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Human Trafficking in the Foster Care System

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Medical Perspectives on Human Trafficking in Adolescents

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Abstract

In this case, we meet Maya, an adolescent girl in foster care who is trafficked for sex. We follow her medical visits for contraceptive care and sexually transmitted infection screening over approximately one year. During this time, she is caught in a cycle of intermittent trafficking and transitioning to new foster homes. Her story highlights many unique risk factors that make children in foster care more vulnerable to traffickers. We also discuss reproductive coercion, its risk factors, socioeconomic implications, and provide guidance for medical professionals responding to the needs of trafficking victims in foster care.

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Notes

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    The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) (2013) does not recognize Stockholm Syndrome. The term has been in general usage since inception through a bank robbery in Stockholm in 1973. Prior to DSM 5, it was under consideration to be included under Disorders of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boston Combined Residency Program, Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Catherine G. Coughlin

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Wilmington, DE, USA

    Robyn R. Miller, Kidian Martinez & Christine Dipaolo

  3. Office of Child Trafficking Prevention and Policy, NYC Administration for Children’s Services, New York, NY, USA

    Selina Higgins

  4. Institute on Healthcare and Human Trafficking at the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jordan Greenbaum

  5. International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Jordan Greenbaum

Authors
  1. Catherine G. Coughlin
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  2. Robyn R. Miller
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  3. Selina Higgins
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  4. Kidian Martinez
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  5. Christine Dipaolo
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  6. Jordan Greenbaum
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA

    Kanani E. Titchen

  2. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Elizabeth Miller

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Coughlin, C.G., Miller, R.R., Higgins, S., Martinez, K., Dipaolo, C., Greenbaum, J. (2020). Human Trafficking in the Foster Care System. In: Titchen, K., Miller, E. (eds) Medical Perspectives on Human Trafficking in Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43367-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43367-3_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43366-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43367-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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