FEATURE EMERGING ROLES
Human trafficking and occupational therapy
Occupational therapist Kezia Edridge , a specialist support worker with The Salvation Army anti-trafficking and modern-day slavery unit , explores the important emerging role occupational therapists can play while working with survivors of human trafficking and modern-day slavery
Emerging roles provide an opportunity to explore occupational therapy in a unique setting , in which it is currently not established .
Human trafficking and modern-day slavery are complex , harmful , and largely hidden crimes , with human trafficking being the second largest and fastest growing enterprise in the world .
Human trafficking is defined as : ‘… the recruitment , transportation , transfer , harbouring or receipt of people through force , fraud or deception , with the aim of exploiting them for profit . Men , women and children of all ages and backgrounds can become victims of this crime , which occurs in every region of the world . The traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims ’ ( UN 2021 ).
Trafficking encompasses exploitation that can include sexual activities , labour practices , domestic servitude , forced marriage , debt bondage , organ removal and trafficking , child soldiers and any type of slavery practice .
24 OTnews November 2021
© Bombaert via Getty Images