INJUSTICE AND EXPLOITATION

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND SOCIAL WORK

David Okech, MSW, PhD Associate Professor

The trafficking of persons around the world, also known as modern day slavery, is a serious violation of human rights and a manifestation of social injustice. Human trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or [sex] services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, [sexual exploitation] or slavery” (U. S. Department of State, 2000). It is caused by micro- and macro-level factors: macro-level factors include economic injustice, poverty, wars and natural disasters, globalization of the consumer market, discrimination against women, and global sex tourism. Microlevel risk factors include family breakdown, poor family relations, child abuse and neglect, mental illness and substance use among parents, and homelessness among children (Roby, 2005). Though valid and reliable trafficking data remain a challenge and born of contention, a recent report estimated that 24.9 million individuals around the world are currently victims of some form of trafficking. These men, women and children are exploited in economic activities such as agriculture, fishing, domestic work, construction, manufacturing and the commercial sex industry (IOL, 2017). Although the majority of victims are trafficked across international borders, 42% are victimized within their own countries (UNODC, 2016). Trafficking disproportionately affects women and children-of the current global victims, 71% are female and 28% are children (UNODC, 2016).

The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers affirms the profession’s responsibility to pursue social change and human rights, particularly on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people, and toward the liberation of all people. Similarly, the Council on Social Work Education maintains that “social work’s purpose is actualized through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons” (CSWE, 2015). A social work perspective on the issue of human trafficking is therefore critical in antitrafficking efforts, not only because of the professional guiding principles and values, but also because of the holistic nature of social work interventions with oppressed populations.

Social justice for trafficking survivors must go beyond the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators, it must include provision of necessary services that help survivors restart their lives in conducive circumstances. There are several important implications for the profession in dealing with the problem of trafficking. Applications to policy include advocating the Fredrick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization [HR 2200] bill of 2017, which is yet to become law and expires very soon. The precursors to this law have provided funding for anti-trafficking efforts since 2000. Programmatic applications include providing specialized and comprehensive services to trafficking survivors, including psychosocial, economic empowerment, legal representation,

The African Programming and Research Initiative to End Slavery (APRIES) is an international consortium of anti-slavery researchers and policy advocates from the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Liverpool (UoL). Their goal is to reduce the prevalence of modern slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by transforming the capacity of community-engaged agencies to implement prevention, prosecution, and protection strategies. For more infomation visit https://apries.uga.edu/.

language interpretation, and supports with immigration issues. In addition, community awareness programs are also key in preventing or reducing the problem.

However, the effectiveness of these important applications hinge on rigorous research that is informed by the social, health, and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities. Clearly, one area of research is the collection of valid and reliable data on the issue. Research in the area is very much in its infancy and there is opportunity to collaborate both transdisciplinarily and transnationally in order to build a body of research that will lead to the provision of the best services for trafficking victims and survivors. The UGA School of Social Work is presently involved in research whose goal is to provide evidence-informed intervention and reintegration services for female survivors of trafficking. The transnational research team represents scholars from social work, medicine, sociology, public health and family studies. The intervention will be designed in a sustainable manner and replicable across various countries in the world. 

References

U.S. Department of State. (2000). Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Public law 106-386. https://bit.ly/2XwPbdf Roby, J. L. (2005). Women and children in the global sex trade: Toward more effective policy. International

Social Work, 48(2), 136-147. https://bit.ly/2DAFMdG International Labour Organization [ILO]. (2017). Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labour and forced marriage. Geneva: Author, https://bit.ly/3gAvLM4 UNODC. (2016). UNODC report on human trafficking exposes modern form of slavery. https://bit.ly/3fxLB94 Council on Social Work Education. (2015). Educational policy and accreditation standards. Alexandria, VA:

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