Garsd (2017) starts his article with a case study of a young woman who was trafficked for sexual exploitation. Allison Franklin, the victim, was trafficked by a gang and taken to a particular motel. After undergoing the ordeal, Allison is currently an advocate for victims who have been trafficked. Allison takes the author through the streets in which she was trafficked. She was taken to motels which are frequently visited by traffickers and sexual traffickers. She specifically shows the author the specific motel which she was held hostage for 3 years. Most traffickers in that area are usually gangs and cartels who have been in the trafficking business for a long while.

It is quite difficult to put a price estimate on the revenue that traffickers gain annually from this illegal trade. According to Garsd, the trade moves millions of dollars per year. To counter this trade, a former Washington congresswoman, Linda Smith, founded an anti-human trafficking organization called Shared Hope International. The congresswoman had encountered trafficking in Asia and the United States too. She indicated that she noticed that most young girls are trafficked and taken to the Katrina area. Another worrying factor was that women from other states were also been trafficked.

This specific article used a soft tone especially when the victim gave an account of her own experience. It however does not give much insight into the health conditions of the victims. Due to the trauma, the victims may result into self-harm. Other suffer sexually transmitted diseases and infections due to rape. There are also high chances of physical abuse. Nurses need to be empowered with the right knowledge on how to care for trafficking victims. Nurses should also be made aware of the existing policies regarding human trafficking to help in fighting this vice (Mandisa and Lanier, 2012).

References

Garsd, J. (2017, October 5). Human trafficking is a hidden aftermath of natural disasters. Retrieved from https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-10-05/human-trafficking-hidden-aftermath-natural-disasters

Mandisa, T., & Lanier, M. (2012). An Integrated Theoretical Framework to Describe Human Trafficking of Young Women and Girls for Involuntary Prostitution. Public Health – Social and Behavioral Health. doi:10.5772/37064

Calabrese, Miyazawa, and Kozak (2017) wrote an article on the NBC news website detailing the rescue of about 84 children and 120 human traffickers in the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a statement which indicated that he children were rescued from a human trafficking cartel which was made up of 120 adults.

In the article, the authors explain the steps taken by the FBI in eliminating this vice. According to Calabrese, Miyazawa, and Kozak (2017) the bureau’s operation goes beyond taking action against the traffickers. Their mission is to provide a long term solution to especially the young victims. The article also discusses the 2003 venture known as Innocence Lost National Initiative. This body is responsible for identifying 6,500 children who have been trafficked over the years. An example of the initiative’s efforts is where they rescued siblings aged 3-months 5-years-old sister. The 2 children were recovered after a close family friend staying with the family at the time had made a deal with an officer who had been undercover posing as a human trafficker. The family friend intended on selling the children for $600.

The article language is quite sensitive. It does not give detailed information as to the kind of treatment that the victims undergo. It provides much insight on the efforts made to completely stop trafficking but does not provide any information on victims who are trafficked. Most women and children are usually trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation which tends to have many negative health implications. The victims of such abuse are at a high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, STIs and other reproductive diseases. Others even go on to suffer from depression and mental illness (Ashbridge, 2008). Nurses can help these victims by providing much needed physical as well as psychological treatment to help them recover from such inhuman treatment.

References

Ashbridge, T. (2008). The Public Health Implications of Trafficking (Unpublished master’s thesis). Wright State University-Main Campus.

Calabrese, E., Miyazawa, T., & Kozak, A. (2017, October 20). 84 children rescued, 120 human traffickers arrested across U.S., FBI says. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/84-children-rescued-120-human-traffickers-arrested-across-u-s-n812156