Girls and Women in Sex Trafficking. : A Scoping Review of Risk Factors, Consequences and Support Measures

Background: Sex trafficking, together with forced labor, are the two biggest forms of human trafficking. Girls and women who are the most common victims of sex trafficking live under extremely vulnerable conditions. Their bodies are used as objects, to generate economic profit for human traffickers. Due to hidden figures, it is difficult to estimate the number of people exposed to sex trafficking, making it hard to combat. Purpose: The study aims to identify the most common causes behind girls and women becoming victims of sexual exploitation, address the consequences of sex trafficking for those affected and analyze the measures society should take, both in terms of prevention and support after the exploitation has occurred. Method: Through a scoping-review, 12 articles have been compiled. The articles included were found through searches in three different databases, which later were quality-reviewed and resulted in our chosen 12 articles. The articles were coded based on a thematic analysis to identify specific themes. Result: The result was divided into three main themes. The first examines factors that increases the vulnerability to becoming sex trafficked. It highlights structural factors as genders (to be a women), poverty, lack of education and police corruption, as well as individual and social factors as teenage pregnancy, absent parents, dysfunctional home with substance abuse and violence and criminality. The second theme highlights the consequences of being a victim of sex trafficking. Psychologically it can contribute to anxiety, depression, anger, shame, grief and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Physically it is common with headaches, dizziness, fatigue, gynecological problems and infections, unwanted pregnancies and other sexually transmitted diseases. Socially, it mainly contributes to difficulties in reintegrating into society due to the psychological and physical issues. The third theme highlights what preventive work society can do and what support can be given to the victims afterwards. Preventive efforts in society may include education, cooperation between authorities and legal reforms. The support measures mentioned include, among others, protection and shelter as well as reintegration into society.