ABSTRACT
Social workers, as global human rights advocates and agents of change, are uniquely poised to address international and domestic human trafficking through multidimensional systems of care. Social work values, based on universal human rights and the empowerment of those seeking assistance, are centered on the most vulnerable populations, which are also the most often exploited for human trafficking worldwide. An examination of risks faced by populations, a victim’s removal from a trafficking situation, indicators for identification, and systems of care that work across these processes along with survivor rehabilitation is vital to deliver culturally competent and effective services to those affected by human trafficking. This chapter applies social work theory and international practice with the ecological perspective at mezzo and macro levels using a case study.
Learning ObjectivesAt the end of the chapter, readers will be able to:
Describe the unique contribution of the social work profession at the mezzo and macro levels to address human trafficking locally and globally;
Illustrate a multicultural perspective that depicts the “best practice” and intersecting role of social work that centers individuals and their communities;
Identify indicators of human trafficking and sex and labor exploitation to assist social workers in international settings;
Examine the intersection of systems of care in addressing needs of human trafficking victims;
Compare the principles central to social work such as social justice and aspects embedded in the field of human trafficking; and
Describe the unique role of the social worker in valuing the culturally relevant, community perspective of collectivism in combating human trafficking.
