Human trafficking of Latino immigrants : our responsibility as social workers

This paper is designed for helping professionals who work with Latino families and are concerned about human trafficking of Latino children. The prevalence of trafficking in the United States, specifically trafficking of Latino immigrant and resident children involved in commercial sex trafficking, will be reviewed as well as best practice behaviors related to cultural competence for working with trafficked persons. This topic is important because Latino children trying to come into the United States may fall victim to human trafficking. Arriving in Mexico from South and Central America, an untold number of children and adults are then illegally smuggled into the United States. This process of trafficking individuals across the border occurs daily without adequate intervention from the government on either side of the border. It is important for helping professionals in the Midwest and across the US to understand the risks Latino children and families face as these professionals increasingly work with this rapidly growing population