Highlights
- •Up to 80% of victims of child sex trafficking have an encounter with a health care provider.
- •Nurse practitioners (NPs) need to be knowledgeable in the recognition and assessment of child victims of sex trafficking.
- •NPs are in an ideal position to provide education and prevention strategies to caregivers to heighten awareness of risk factors.
Abstract
Child sex trafficking (CST) has become a global public health crisis and is a $150
billion criminal enterprise. Nurse practitioners are key in the recognition and prevention
of CST in health care settings. Evidence demonstrates that up to 80% of CST victims
have had a recent health care encounter. It is the role of the NP in practice to understand
risk factors, screen for CST, and educate parents and caregivers on signs of victimization
and prevention.
Keywords
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Biography
Brigit VanGraafeiland, DNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, is an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, director of the Helene Fuld Leadership Program for the Advancement of Patient Safety and Quality, Baltimore, MD, and can be contacted at [email protected]
Biography
Ellen M. Chiocca, PhD, CPNP, is an assistant professor, MU Sinclair School of Nursing University of Missouri, Columbia, MO.
Biography
Diane H. Perks, DNP, is trauma program manager, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
Biography
Haley Dietzman, MS, FEP-BC, SANE-P, is a nurse practitioner on the child protection team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ.
Biography
Gail Horner, DNP, CPNP, SANE-P, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Columbus, OH.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 17, 2022
Footnotes
In compliance with standard ethical guidelines, the authors report no relationships with business or industry that would pose a conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
