at all for trafficking victims. Something simple as having someone speak the same language as a victim is a struggle. Referring back to the stigma victims feel, they also may not feel comfortable sharing their experiences as a victim with someone outside of their culture, again due to stigma. Housing is a service that is difficult to find. It's not very difficult to find emergency shelters for a few days or a few weeks but permanent housing is extremely difficult to locate due to funding. Victims need housing until they can get back on their feet, especially if they do not have family in the picture who can take them in for the time being. It is even more difficult to find housing for boys and men because boys and men are just recently being considered victims who would need services just as much as women do.
One barrier that is both a barrier for victims as well as treatment providers is a concept called Trauma Bonding or Trauma-Coerced Attachment. The term is fairly new but the concept has always existed. It has previously been known as Stockholm Syndrome. Trauma bonding is a little more specific to domestic violence victims and trafficking victims. It is the emotional connection developed by a victim for their abuser (Julich, 2013). Traffickers will abuse their victims in order to make the victim fear them. They will then put them through the "honeymoon phase" to show them they do love their victims and they are the only ones who actually care about them in the world. They prove this by providing all the essentials victims need, food, clothing, shelter, etc. Everything the victims have, the abuser has control over and will exercise that control at any point. Most victims have no families, the trafficker is all they have. Victims hold on to any piece of kindness a trafficker provides and will develop emotional connections based on those few moments. Trauma bonding is a barrier for victims because since they have now developed this connection to their abuser, it is very difficult for them to break away. This is also a barrier to providers because it makes it so much more difficult to get victims to commit to treatment, and complete treatment. Life after trafficking is hard. Victims have to establish a life for themselves, they must learn things they may not have known previously, such as finding a job, going back to school, etc. Going back to their abuser, who has provided everything for them looks like a better option for them instead of living in the real world in their eyes. Trauma bonding is also a way for abusers to have their victims protect them if they are ever questioned by law enforcement. Trauma bonding in combination with traffickers implanting a fear of law enforcement into victims ensures traffickers will get away with trafficking.
Identifications of victims is an issue service providers and law enforcement struggle with daily. Trafficking is very much a hidden crime, meaning most individuals could not identify a trafficking victim, even if they lived in their own community. There is only very recently increased awareness of trafficking, its victims, how to identify them, and how to treat them. According to Heather Clawson and Nicole Dutch, trafficking victims are kept isolated with no freedom and very little movement. Any and all contact with the outside world is controlled by the trafficker, making victims dependent on them for everything (2008). Fear is a huge factor in keeping victims hidden from the rest of the world. Victims fear the …show more content…
traffickers, due to threats made against them and/or their family. Victims also fear law enforcement and feel they cannot trust them; again, due to their traffickers brainwashing them (Clawson and Dutch 2008). There are many ways that have been developed recently to identify trafficking victims. Trafficking victims have similarities with domestic violence victims, which include physical injuries. Broken bones, bruising, etc. are all ways emergency personnel (law enforcement, and ER personnel) are able to identify trafficking victims. Additionally, exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy are also circumstances that send trafficking victims to health clinics. It is important the clinicians are able to recognize symptoms that indicate their patient is a trafficking victim. Another way victims can be identified is indirectly through other crimes such as prostitution. This is the greatest chance law enforcement has to come into contact with these victims. Victims are “pimped out” to “Johns” and exchange sexual favors for money to bring back to their trafficker. The great debate of the discovery of trafficking victims as prostitutes becomes if they should be treated as a victim or an offender. This is another issue that plays into the fear aspect victims feel. They often do not report they are being trafficked because they are afraid of law enforcement. They are afraid they will be prosecuted and like they cannot trust law enforcement. They then go back to their trafficker who drills that idea into them even more, that the trafficker is the only person the victim can trust (Clawson & Dutch 2008). Traffickers brainwash their victims and make it extremely difficult to identify them, in turn making the impact of trafficking more difficult because they often do not feel as though they are victims. Attempting to treat a victim for human trafficking is difficult when the victim does not believe they are a victim. There are also instances where victims do not feel they are trafficked because they like what they are doing. Everything they need is provided to them by their trafficker. They may not want to go into the real world and get a real job and be forced to pay bills, be responsible, etc. They may be completely content with their abuser. Law enforcement has difficulty with this because they have the duty to determine who is a trafficking victim who really does want to get out and get help or if they are a prostitute who wants to continue their lifestyle. It is an extremely fine line. Figure B is a list of the most common "red flags" based on the patterns of trafficking victims. It has been categorized into two parts, adults and children.
