Today, some label human trafficking as a form of "modern day slavery," and frequently, human trafficking has been linked to sex work and prostitution, although there are other forms of trafficking, such as forced labor and domestic work. Human trafficking can involve women, men, and children. Human trafficking is one of the worst abuses of human rights. Because the roots of human trafficking are multifaceted, no one solution exists to eliminate this problem. Unfortunately, as the problem grows, healthcare practitioners will be confronted with the issue in their patient populations. Practitioners should be committed to the collaboration amongst disciplines to address poverty, racism, discrimination, and oppression in order to reduce the vulnerable positions of human trafficking victims and their families. Because of the social justice component in the codes of ethics of professionals such as physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and counselors, all practitioners can play a key role in the individual, community, and systemic levels to help address this gross abuse of power. One way to begin is to educate oneself and one's respective disciplines about the global nature of human trafficking and the complex dynamics of the problem. This information is presented with the intention of educating health care providers on the long-term medical needs of survivors and on how they can establish a healthcare clinic in their communities. We encourage healthcare providers across the globe to evaluate local trafficking populations care needs and attempt to provide trauma-informed care to these patients. For individuals who are interested in creating such services in their community, a list of steps to guide this process are provided.Read More

Physicians who make screening for a history of sexual assault a routine part of clinical practice provide tertiary prevention of long-term and persistent physical and mental consequences of sexual assault. Healthcare providers should be aware of the existence of local protocols, including the use of specially trained sexual assault examiners or sexual assault forensic examiners. Long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse are varied, complex, and often devastating. Survivors come from all cultural, racial, and economic groups. Traumatized patients generally benefit from mental health care. The healthcare provider can be a powerful ally in the patient’s healing by offering support and referral. Efforts should be made to refer survivors to professionals with significant experience in abuse-related issues.Read More

Domestic violence continues to be a prevalent problem in the United States. In order to prevent domestic violence and promote the well-being of their patients, healthcare professionals in all settings must take the initiative to properly assess all women for abuse during each visit and, for those women who are or may be victims, to offer education, counseling, and referral information. A tremendous barrier to diagnosing and treating domestic violence is a lack of knowledge and training. It is imperative that healthcare professionals work together to establish specific guidelines that will facilitate identification of batterers and their victims. During the assessment process, a practitioner must be open and sensitive to the client's/patient's worldview, cultural belief systems. The long-term focus on domestic violence is responsible for major reforms on multiple levels within various systemic functions related to criminal prosecution, legislative views and actions, and healthcare protocols. Encouraging health care providers to address overall preventive health care may also improve screening for this important public health issue.Read More

Intimate partner violence affects 1 out of 4 women in the US and has a tremendous effect on the health and well-being of female patients. The medical community is uniquely positioned to lessen this impact, at the very least by alleviating the isolation that is often integral to victimization. In accordance with expert guidelines, clinicians should screen all women for partner abuse and provide support and information about available resources for patient identified as victims of violence. Domestic violence is a multifaceted problem with high prevalence and substantial costs to society. Using these time-saving screening tools can facilitate discussion of abuse. However, it is important to note that a positive screen with any of the tools demands further evaluation. The military environment possesses a unique set of circumstances and stressors that may directly affect family violence. These include periods of family separation, tensions between the demands of duty and the demands of family life, stress related to the military mission, frequent relocation, perceived dangers associated with military training and combat, as well as financial stressors. Screening for a controlling or threatening partner among women with even mild postpartum depression may identify those who are at higher risk for long-term depression.Read More

Injuries and violence are a significant cause of child death, physical and psychological disability. Increase attention to the field of injury control, the violence prevention and to stimulate research on what works to prevent and treat injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, as well as increased advocacy / partnership to confront child injury are of urgent need. Women's Health and Education Center (WHEC) hopes our efforts encourage countries and governments to implement injury control policies and programs that will actually lower the currently unacceptable toll of child injury. While much remains to be learned about the effectiveness of rehabilitation approaches, they signal the potential to actualize the full and meaningful participation of young people who experience disability following an injury. Progress in child and adolescent health will be limited if child injuries are not addressed systematically.Read More

Child abuse is a serious global health problem. Most prevention efforts for child maltreatment focus on victims and perpetrators without necessarily addressing the root causes of the problem. The Convention on Rights of Child is one the most widely ratified of all the international treaties and conventions. A stronger commitment to increase global violence prevention efforts is desperately needed.Read More

Domestic Violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors that may include repeated battering & injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation and intimidation. Someone who is or was involved in an intimate relationship, with the victim, perpetrates these behaviors. This article gives an overview of the dynamics and magnitude of Domestic Violence.Read More

