title: Ethical Considerations in Mandatory Disclosure of Data Acquired While Caring for Human Trafficking Survivors.
abstract: Accurate data on the prevalence and psychological effects of human trafficking as well as treatment outcomes for survivors are essential for measuring the impact of interventions and generating better understanding of this phenomenon. However, such data are difficult to obtain. A legal mandate for health care professionals to report trafficking opens opportunities for advancing our work in the field of human trafficking but also poses risks to survivors seeking services. In this article, we provide an analysis of some critical ethical considerations for the development and implementation of a mandatory reporting policy and offer recommendations for the ethical implementation of such a policy.
authors.affiliation: Clinical psychologist and an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine-Charleston, and directs the WVU Dialectical Behavior Therapy Services Program, and serves as a member of the West Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force.
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University School of Medicine-Charleston.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dash
mesh_terms: D030881:Disclosure / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D064410:Human Trafficking; D006801:Humans; D019221:Mandatory Reporting / Q000941:ethics*; D011640:Public Policy; D012306:Risk; D017741:Survivors