Article of the Month: March 2015

Becker HJ, Bechtel K. Recognizing victims of human trafficking in the pediatric emergency department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2015 Feb; 31(2):144-7.

Main Points

• Some red flags for identifying potential victims
  • “Friend” or “Family Members” who answer questions for victims and refusing to leave victim alone
  • Vague answers or injuries/illnesses that do not make sense
  • Patient unable to give personal information (i.e. address, identification)
  • Anxious/Nervous patient and/or “friends” or “family members”
  • Refusing social work or law enforcement help
  • High numbers of sexual partners or unwanted pregnancies
  • Neglect of medical conditions (i.e Asthma, Ezcema, Diabetes, Growth Delay, Development Delay, Dental Caries, STDs)
• If a healthcare provider identifies a potential victim
  • Separate the potential victim from all “friends” or “family members”
  • Always use professional interpreters when questioning potential victims
  • Do a head-to-toe examination looking for old and new injuries or scars
  • Look for signs of substance abuse
• If a physician identifies injuries consistent with abuse please call Social Work and Law Enforcement
• The National Human Trafficking Resource Center [1-888-373-7888] is available to any healthcare profession or citizen 24 hours a day and in 180 languages if you have any questions; you can also find them online at www.traffickingresourcecenter.org.