Citation

Vietor T, Hountz R. J. Forensic Nurs. 2018; 14(3): 167-173.

Affiliation

Author Affiliations: St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Covington, Kentucky.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1097/JFN.0000000000000197

PMID

29912026

Abstract

Human trafficking, including both sex and labor trafficking, is a global issue affecting 20.9 million people worldwide. The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 36,270 cases of human trafficking in the United States since 2007. Human trafficking affects every community in the United States, no matter the size. The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is a crisis intervention model that has shown improved outcomes for sexual assault victims. The SART approach can be modeled to develop a regional community response to human trafficking to improve outcomes for these victims. Historically, SARTs include collaborative responses between forensic nurses, advocates, law enforcement, and the justice system. Forensic nurses have a unique role in participating in solutions that promote healing for this population. This article discusses the development of a task force and a collaborative response to human trafficking that includes healthcare and forensic nurses. Benefits and challenges will be presented.

Language: en