Needs During Treatment
The needs of treatment for trafficking victims varies from case to case. This falls directly into how trafficking impacts its victims because depending on the amount of damage done to the victim, a treatment plan will be created in an attempt to reverse that impact. There has been a general list compiled for short term needs and long term needs. Clawson’s short term list includes housing, food, shelter, clothing, medical care and most importantly, safety. Almost all victims have been forced to be completely dependent on their abusers for everything. Without their abusers, victims would not be able to fend for themselves; at least that is what they are trained to think. A list of long term needs include housing education, job training, substance abuse treatment, legal assistance, and psychological care. Jessica Black focused on the psychological needs as well as the substance abuse treatment for victims. Sex trafficking causes a wide variety of psychological issues. Depression, anxiety, separation anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders, are just a few of psychological issues victims can face. The goal of treatment is how to decrease or completely remove all of the symptoms associated with these issues for victims. Substance abuse is extremely prevalent in trafficking. Victims are often drugged so they will comply with orders given to them. Later, they develop an addiction to these substances, most often cocaine or heroin, and use these substances to cope with being victims (Black 2007). There is a growing amount of evidence-based mental health treatment. This is due to the fact that researchers and treatment providers are becoming more knowledgeable about the invisible scars of victims. Mental health issues are increasing in trafficking victims, but this does not mean there are more mental health issues in victims. It means researchers and treatment providers are learning what mental health issues present in victims and how to identify them better. The most common mental health issue, according to Williamson, Dutch and Clawson is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been research done to determine which treatments work best for victims. There are currently five that are rated to be the most effective: cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and stress inoculation training.
Barriers to Treatment
There are endless barriers to the treatment of sex trafficking victims.
They have been categorized into two types, barriers for victims, and barriers for providers. The barriers for victims include fear of the abuser, fear of law enforcement, stigma and PTSD. The stigma of being a trafficking victim involves a sense of shame or fear of the response they will receive. Victims will often times be asked why they did not leave when they had the chance, and the response is typically they did not want to have others, including law enforcement look down on them or pity them. Victims are often afraid their abuser will find them if they leave, or hurt their families if they leave. Victims also fear what they will do next if they do leave. They have no home, often no family, no job, no education, etc. They have no idea what they would do if they were to ever escape their abuser, so they stay where they know they are being given everything they need, even if it is an unhealthy and abusive setting. Being dependent on the abusers makes it difficult for victims to find their own voice, or do things on their own because they have always needed the permission or approval from their abuser (Clawson and Dutch 2008). All of these barriers are also related to the impact of trafficking because without the fear, or the dependency these victims have on their abuser they would be much easier to treat. The barriers are issues the abusers have instilled into the victims to gain control over them. For example, dependency on an abuser for everything such as when to eat, sleep, use the restroom are all ways victims are impacted. Once they are free and no longer being trafficked the issue then becomes realizing they do not have to seek permission to do these things and they may still look to someone, an officer, a family member, a friend, to give the clearance to do certain things. Another barrier for victims is the availability or appropriateness of services. In more rural areas, services are
going to be very limited. It is also more difficult to find culturally appropriate services and gender appropriate services in the rural areas. Rural areas have very basic, if any services at all for trafficking victims. Something simple as having someone speak the same language as a victim is a struggle. Referring back to the stigma victims feel, they also may not feel comfortable sharing their experiences as a victim with someone outside of their culture, again due to stigma. Housing is a service that is difficult to find. It's not very difficult to find emergency shelters for a few days or a few weeks but permanent housing is extremely difficult to locate due to funding. Victims need housing until they can get back on their feet, especially if they do not have family in the picture who can take them in for the time being. It is even more difficult to find housing for boys and men because boys and men are just recently being considered victims who would need services just as much as women do.
One barrier that is both a barrier for victims as well as treatment providers is a concept called Trauma Bonding or Trauma-Coerced Attachment. The term is fairly new but the concept has always existed. It has previously been known as Stockholm Syndrome. Trauma bonding is a little more specific to domestic violence victims and trafficking victims. It is the emotional connection developed by a victim for their abuser (Julich, 2013). Traffickers will abuse their victims in order to make the victim fear them. They will then put them through the "honeymoon phase" to show them they do love their victims and they are the only ones who actually care about them in the world. They prove this by providing all the essentials victims need, food, clothing, shelter, etc. Everything the victims have, the abuser has control over and will exercise that control at any point. Most victims have no families, the trafficker is all they have. Victims hold on to any piece of kindness a trafficker provides and will develop emotional connections based on those few moments. Trauma bonding is a barrier for victims because since they have now developed this connection to their abuser, it is very difficult for them to break away. This is also a barrier to providers because it makes it so much more difficult to get victims to commit to treatment, and complete treatment. Life after trafficking is hard. Victims have to establish a life for themselves, they must learn things they may not have known previously, such as finding a job, going back to school, etc. Going back to their abuser, who has provided everything for them looks like a better option for them instead of living in the real world in their eyes. Trauma bonding is also a way for abusers to have their victims protect them if they are ever questioned by law enforcement. Trauma bonding in combination with traffickers implanting a fear of law enforcement into victims ensures traffickers will get away with trafficking.