Human trafficking victims’ lived experiences of navigating social service provision across intersecting systemic and individual barriers
1
Department of Healthcare and Social Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
2
Department of Human and Social Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Despite policy advancements in victim assistance, access to social service remains fragmented and inconsistent. ¹ Existing research has primarily focused on healthcare access, female sex trafficking, and professional perspectives, often neglecting victim’s lived experiences). ²–⁴ Gendered biases and limited focus on labor exploitation influence how victimhood is constructed within service systems, contributing intersecting barriers in access to accessing social services. This study explores trafficking victims’ lived experiences of navigating social services, and the barriers and facilitators shaping access.
METHODS:
This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with trafficking victims (n=10) who have failed to access social services or have chosen not to seek them at all. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling with the support of NGOs and included adult women and men, both Finnish- and foreign-born, representing diverse forms of human trafficking. Interviews were conducted primarily in person, with arrangements tailored to participants’ preferences to enhance safety and comfort. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, applying an intersectional framework to capture the overlapping vulnerabilities affecting victims’ access to social services.
RESULTS:
The findings revealed intersecting structural, institutional, and individual level barriers to social service access. These included limited awareness of entitlements, insufficient personal resources, language and trust barriers, lack of trauma-informed social work, fear of authorities and gaps in interagency coordination, particularly regarding unclear responsibilities between authorities. At the same time, findings highlighted emerging facilitators related to informal victim support networks, victim-centered practices and communications and trust-building encounters.
CONCLUSIONS:
By centering victims’ lived experiences, this study deepens understanding of how intersecting structural, institutional, and individual barriers shape access to social services. The findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed practices, interagency coordination, and adequate resources in developing more inclusive and responsive support for trafficking victims.
Despite policy advancements in victim assistance, access to social service remains fragmented and inconsistent. ¹ Existing research has primarily focused on healthcare access, female sex trafficking, and professional perspectives, often neglecting victim’s lived experiences). ²–⁴ Gendered biases and limited focus on labor exploitation influence how victimhood is constructed within service systems, contributing intersecting barriers in access to accessing social services. This study explores trafficking victims’ lived experiences of navigating social services, and the barriers and facilitators shaping access.
METHODS:
This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with trafficking victims (n=10) who have failed to access social services or have chosen not to seek them at all. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling with the support of NGOs and included adult women and men, both Finnish- and foreign-born, representing diverse forms of human trafficking. Interviews were conducted primarily in person, with arrangements tailored to participants’ preferences to enhance safety and comfort. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, applying an intersectional framework to capture the overlapping vulnerabilities affecting victims’ access to social services.
RESULTS:
The findings revealed intersecting structural, institutional, and individual level barriers to social service access. These included limited awareness of entitlements, insufficient personal resources, language and trust barriers, lack of trauma-informed social work, fear of authorities and gaps in interagency coordination, particularly regarding unclear responsibilities between authorities. At the same time, findings highlighted emerging facilitators related to informal victim support networks, victim-centered practices and communications and trust-building encounters.
CONCLUSIONS:
By centering victims’ lived experiences, this study deepens understanding of how intersecting structural, institutional, and individual barriers shape access to social services. The findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed practices, interagency coordination, and adequate resources in developing more inclusive and responsive support for trafficking victims.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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