Virtual College online course promotes understanding of how to deal with human trafficking
A new online course, ‘Trafficking, Exploitation and Modern Slavery,’ has been developed to help support professionals’ and individuals’ understanding of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is an illegal industry. According to ECPAT, a leading children’s rights organisation, it is believed that nearly 60% of all trafficking worldwide is for sexual exploitation, with over 20% of the victims being children.
Virtual College has partnered with subject experts from West Yorkshire Police, safeguarding boards and ECPAT UK, in the creation of this course.
Virtual College will donate 10% of all sales revenue from the ‘Trafficking, Exploitation and Modern Slavery’ course to ECPAT UK to help in the fight against child trafficking.
Currently, there is a very low level of awareness of different types of exploitation, how individuals become victim to abuse and what actions professionals should take to recognise and help victims.
For example, in the UK, it is a legal requirement for victims of human trafficking to be provided with any medical treatment they require, including psychological help and counselling. Yet, a new study reveals that very few NHS staff know how best to respond to these victims.
Researchers from King's College London found that just under 89 per cent of all NHS staff in the study said they didn't know what questions to ask to spot potential victims, while 78 per cent said they didn't feel sufficiently trained to provide adequate support to victims.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, also revealed that three out of four of those surveyed said they would appreciate targeted training around people trafficking, particularly those working in mental health and emergency medicine services.
The new , online ‘Trafficking, Exploitation and Modern Slavery’ course is aimed at aimed at people from all sectors who might come into contact with children and young people or adults who have been trafficked.
It is ideal for people who are not entirely confident in their ability to identify potential victims of trafficking, are unsure of what to do if they suspect trafficking, or who are unaware of the specific risks and rights of children who are trafficked.
The course examines different types of exploitation, how individuals become victim to abuse and what actions professionals should take to recognise victims and help them.
Reflective practice, case studies and work-based scenarios encourage professionals to consider how they would apply this information into their everyday life.