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Description

Human trafficking (HT) is a growing issue not only in third-world countries but is happening in our own backyard in the United States. A major metropolitan pediatric hospital located in one of the top three cities with the highest rates of HT was lacking the tools to identify victims of HT. As individual cases were being informally identified, nurses acknowledged the need for the development of an action plan.  The purpose of this study is to successfully identify victims of HT. A literature review showed that utilizing a validated screening tool could identify victims of HT. The validated Greenbaum Screening tool (Greenbaum, et al, 2018) was chosen and piloted in the emergency department (ED) of this pediatric hospital. The screening tool consists of six questions asked of any patients presenting to the ED that were ten years or older with the exception of patients that could not respond. Screening questions ask about previous injuries, previous alcohol or drug use, running away from home, involvement with law enforcement, previous sexually transmitted infections, and a history of multiple sexual partners. The pilot was conducted over a three-month period with twenty-three patients screened. Of these patients, 22% screened positive. A positive screen would prompt an escalation to a social worker who would interview the patient and decide if the medical provider who specializes in evaluation of traumatized or children at risk for abuse and neglect should be consulted. Prior to utilizing the screening tool, no patients were referred to the clinic for evaluation of trafficking. The positivity rate has proven the necessity of this screening tool. Plans include expanding the pilot to more areas of the hospital to increase awareness and increase the potential of identifying HT victims.

Publication Date

2023

Child Trafficking: The Identification and Intervention of Pediatric Trafficked Victims in the Emergency Room

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