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AAP: Health care workers need training to identify, intervene in child trafficking
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Health care workers should receive training to recognize signs of possible child exploitation as part of child labor or sex trafficking, according to a joint policy statement from the AAP Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Section on International Child Health.
“Social ills such as poverty, family violence and homelessness are just a few factors that leave children vulnerable to human trafficking,” Jordan Greenbaum, MD, an author of the statement and member of the AAP Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, stated in the release. “Children who are smuggled internationally are especially at risk and may be reluctant to report abuses out of fear.”
Data from U.S. cities with federally funded task forces on human trafficking collected from January 2008 to June 2010 reported that 94% of sex trafficking victims were female and that 55% were aged younger than 18 years, according to the release.
The AAP recommends steps in the fight against child trafficking, including:
- Health care workers should be trained to recognize possible signs of exploitation and how to use proper intervention.
- Health care professionals should work with nonmedical professionals in a community to assist victims.
- State, national and international legislation and policies promoting child rights and victim services should be supported.
- There should be advocacy for rigorous, evidence-based research.
- There should be support for developing clinic and hospital protocols to recognize and respond to child trafficking.
“As pediatricians, we have the opportunity to identify children at risk of exploitation and connect them to essential services,” Nia Bodrick, MD, MPH, a member of the AAP Section on International Child Health, stated in the release.
“In some cases, the parents or caregivers are victims of human trafficking,” Greenbaum added. “Our goal is prevention and to provide medical services that are culturally appropriate and victim-centered.”
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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