Human Trafficking: Mental Health, Gender, and Global Patterns
This paper reviews and synthesizes three key studies on human trafficking, examining the phenomenon from psychological, demographic, and geopolitical perspectives. Drawing on Abas et al. (2013), Hepburn and Simon (2010), and Duong (2012), the paper explores the mental health consequences experienced by trafficked women, the contested statistical landscape surrounding trafficking victims by gender and type of exploitation, and the country-specific vulnerabilities that make certain populations especially susceptible. The review also addresses internal debates within the anti-trafficking movement and evaluates the merits of national versus international policy responses. The paper concludes by advocating for a qualitative, victim-centered approach that captures both similarities and differences in survivors' experiences.
- Introduction and Definition of Human Trafficking: Defines trafficking and reviews methodological research challenges
- Mental Health Consequences in Trafficked Women: Moldavian cohort study findings on PTSD and mental disorders
- Demographics, Gender, and Statistical Disputes: Contested data on trafficking victims by gender and purpose
- Trafficking Mechanisms and Vulnerability Factors: Debt bondage, visa exploitation, and economic vulnerability
- Debates Within the Anti-Trafficking Movement: Internal divisions over sex trade versus forced labor focus
- Country-Specific Focus: Vietnam and Southeast Asia: Vietnam as a trafficking source country and policy responses
- Conclusion: Toward a Qualitative, Victim-Centered Approach: Calls for qualitative research foregrounding survivor experiences
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper moves logically from a tightly scoped clinical study (Abas et al.) to broader demographic and geopolitical analysis, giving the argument a clear escalating structure.
- It actively contrasts the positions of its sources — noting where Hepburn and Simon disagree with Abas et al. on generalizability — rather than simply summarizing each in isolation.
- The paper is candid about data limitations (underreporting, clandestine nature of the crime) and uses that ambiguity constructively to motivate its own proposed qualitative approach.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative literature synthesis: it places multiple sources in dialogue with one another, identifying points of agreement, contradiction, and complementarity across studies. This technique moves the review beyond annotation into genuine analytical engagement, as seen when the author uses the UNODC's contrasting statistics to highlight the problem of record-keeping rather than simply reporting one figure.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a definitional introduction and an overview of the methodological limitations of existing research. It then presents the Abas et al. (2013) Moldavian cohort study in detail before broadening to Hepburn and Simon's (2010) global review of trafficking demographics and mechanisms. A focused section covers Vietnam and Southeast Asia via Duong (2012). The conclusion synthesizes disputes in the literature and positions the author's own planned dissertation as a qualitative corrective to the quantitative ambiguities identified throughout.
Introduction and Definition of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is defined as "the recruitment and movement of people by force, coercion or deception, for the purposes of exploitation" (Abas et al. 2013: 1). However, according to a 2013 study by Abas et al., current literature on the subject of human trafficking is somewhat problematic, given that research studies have focused on victims at different stages of trafficking and combined the perspectives of a wide range of persons of different ethnicities. This compromises the internal validity of the studies, since so many other factors could affect results. Still, there is evidence that women who have been trafficked suffer from higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Abas et al. 2013: 1).
To offer a more controlled study, Abas et al. (2013) conducted a study on Moldavian women specifically. All women in the study were eligible to receive government post-intervention crisis care as a result of being victims of human trafficking. To ensure internal consistency, all women in the study were age 18 or over and had been returned to Moldova within the past 12 months after being victimized. More than half had children. Countries to which they had been trafficked included Turkey, Russia, and EU member states, among others.
Mental Health Consequences in Trafficked Women
Trained female interviewers conducted the actual interviews. So that the women did not relive their trauma, they were not specifically asked about the trafficking experience itself but about the symptoms they were experiencing and about past incidents such as physical, emotional, and childhood sexual abuse. Current social stressors included access to work, personal safety concerns, a lack of legal assistance, and low self-esteem (Abas et al. 2013: 4). In addition to interviews, previously validated screening instruments were used to address different categories of personal stress independently. Questionnaires were self-administered and not specific to trafficking. Both pre- and post-trafficking demographic factors were recorded, including: "education status; pre-trafficking employment status; pre-trafficking residence (rural or urban); childhood emotional abuse; physical abuse; and sexual abuse; duration of trafficking; post-trafficking marital status; post-trafficking employment status; number of unmet needs; and social support score" (Abas et al. 2013: 5). The type of exploitation — sexual versus labor-related — was also noted, although it was not the subject of the actual interviews.
This survey of mental status before trafficking revealed that many of the women were in highly stressful situations even before being trafficked — up to 30% reported being abused (Abas et al. 2013: 7). Abuse victims are more likely to suffer PTSD. Over half of the women in the study met DSM-IV criteria for a mental disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders (Abas et al. 2013: 7). Previous victims of sexual abuse were even more likely to suffer from these disorders. Other exacerbating factors included longer duration of trafficking and a lack of social support after being trafficked. The implications of the study included the need for proper social support of victims to minimize long-term psychological effects.
References
Abas, M., Ostrovschi, N.V., Prince, M., Gorceag, V.I., Trigub, C., & Oram, S. (2013). Risk factors for mental disorders in women survivors of human trafficking: A historical cohort study. BMC Psychiatry, 13, 204. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-13-204
Duong, K.A. (2012). Human trafficking in a globalized world: Gender aspects of the issue and anti-trafficking politics. Journal of Research in Gender Studies, 2(1), 48–65.
Hepburn, S., & Simon, R.J. (2010). Hidden in plain sight: Human trafficking in the United States. Gender Issues, 27(1–2), 1–26. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12147-010-9087-7
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.