ABSTRACT

Traffickers engage in wholesale modern-day slavery for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. They are able to succeed in this lucrative criminal activity by threatening and coercing vulnerable children and adults who experience a lack of control over their safety or freedom. Unable to protect themselves, trafficking victims often become submissive in order to survive, so that regardless of whether the threats are acted upon, the perpetrator maintains psychological control over the victim, often with devastating long-lasting emotional consequences that may meet criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This chapter will address the issue of PTSD as a potential mental health concern for victims of human trafficking.