Refraining and responding to violence against women. Health care Professionals are among the first person to whom a victim of abuse will turn for help. This presents a significant opportunity to offer effective, timely interventions that help victims regain a sense of control over their lives.Read More

Economic and Social Council One of its missions is, to achieve for women: gender equality, development and peace for the 20th century. Trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity. Over 1,200,000 persons (the number may as high as 4 million), especially women and children, are trafficked each year across international borders. Positive Initiatives: Many governments have passed Acts for the prevention and suppression of the trafficking in women and children. In Thailand, for example, girls are now protected under the purview of the Prevention And Suppression Of Trafficking In Women And Children Act, 1996 Several NGOs have set up programs to rescue, repatriate and reintegrate the victims of trafficking. Examples of these include Maiti Nepal in Nepal, Sanlaap in Calcutta, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Thailand, etc. To be successful, strategies to combat trafficking of women must: Address gender inequality as the root cause of violence and trafficking. Use new approaches which rely on more comprehensive and inclusive networks and partnerships. Suggestions for achievable community level programs that will prevent trafficking: We wish to offer suggestions on how projects involving local communities could become an effective component of the fight against trafficking. In trafficking- prone areas, community level prevention programs could be organized for the purpose of detecting and preventing the early disappearance of girls. The following components are suggested: A vigilance committee functioning at the village level to target trafficking agents. Such committees would be comprised of the village/community headperson/mayor, local women and men volunteers, the local police, local religious leader, etc. A local registry system where the names of missing girls are reported along with all pertinent details. An investigation team whose responsibility would be to screen “job recruiters” or other newcomers entering the village to detect if they might be recruiters for prostitution. The job recruiters would be asked to provide the girl’s future employer’s name, address and telephone number. He would be asked to give references on the potential employer, which the investigation team would, counter check. The vigilance committee would follow-up on the girl’s living and working conditions (carpet factory, domestic work, etc.) Girls groups could be formed, whenever possible, for the purpose of building their confidence and self-esteem and to give them a better understanding of the various forms of gender violence. Poverty eradication measures should be organized at the village level: literacy program, training for small – scale enterprises, etc. Media strategies should be developed to denounce culturally upheld beliefs and practices of violence against women, including domestic violence, female genital mutilation, female foetuside and systems of prostitution. Community education and advocacy programs should be designed for and directed to both genders in the community. These could cover issues such as gender discrimination, violence against women, the dangers of HIV/AIDS, the value of women and their resourcefulness for the community. Special recognition awards could be given by regional authorities to model villages/communities which have an active and effective anti-violence project. Early Systemic Alerts: Rescued girls have stated how they would have appreciated an early intervention by the police and NGOs at the place where they were sold or forced into prostitution. Existing networks between the pimps, brothel owners and the police need to be dealt with for successful rescue operations. There is an urgent need to establish/strengthen mechanisms for cooperation between the source, transit and destination countries or states where women are trafficked. To be more specific, this should include: Effective vigilance at border crossings Strict checking of identification papers Greater cooperation between the supplying and host countries for the purpose of prevention and rescue. Anti-corruption initiatives Prosecution of sex tourism and of “Mail Bride” industries. Editor’s Note The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, through its supplementary protocol, deals especially with preventing, suppressing and punishing trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Unfortunately, some states seem to lack the political will to implement this protocol effectively. Commenting on the Resolution Against Trafficking adopted by the General Assembly in December 2000, the Secretary General of the UN recommends that further actions be taken for the adoption and enforcement of legal strategies. For more information on the Work of the United Nations, Please visit their web site: http://www.un.org Published: 14 October 2009Read More

Domestic violence is one of the most serious public health problems in the United States (U.S.). More than 27.3% of women and 11.5% of men 18 years of age and older have a lifetime history of spousal abuse, battering, or intimate partner violence. In many states in the U.S., the weighted lifetime prevalence of domestic violence (including rape, physical violence, and/or stalking) is 34.2% among women and 24% among men. Although many of these incidents are relatively minor and consist of pushing, grabbing, and hitting, domestic violence resulted approximately 1,200 deaths in the United States in 2014. One of the difficulties in addressing the problem is that abuse is prevalent in all demographics, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, religious denomination, education, or socioeconomic status and most of the time either unreported or under-reported. This document provides helpful information illustrating the steps necessary to obtain a restraining order, improve your safety, abused person's rights and domestic violence law enforcement guidelines 2017. High-risk teams build upon the work of risk assessment by providing systematic responses to monitor offenders and enhance safety for victims. Violence can be prevented and should be prevented. Governments, communities and individuals can make a difference. Laws against violence send a clear message to society about unacceptable behavior and legitimize the actions needed to ensure people's safety at all times. The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%. The Women's Health and Education Center (WHEC) works with its partners to better understand the problem of violence and to prevent it before it begins.Read More