What Do EMS Professionals Know about Human Trafficking? An Exploratory Study

Authors: Donnelly, Elizabeth; Oehme, Karen; Barris, Dwayne & Melvin, Rebecca

Abstract: Human trafficking has gained attention as a major human rights concern, yet little is known about the awareness of human trafficking among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals. This is a significant concern; EMS professionals may be uniquely equipped to intervene with victims of trafficking. To address this gap, this study assessed the familiarity with and attitudes about trafficking in EMS professionals. An anonymous online survey assessed whether respondents had previous trafficking training, if they endorsed myths related to trafficking, recognized indicators of trafficking, and the awareness of how to report suspected trafficking. A total of n = 244 EMS professionals completed the survey. Less than half of respondents reporting received training in human trafficking. Respondents who completed training were significantly less likely to endorse myths about trafficking and were able to identify indicators of trafficking more frequently. Previous training did not influence preferred avenues for reporting trafficking. To address the identified gaps, a detailed description of training is outlined, including governmental data, myths about trafficking, warning signs of trafficking, and suggestions for a trauma-informed approach to interacting with suspected victims. Operationalizing these findings, the research team created a free interactive training on human trafficking for EMS professionals

Keywords: Emergency Medical Services, health care, human trafficking, paramedicine, sex trafficking, trauma-informed care