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57 Int'l Soc. Work 3 (2014)

handle is hein.journals/intsocwk57 and id is 1 raw text is: Editorial W International Social Work 2014, Vol 57(1) 3-6 Editorial @The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.ul/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: I0. 1177/00208728I3506357 isw.sagepub.com OSAGE The social work community has been increasingly called on to work with victims/survivors of 'human trafficking', be part of tasks forces, and otherwise to address the problem of 'modem day slavery'. Known to be a global problem, trafficking in persons is still a phenomenon that is rapidly evolving, as is the knowledge base surrounding it; and response development has been slow and arduous. For example there is wide disagreement even on the threshold issue of prevalence of the problem, with Kevin Bales, co-founder of Free the Slaves, estimating that there are 27 million slaves worldwide, compared to the International Labor Organization's estimate of 2.4 million in 2009. Both estimates are in stark contrast to global law enforcement data from the 2012 United States' Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report which documented 7,705 prosecutions, 4,746 convic- tions, and 46,570 identified victims. On-going research and dialogue continue to probe for under- standing of the many aspects of human trafficking. What we do know is that trafficking in persons is a topic that is extremely relevant to the social work community. The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) states that human traf- ficking involves a 'gross abuse of human rights which is becoming increasingly common in the world today' (http://ifsw.org/resources/publications/human-rights/human-trafficking/). IFSW fur- ther expresses heightened concern for women and children involved in trafficking. Vulnerability factors are generally known to include gender, access to education or income generation opportuni- ties, social status and social capital, as well as cultural response to vulnerable populations. Indeed, it is difficult to think of a group of people who are at greater risk of oppression, victimization, loss of safety and security, and acute and ongoing trauma. The adoption in 2000 of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol) by the United Nations General Assembly and subsequent ratification by member states have provided the most universally accepted definition. Human trafficking involves force, fraud, or coercion and can include several forms of exploitation such as forced labor, commercial sex, organ removal, or extraction of adoption consent for the benefit of those involved in the chain of activities who perform such acts for monetary or other benefit. The Palermo Protocol, a prototype international instrument, has generated domestic legis- lation by at least 125 countries at this point. The individual member states have in turn developed, or are developing, policies and intended to enhance prosecution and provide for victim assistance. However, in many cases victim advocates have expressed concern that victim services are often prioritized secondary to law enforcement objectives. Much of the current literature is situated in legal, criminal justice, human rights and women's studies journals, with scant representation by social work scholars or practitioners, although in reality social workers have long worked with a variety of persons who are now referred to as 'human trafficking victims'. These include those caught in forced or indentured labor, women and men exposed to violence in the sex industry, children subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, victims of domestic violence/servile marriages, child soldiers and others involved in forced or exploitive work. With the general paucity of funding coupled with dramatic increase in interest in human trafficking, social workers struggle with the tension between the provision of services tied

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