Modern Slavery: Lack of Psychological Rehabilitation
Slavery for many seems to be a thing of the past. However, what many think of as an ancient issue is still regrettably prevalent in many societies. It has evolved, and there is a lack of psychological research towards the rehabilitation of enslaved people in this modern age.
These days, people are seen as expendable, and slavery is mostly temporary. The reason it seems to be temporary is due to the mistreatment of enslaved people, with carelessness being observed because they’re going to be discarded. In terms of agricultural slavery, once the season is over, the workers are let go*. Yet, when they’re discarded, their scars aren’t. There are long term effects. Psychologically, the main effects are depression along with anxiety and PTSD***. These effects are to be taken seriously. There is already a stigma concerning mental health, but there needs to be focused research on this in relation to modern global slavery and the people affected by it.
Still, there has not been much to help with their rehabilitation into society. This also relates to human trafficking, which is a growing enterprise**. There are many different branches of modern day slavery. The focus is mostly on women and there is a lack of research on men. A big perpetrator on the abuse of men is the commercial fishing industry, where they are overworked everyday of the week in dangerous situations, sometimes costing them body parts***. Considering these enterprises are growing and evolving, there is much need to research both short term and long term psychological effects in order to rehabilitate enslaved people. Liberation requires rehabilitation, and it is not just psychological but also social and medical*. There is a lack of study in this area, and there needs to be more focus on it.
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* Bales, K. (2000). Expandable People: Slavery in the Age of Globalization. Journal of International Affairs, 461–484. Retrieved from https://learn.illinois.edu/pluginfile.php/5535681/course/section/1289154/bales.pdf
** Clay, R. A. (2011, May). Modern-day slavery. Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/05/slavery.
***Poon, L. (2015, February 24). Emotional Scars Of Modern Slavery Run 'Deeper Than Any Visible Wound'. Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/02/24/387838996/emotional-scars-of-modern-slavery-run-deeper-than-any-visible-wound.