Human Trafficking of Children: Nurse Practitioner Knowledge, Beliefs, and Experience Supporting the Development of a...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Public health
• Social sciences

Background:

• Child trafficking is a significant public health issue.
• Low awareness among pediatric health care providers necessitates improved clinical practice guidelines.
• Pediatric clinicians are uniquely positioned to identify and support at-risk children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore evidence on effective clinical responses for children at risk of or experiencing trafficking.
• To make recommendations for developing a clinical practice guideline for child trafficking.
• To support pediatric clinicians in intervening on behalf of vulnerable children.

Main Methods:

• Integrated literature review using PubMed, Ovid, and CINAHL.
• Thematic analysis guided by the social ecological model.
• Synthesis of evidence on clinical responses to child trafficking.

Main Results:

• Current research on effective clinical responses for child trafficking victims is largely inconclusive.
• There is a clear need for practice guidelines addressing both prevention and intervention strategies.
• Evidence supports the crucial role of pediatric clinicians in addressing child trafficking.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric clinicians can play a vital role in preventing child trafficking and optimizing health outcomes for vulnerable children.
• Development of clinical practice guidelines is essential for evidence-based interventions.
• Further research is needed to establish definitive effective clinical responses.