Many children and youth experiencing trafficking and exploitation seek medical care. Healthcare professionals need to be able to recognize and respond appropriately to their unique needs.

 

Child Trafficking and Exploitation Overview

Whether you work in a busy metropolitan emergency department, private suburban clinic, or rural health center, you are likely to encounter children and youth who have experienced sex and/or labor trafficking or exploitation. Affected individuals need support and assistance from healthcare professionals. This toolkit provides practical information to equip you and your staff to recognize and appropriately respond to patients who have experienced labor or sex trafficking, and those at-risk.

AAP Recommendations

The AAP has published a clinical report on child sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, as well as a policy statement on global human trafficking and child victimization.

Child Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Health Care Needs of Victims

Global  Human Trafficking and Child Victimization

 

What You Should Know About Child Trafficking

A brief overview of child trafficking including definitions, statistics and epidemiology.

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Professional Tools & Resources

Physician Training Resources

Here you’ll find links to online training resources for health professionals, addressing the basics of human trafficking and recommended clinician response.

Providing Trauma Informed Care

Many trafficked children and youth experience chronic, repeated and varied trauma, which can influence behaviors and attitudes.

Screening and Education

Screening for human trafficking amongst all your patients is important. Here we provide evaluated and validated screening tools for guidance.

Engaging Community Agencies & Survivors

Partnerships are important for strengthening initiatives that aim to help trafficked children and youth. Find guidance on building community partnerships and respectfully engaging survivor leaders to further anti-trafficking initiatives.

Documentation in the Health Record

Accurate and comprehensive documentation in the electronic health record is important for continuity of care, but with trafficked children and youth, there are important factors to consider.

Direct Primary Care Services

Trafficked children and youth require comprehensive primary care services for routine health maintenance as well as management of unique physical and mental health needs resulting from their complex trauma.

Prevention of Human Trafficking

Information and resources on the role of the pediatrician in preventing human trafficking.

Additional Resources

Additional trainings and links to trafficking organizations.

Resources for Patients and Families

Information on how to provide helpful and relevant resources to patients who have experienced trafficking and those at risk.

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Last Updated

12/20/2021

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics