INDIAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH STUDIES - Volume 4 Issue 2, July.2022

Pages: 50-82

Polyvictimization in Sex-Trafficking Victims: A Conceptual Analysis of Psychosocial Consequences of Polyvictimization on Sex-Trafficked Victims

Kimsain Jidung, Gyan Mudra

Category: Health Studies

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Abstract:

To understand the web of violence as an interconnection to polyvictimization, it is significant to recognize how susceptibility to abuse is deeply rooted in the psychological, physical, and social context and can be linked to earlier victimization experiences, particularly for victims of trafficking. The current paper briefly examines the outcomes of sex trafficking on the psychological and biophysical health of victims by applying the framework of polyvictimization in assessing the trajectory of multiple forms of victimization that adds to the trauma of a sex trafficked victim before, during, and after trafficking. The paper provides an overview of the factors that influence the continuum of victimizations before and after trafficking. The paper also includes actionable measures in order to mitigate the factors of polyvictimization focused on improving the psychological and physical health of trafficked victims, which can serve as a basis for devising relevant recommendations to the policymakers and implementing agencies working closely with trafficked victims and survivors on how to mitigate the psychological and physical issues emerging out of the trafficking experience.

Keywords: polyvictimization, childhood maltreatment, sex trafficking, youth violence

DOI: 10.56490/IJHS.2022.4203

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.56490/IJHS.2022.4203