Dr Laura WoodHumans are amazing! But for all the incredible things humans have created and achieved since humanity began, equality and justice remain hard to grasp. The gross injustice of human slavery has taken many appalling forms through history and continues to this day, twisting and changing to suit money-making and justice-avoiding opportunities across the modern world. Today, there are an estimated 40.3 million people – adults and children – who are subject to slavery practices worldwide, including throughout the UK. The huge economic strain caused by COVID risks many more people becoming vulnerable as they seek income for basic needs under really difficult circumstances.
But isn’t modern slavery illegal? Absolutely it is! Modern slavery is an umbrella term for crimes of severe human exploitation – humans treated as property under ownership or domination by another that compels or forces them to work or provide service in some way. Modern slavery is a severe violation of human rights and a form of child abuse for those under the age of 18 years. It is often divided into forms of exploitation such as labour exploitation, domestic servitude, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Human trafficking is also a form of modern slavery that typically involves a victim being deliberately moved before they are exploited – it might be to the next street, city or even across the world. Modern slavery and human trafficking all involve harmful actions such as deception, fraud, threat, coercion, debt bondage (work demanded to pay a debt that is manipulated unfairly), isolation from potential help, psychological and/or physical violence. All this may occur on top of challenging life experiences and previous hurts. Whilst categorising modern slavery can be helpful, in reality, a person forced into such a position of vulnerability may experience many forms of abuse, neglect and deprivation in sequence and at the same time. It can feel almost impossible to seek safety, support and trust people again.
Modern slavery risks serious harm to victims, survivors and communities across ALL aspects of health and wellbeing. The health response goes far beyond bandaging wounds and treating the illnesses of survivors who enter a healthcare setting. Public health sciences are vital in tackling the big picture of modern slavery, bringing expertise and experience in creating strategic prevention, intervention and aftercare responses. A health lens helps us understand how potential victims’ lives may be shaped in ways that increase risks of exploitation and harm, and how to intervene. Trauma sciences and psychology help us understand how our human brains and bodies respond in incredible, life-preserving ways to severe threat, and how survivors of exploitation may be best supported to help these powerful adaptations recognise new safety and re-set to bring stability and health. Health sciences can also help us understand complex and confusing emotional, behavioural, physical and medical presentations of people who have been harmed by modern slavery, helping professionals and practitioners across many disciplines provide excellent trauma-informed care.
VITA Network lives right at the intersection of health and justice to address one of the world’s most aggressive crimes. We exist to advance the strength, quality and reach of the health response to modern slavery through really listening, learning and working together as many diverse partners. VITA believes that victims and survivors of modern slavery deserve and are entitled to an excellent health-based response – thank you for joining us to advance this goal!