13 Red Flags Your Patient Could Be a Human Trafficking Victim – AORN

Having spent 21 years working in healthcare, Cynthia Aulds, BS, RRT, tries not to think about how many patients she's encountered who were victims of human trafficking, including children.

Now, Aulds is determined to save the victims she can help today as director of the Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking-Texas. The organization educates nurses and other community members to help identify and rescue victims of labor and sexual trafficking, especially children.

Recognizing Human Trafficking in the US

Aulds says just being aware of how prevalent human trafficking is across the US is the first step to helping victims. Consider these numbers from Texas:

• 79,000 minors and youth are victims of sex trafficking.
• 234,000 workers are victims of labor trafficking.
• Traffickers exploit $600 million from the victims of labor trafficking.
• Minor and youth sex trafficking costs the state $6.6 billion.

She shares another startling number that brings the issue directly to nurses: 87 percent of trafficking victims have had contact with a healthcare provider while being trafficked.

“A trip to a hospital may offer a rare opportunity for trafficking victims to be helped,” Aulds stresses. “Nurses play a critical role in identifying the subtle clues that tell them they may be caring for a trafficking victim, and having the courage to act on their suspicions in appropriate ways can lead to protecting their patient.”

Know What to Look For

There are countless red flags that help identify victims of human trafficking that nurses should have on their radar – such as being hesitant to answer questions about their injury or illness, and not being aware of the day, time, or location, Aulds says. She shared a few red flags from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center that are specific to labor and sex trafficking:

Labor Trafficking Signs

• Patient has been abused at work or threatened with harm by an employer or supervisor.
• Patient is not allowed to take adequate breaks for food or water while at work.
• Patient is not provided with adequate personal protective equipment for hazardous work.
• Patient was recruited for different work than they're currently doing.
• Patient is required to live in housing provided by employer.
• Patient has a debt to their employer or recruiter that cannot be paid off.

Sex Trafficking Indicators

• Patient is under the age of 18 and is involved in the commercial sex industry, or is over the age of 18 and is involved in the commercial sex industry through the use of force, fraud or coercion.
• Patient has tattoos or other forms of branding, that say, “Daddy,” “Property of…,” “For sale”.
• Patient reports an unusually high number of sexual partners.
• Patient does not have appropriate clothing for the weather or venue.
• Patient uses language common in the commercial sex industry.

Have the Courage to Protect

Despite these common red flags, Aulds cautions that every case of human trafficking is unique, and responses will depend on factors such as the victim's age, an institution's policies and procedures, and specific laws by state. “Nurses need to educate themselves on the best approach to a victim-centered response.”

Ready to help trafficking victims? Attend the education session on human trafficking identification at AORN's annual conference in San Antonio, TX, April 1–4, 2023. Register for AORN Expo 2023 today.