Psychological Theories: Human Trafficking Affects

Psychological Theories: Human Trafficking Psychological Affects
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Abstract
Human trafficking is now one of the most prevalent crimes around the world. While measures have been put in place to ensure that the activities are prevented, emphasis needs to be directed towards interventions against the psychological effects of trafficking. For this reason, this paper uses psychological theories to explain the psychological afflictions faced by trafficking victims, why they come about, and how they can be addressed. The paper incorporates a biblical worldview through which the value of protecting the victims can be recognized.
Psychological Theories: Human Trafficking Psychological Affects
Introduction
Human trafficking currently is regarded as a diverse form of contemporary crime which involves people exploiting others for either profits or other benefits. As per the United Nations Office of Crime (2014), trafficking is an international violation of human rights. After the US passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (2000), it was codified that the act is a federal crime. Unlike the UN, the US laws define human trafficking as an act involving use of force, fraud, deception, abuse of power, and coercion to guarantee that individuals or groups of individuals are compelled to provide services or perform labor (United States Department of State, 2014). The crime is typically regarded as a modern-day form of slavery, but the only difference is that modern victims rarely are confined in their situations using locks and chains. While the experiences might entail the affliction of both sexual and physical abuse, proceedings and legal assessments have brought to light that several non-physical harms on an individual’s health are considered part of human trafficking harms. Some non-physical forms of abuse include deception and psychological manipulation, which ensure that a person is entrapped and subjugated (International Labour Organization, 2012). The impact of psychological abuse on human trafficking victims has been assessed in studies related to torture and domestic violence. Nevertheless, the psychological wounds that frame the entire experience of human trafficking rarely are examined. This paper provides a discussion on the human trafficking psychological effects in relation to psychological theories.
Psychological Theories Related to Human Trafficking
General Systems Theory (GST) & Ecological Systems Theory (BEST)
The GST was introduced in the 1950s to the social field and had its foundations on the biological model. The theory considers systems that generally exist as sub-systems of other systems because large systems are perceived as environments in which other systems exist. It thus examines the impact and flow of diverse systems amongst and against one another. GST is used in social work to understand an individual’s environment. Individuals are perceived as participants impacted by the social, physical, and environmental systems (Hutchison, 2013). By taking individuals in an environmental approach, social workers are provided with more significant opportunities to develop an intervention. An understanding is created about the systems in place that cause problems and inform the characteristics of an appropriate intervention.
Even so, arguments made against the use of the GST suggest that the model does not account for ideologies and values alongside concerns about the model’s application to the human experiences’ complexities (Sallis & Owen, 2015). GST examines the associations of individuals and inputs or throughputs and the consequences that come about. It shifts focus from interventions to transactions that occur between people and larger systems. Unlike the GST, EST defines systems within an environment as non-living elements (Sallis & Owen, 2015). The theory assesses the relationship between the behaviors of individuals and the environment within which he or she is placed.
Bronfenbrenner argues that human development occurs within five systems of influence. These include microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and finally, the chronosystem. A person is at the center of the five systems, and they interact based on the EST. In the newly created version of the theory, the chronosystem is regarded as a policy-level system (Kondrat, 2013). It means that the level of policy or institutional changes impacts the lives of individuals. The reason for this is that they develop based on the limitations and supports provided by the power.
Considering the relationship between human rights and the crime of human trafficking, it can be stated that both general and ecological systems theories often are present and applied when developing interventions, even if not explicitly stated. In an assessment completed for victim trafficking and agencies providing services to those affected, the inputs of existing efforts and services were looked at using the victim care’s through-put (Sallis & Owen, 2015). The outputs or current state of care provided to victims also were assessed under the study in association to how they feedback into informing interventions of the future and the services provided to victims. EST can be observed when assessing human trafficking’s risk factors and the related human rights violations (Meshelemiah & Lynch, 2019). Concerns such as poverty, drug use and substances, homelessness, and even marginalization are risks for individuals to become victims of human trafficking. It is possible for the risk factors to be understood within the EST and consequently enable social workers to identify areas needing interventions and protection of the individuals at risk.
Development Impacts of Child Trafficking
It now is understood that human traffickers employ various psychological manipulations alongside coercive approaches to guarantee that control over victims is maintained and that their escape is virtually impossible. This means that the victims’ physical and psychological defenses are destroyed, leaving them vulnerable to further abusive acts (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2015). Research findings show that the development theory alongside complex trauma can also be employed to inform a theory that works to guide our understanding of how trafficking impacts people, especially children. For example, children exposed to prolonged physical abuse, traumatic experiences, violence, emotional abuse, and torture are highly likely to display symptoms and behavioral traits that suggest psychological defects (American Psychological Association. 2014). Some behaviors pertain to attachment, emotional regulation deficiencies, poor self-concept, dissociative adaptations, and derailed cognitive functioning.
Educational Deprivation
Children trafficked typically are robbed of some primary educational opportunities available to them, and consequently, an opportunity to improve their future. Research related to the adverse psychological effects of educational deprivation among trafficking victims shows that children typically will experience the following issues (Department of State, 2012). Development delays, difficulties in language and cognitive abilities, verbal and memory skills deficits, deficient academic performance, and are reduced grade retention abilities.
Emotional Wellness
Experiences associated with trafficking often will lead to lasting emotional/psychological deficiencies. The children and women typically will be taken through emotional and physical trauma such as removal from their communities, families, homes, and another subsequent encounter: physical, emotional, and sexual forms of abuse. Empirical studies are yet to examine the psychological effects of child trafficking (United Nations, 2015). Nevertheless, case study research has indicated that most children saved from trafficking activities display signs of emotional detriments such as depression, guilt, hopelessness, reduced self-esteem levels, shame, confidence loss, and anxiety. Negative messages often passed them cause feelings of self-blame due to their effects on an individuals’ sense of worth.
Empirical research on maltreatment of children identifies significant adverse implications affecting victims. For example, psychological abuse linked to isolation, witnessing abuse, and continuous threats negatively impact a person’s self-concept, goals, social relationships and significantly impact a person's emotional wellness (Davis et al., 2012). Both emotional and physical neglect have been found to cause emotional and social withdrawal, problems with behavior, low self-esteem, and assertiveness. Children taken through sexual and physical abuse have high chances of developing negative emotional effects. The adverse outcomes include low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Other effects include the use of drugs and suicidal ideations.
It is possible for children who are sexually abused to suffer severe psychological effects because research illustrates multiple victimization experiences as primary in ensuring that children have a heightened risk for mental illness (Davis et al., 2012). Adult victims also develop psychiatric difficulties when they experience prolonged victimization. Alongside the above, the victimized typically displays behavioral difficulties such as attachment issues, mistrust, challenges in building relationships with others, and anti-social behaviors. Since trafficking is significantly linked to sexual exploitation, most victims end up developing sexual behaviors which can turn them into prostitution (Hopper, 2016). This comes as a result of the feeling of worthlessness and that their lives have been ruined completely. Some individuals resort to self-infliction of harm as a mechanism to regain control of their bodies. The older children end up abusing alcohol and other drugs to detach themselves from reality.
Hostile and aggressive behavior among children and even young adults has been linked to physical abuse and the aggression they experience when trafficked. The physically and sexually abused individuals display suicidal behaviors, problems with their emotions, and challenges in relating with their peers. Adults become prone to antisocial behaviors, more significant risks for violent behaviors, crime, and associated problems.
Psychological Coercion
It for long has been acknowledged that there exist significant psyc...