Human Trafficking of Adolescents: A Caribbean Perspective

Purpose of ReviewThe Caribbean has been listed among the regions of concern for its volume of human trafficking and is geographically suited for human trafficking as source, transit, and destination sites. This review aims to summarize the available information on human trafficking in the Caribbean with the purpose of increasing awareness of the issue and identifying gaps in the literature to inform the way forward.Recent FindingsHuman trafficking in the Caribbean continues to be influenced by the push and pull economic factors of poverty, poor educational attainment, political instability, and the promise of better jobs and opportunities in higher-income countries. These crimes often go unrecognized due to political, social, and economic factors, a lack of awareness of the issue and its associated risk, fear of reprisal for reporting and the associated stigma for victims, and the suboptimal recognition of human trafficking cases by healthcare providers. Short- and long-term health risks including injuries, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancies, and psychiatric disorders are inextricably linked with human trafficking.SummaryThere are glaring gaps in available regional data. This behooves us to work toward increasing our knowledge and understanding of the human trafficking of adolescents in the Caribbean, including the adolescents' perspectives.