Page 121 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Human trafficking victim service providers

of personal, individual, and/or structural vulnerabilities. Funding
As previously noted, several social and economic factors
affect the behavior of both the victim and the trafficker, This study was conducted at the Psychology Research
making HT more visible. Push factors, such as social Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of
and economic conditions in the nations of origin, affect Minho; it was supported by the Foundation for Science and
both victims and exploiters, and make it easier for the Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese State Budget
crime of HT to be committed (Couto & Fernandes, 2014 (UIDB/PSI/01662/2020).
and Fernandes et al., 2020, 2021). Service providers also Conflict of interest
highlighted vulnerabilities that arise after a victim has been
trafficked when additional protection is needed to prevent The authors declare they have no competing interests.
re-victimization. While HT often leaves individuals more
vulnerable, some victims use their experience to make more Author contributions
informed decisions, particularly in the case of international Conceptualization: Ângela Fernandes
victims who may attempt a second migration. A few may Investigation: Ângela Fernandes
become recruiters themselves (Siegel & Blank, 2010). From a Methodology: Ângela Fernandes, Marlene Matos
health perspective, re-trafficking is consistent with research Formal analysis: Ângela Fernandes, Marlene Matos
showing that prior abuse experiences heighten the likelihood Writing—original draft: Ângela Fernandes
of engaging in future risky behaviors (UNODC, 2014; 2016).
Writing—review & editing: Ângela Fernandes, Marlene
5. Conclusions and practical implications Matos
This study faced several obstacles, particularly the Ethics approval and consent to participate
low participation and difficult access to the network’s
participating institutions. Some establishments remained This dissertation was approved by the Ethics
insular and made no effort to participate in the inquiry, Subcommittee for Social and Human Sciences under the
despite the involvement of the National Rapporteur for HT. code SECSH 038/2016. Its job is to supervise and uphold
the development of moral behavior and to guarantee the
In Portugal, access to trauma-informed care training, honesty, decency, integrity, and morality of experiments
as well as its quality and outcomes, remains essential. and research in the social and human sciences carried
This paper highlights the scarcity of both training and out in the University of Minho research units. The
research in this field. The government, beyond its role as human participants’ consent was obtained in writing
legislator, plays a pivotal part by providing resources to all digitally, and all participants consented to participate in
organizations – both governmental and non-governmental this study.
– to tackle the issue from multiple angles, including
prevention, intervention, training, assessment, and Consent for publication
enforcement. As the academic community is a component
of the political and social spheres, addressing the issue Not applicable.
effectively requires collaboration among all three sectors. Availability of data

There is an immediate need for further research into Not applicable.
treatment modalities (including type, duration, and efficacy)
and how professional training influences the quality of Further disclosure
support provided. Focus groups with key stakeholders,
including social workers, attorneys, nurses, police officers, The paper has been uploaded to or deposited in a preprint
judges, and victims, would offer valuable insights into the server (RepositoriUM: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/75963).
challenges of delivering assistance. These studies can also References
enhance cooperation among partner agencies that support
victims of HT. To improve training and service outcomes, Ahn, R., Alpert, E.J., Purcell, G., Konstantopoulos, W.M.I.,
the government and non-governmental organizations McGahan, A., Cafferty, E., et al. (2013). Human trafficking:
should establish a collaborative partnership with the Review of educational resources for health professionals.
academic community. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(3):283-289.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.10.025
Acknowledgments
American Psychological Association. (2017). Multicultural
None. Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity,

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 113 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3215