Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Volume 30, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 102-108

Domestic Sex Trafficking of Minors: Medical Student and Physician Awareness (Article)

Titchen K.E.* , Loo D. , Berdan E. , Rysavy M.B. , Ng J.J. , Sharif I.
  • a Division of General Pediatrics, Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • b Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
  • c Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
  • d Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
  • e San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States
  • f Division of General Pediatrics, Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Abstract

Study Objective Our aim was to assess: (1) medical trainee and practicing physician awareness about domestic sex trafficking of minors; and (2) whether respondents believe that awareness of trafficking is important to their practice. Design and Setting We designed an anonymous electronic survey, and a convenience sample was collected from June through October 2013. Participants Voluntary participants were 1648 medical students, residents, and practicing physicians throughout the United States. Interventions and Main Outcome Measures Data were analyzed for correlations between study cohort characteristics and: (1) agreement with the statement: “knowing about sex trafficking in my state is important to my profession”; (2) knowledge of national statistics regarding the sex trafficking of minors; and (3) knowledge of appropriate responses to encountering a trafficked victim. Results More practicing physicians than residents or medical students: (1) agreed or strongly agreed that knowledge about human trafficking was important to their practice (80.6%, 71.1%, and 69.2%, respectively; P = .0008); (2) correctly estimated the number of US trafficked youth according to the US Department of State data (16.1%, 11.7%, and 7.9%, respectively; P = .0011); and (3) were more likely to report an appropriate response to a trafficked victim (40.4%, 20.4%, and 8.9%, respectively; P = .0001). Conclusion Although most medical trainees and physicians place importance on knowing about human trafficking, they lack knowledge about the scope of the problem, and most would not know where to turn if they encountered a trafficking victim. There exists a need for standardized trafficking education for physicians, residents, and medical students. © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Author Keywords

sex trafficking Medical education Commercial sexual exploitation of children Child prostitution Human trafficking Sexual abuse

Index Keywords

Internship and Residency human middle aged statistics priority journal Minors Physicians resident knowledge sex trafficking health personnel attitude Surveys and Questionnaires Attitude of Health Personnel United States Humans psychology Adolescent male female student attitude questionnaire medical education victim Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice human trafficking Article minor (person) awareness adult physician attitude physician outcome assessment Students, Medical attitude to health medical student
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84940706744&doi=10.1016%2fj.jpag.2015.05.006&partnerID=40&md5=f1faee731951bb7b5106ce4def17984b
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2015.05.006
ISSN: 10833188
Cited by: 22
Original Language: English