Trigger warning: this article tells the story of a victim, and the content may be triggering.
Luiza Karimova, at the age of 22, left her son, her family, and her hometown in Uzbekistan looking for work in Kyrgyzstan. Unfortunately, without any college education, she struggled to find employment. One day, she met a woman who offered her a waitressing job in the capital city which Karimova gladly accepted. However, when she reached the city, she was faced with the reality of the actual work she was expected to do. Her passport was taken away, and she was locked in a hotel room with others. The perpetrators took photos of Karimova and the others, claiming that they were for new documents needed for the waitressing jobs.
The nightmare she experienced was just starting. Right after taking the photos, Karimova and others were put on a plane to another destination. There, they were forced to perform sexual acts for clients in a nightclub. She was told that if she did not do what the clients wanted, she would face consequences. She was told to make 10,000 USD by the end of the month or else she would be abused by the nightclub owners. Fortunately, after 18 months of exploitation, Karimova was able to escape by purposely being caught by the police.
Unfortunately, not many get out of human trafficking situations like Karimova did. Many are trapped until the end of their lives. Human trafficking is the recruitment and movement of people using horrific means with the goal of exploitation. There are many kinds of human trafficking, and millions of people are currently victims of trafficking. Children and women are the most common victims of human trafficking.
Going through something as traumatic as human trafficking can be extremely detrimental to the mental health of the victims. Victims of human trafficking experience various types of mental disorders that may last throughout their lifetime.
Common Mental Disorders of Human Trafficked Victims
The most common type of mental disorder that appears in these victims is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Victims of human trafficking sometimes have the worst kinds of PTSD. Although the more time that passes since victims escaped human trafficking lowers levels of other common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, time does not lower PTSD levels. Moreover, victims of injuries and sexual violence experienced during human trafficking have been found to be associated with higher levels of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, more time spent in human trafficking is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. In extreme cases, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders were also present in victims.
There is a common misconception that victims of human trafficking are not found among common strangers. However, many strangers you may see daily may be victims of human trafficking. A study found that one out of eight therapists working in cities with multiple human trafficking cases like London knows at least one victim. An indicator of a human trafficked victim that may raise suspicion is a victim who is presented with physical and psychological trauma, is unable to speak the local language, and does not have basic identification documents. Sometimes, these victims are present with a dominant or controlling attendant. Another common indicator is an inability to recall trauma. The victims in this case are using a coping mechanism wherein their minds safeguard them from being traumatized by erasing the memory.
Interventions for Victims of Human Trafficking
Several interventions can be used to treat and rehabilitate victims. Unfortunately, many of these are not properly backed with research. One type of assessment that is used as a first step towards rehabilitating a victim is Trauma-Informed Psychological Assessment. Regardless, there needs to be more research that goes into finding treatment that is effective for human trafficked victims. Therapists dealing with these victims need to be extra careful and sensitive as victims can be triggered by PTSD easily. You can read more about Trauma-Informed Psychological Assessment here.
Healing is not a final destination for many victims. For most, healing is a lifelong process. For others, the scars are never fully gone. A victim once said, “My wounds are inside. They are not visible”. Let us not forget the millions of victims that are hidden or are right in front of us, and let us not forget the pain that they are going through. As individuals and as a community, we can stand up for these victims and break the trap that they are in.