Human Trafficking Definitions and Legal Considerations

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This page contains information about Human Trafficking, including sexual assault and abuse. There are links to videos which include survivor's first hand account of their experiences.

Introduction

"Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world." -United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime

The United States Department of States describes "trafficking in persons" "human trafficking" and "modern slavery" as interchangeable terms.

Information about healthcare being first line of recognition.

Definitions and Concepts

Below is a list of definitions and concepts within the context of human trafficking. Please refer to this list as needed throughout the Rehabilitation's Role in Human Trafficking Intervention course.

• Coercion is a means of control. It is the act of persuading another person into action by means of threats or force. In context of human trafficking this can include: threats of serious bodily harm, physical restraint, psychological or emotional manipulation, and document confiscation.
• Commercial Sex Act refers to any sexual act or conduct, or sexually explicit performance promised to/given to/or received by any person in exchange for anything of value.
• Debt Bondage (also known as debt slavery, bonded labour, or peonage) is a pledge of services by a debtor (or a person under the debtor's control) to repay know or unknown amount of debt. Examples of these charges can include: fees for transportation, food and boarding, interest on a loan, and fines for missing a quota. Often the terms for debt repayment are not clear which gives the lender control over the debtor. When the services for debt repayment are not clearly defined, the debtor can become trapped in a cycle of debt they cannot pay down and are obligated to provided services indefinitely.
• Force, in the context of human trafficking, is a means of control over victims. The use of monitoring and/or confinement is often used during the early stages of victimization to erode the victim's resistance. Physical forms of force used in human trafficking can include: physical restraint, and physical and sexual assault. This is related to harboring of a victim which involves isolation, confinement, and monitoring.
• Fraud, in the context of human trafficking, involves the false representation or promise of employment, wage, debt agreement, working condition, and relationship status including marriage.
• Involuntary Servitude (also known as involuntary slavery) refers to a person being coerced into a form of labour against their will to the benefit of another person.
• Obtaining, in the context of human trafficking, is the forced taking or exchange of something to gain control over another person.
• Patronizing, in the context of sex trafficking, is receiving a sexual act or sexually explicit performance.
• Recruiting is the proactive targeting of vulnerable persons and the grooming of wanted behaviours by means of fraud and coercion by human traffickers.
• Slavery, in the context of human trafficking, is when a controlled person is forced to provide labour and/or services against their will.
• Soliciting, in the context of sex trafficking, involves the offering a sexual act or sexually explicit performance.
• Transporting includes the movement and arrangement of travel for persons being trafficked.

Human Trafficking versus Human Smuggling

Information in the above table is adapted from the Human Trafficking Fact Sheet created by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Trafficking in Person.

	Human Trafficking	Human Smuggling
Consent	Victims are forced, defrauded, or coerced into trafficking If consent was initially offered it is rendered null by exploiting labour, services, or commercial sex	Individuals give consent to being illegally smuggled and involved a transaction of some sort The transaction is mutual and ends at the arrival at the agreed-upon destination
Victim of the crime	committed against an individual	committed against a country
Domestic or Transitional	Victimization can be transnational or domestic	Smuggling is transnational by definition

Consensual commercial sex (vs human trafficking)

Types of Trafficking, Dynamics, and Vulnerability Factors

• Human trafficking (include all major forms including labour and sex)
  • Trafficking does not require crossing internations or state borders
  • Limitations of data on human trafficking
  • Victim: vulnerabilities to trafficking
  • Trafficker: present a variety of trafficker profiles and their recruitment techniques
• Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), as amended (22 U.S.C. §7102).

Health Impact

• Acute injuries: physical, psychological, emotional
• Chronic medical problems/issues/concerns
• Mental health issues
• Reproductive/sexual health concerns
• Impact on QoL, autonomy and independence

Identification and Assessment

• Where are you most likely to interact with a trafficked person?
  • Clinical settings in which trafficked persons may be encountered.
  • Application for rehabilitation professionals
• Identifying a trafficked person
  • the potential indicators of trafficking in persons
  • provider challenges to identification and response
  • challenges/opportunities when interfacing with trafficked persons
• Interacting with a trafficked person
  • Patient-centered
  • the role of trauma-informed care in trust-building and Communication.
  • provides samples of appropriate language to assist with identification.
  • the importance of the use of professional interpreters
  • provides strategies to have private conversations with potential trafficked persons.
  • Survivor barriers to disclosure
• Safety concerns
  • measures to keep oneself and patients safe.
  • describes the importance of appropriate documentation

Response and Follow Up

Intervention

• describes the importance of the healthcare provider role in intervention and response.
• includes a discussion of the importance of organizational Protocols.
• includes a discussion of mandated reporter obligations

Referrals

• describes the importance of survivor-centered, multidisciplinary referrals within the health care organization and with community partners.
• includes a discussion on the importance of building a trusted local network of resources
• includes a discussion of the implications of law enforcement involvement.

Resources

• provides information on how to contact your community, local, and/or state resources.
• National Human Trafficking Hotline number and text number along with any local hotlines.

Resources

• https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/First-Aid-Kit/First_Aid_Kit_-_Booklet_eng.pdf