COVID-19
Emergency Medicine
Child Abuse & Neglect
Advocacy Pathway
Adolescent Medicine
Andrea Asnes, MD MSW
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatrics
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Hiu-fai Fong, MD, MSHP
Staff Physician
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Jonathan Todres, JD
Distinguished University Professor & Professor of Law
Georgia State University College of Law
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Jordan Greenbaum, MD
medical director
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children
Decatur, Georgia
Angela Diaz, MD PhD MPH
Director
Pediatrics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, United States
The exploitation and trafficking of children and adolescents is widespread in the US and worldwide. Multiple factors that serve to increase the vulnerability of individuals to exploitation and trafficking have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, increased economic hardship, and decreased access to school and other critical social activities for children have contributed to increased risks for children and their caregivers. Pediatric providers are poised to recognize children and caregivers who are at risk of or engaged in exploitation and trafficking, intervene to reduce their risks, and advocate for policies and programs to assist and support these families.
In this program, a multidisciplinary group of experts in the field of child exploitation and trafficking will address this critical topic with special attention to the impact of the global pandemic. First, a physician with expertise in child abuse pediatrics and domestic and international child trafficking will review risk factors for child exploitation and trafficking, identify ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has increased these risks for both children and their caregivers, and provide recommendations for what pediatric providers can do to address and mitigate these risks. Second, internationally recognized experts in adolescent medicine and children’s rights law will speak about the limitations of existing responses to child exploitation and trafficking, describe how a comprehensive public health approach should be used to more effectively combat this problem, and discuss the specific role of the health care sector, particularly within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. All speakers will highlight the unique roles that pediatric providers play in the prevention, identification, and response to child exploitation and trafficking in the areas of clinical care, advocacy, and policy.
Learning Objectives
After attending this session, participants will:
Identify the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing risks and created new risks for child exploitation and trafficking.
Highlight the key components and benefits of a comprehensive public health approach to the prevention of child exploitation and trafficking.
Learn strategies for preventing, identifying, and responding to child exploitation and trafficking within the areas of clinical care, advocacy, and policy.