Communication relationship between care-givers and survivors of child trafficking : a study of challenging heights rehabilitation shelter.

Abstract

Human trafficking has been identified as a large remunerative industry across the world with women and children being affected the most. As a result, finding a safe and secured shelter is one of the steps rescuers take when they rescue victims from the influence of traffickers. This study examined the communication relationship between care-givers and survivors of child trafficking in the Challenging Heights Rehabilitation Shelter. The study sought to investigate how care-givers communicate with with survivors at the shelter, to examine the expectations of the care-givers after communicating with the survivors and to analyse how care-givers deal with issues that arise in their conversations with survivors at the shelter. Drawing on the theories of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and the Interaction Process Analysis, I employed a case study design. The study found that care-givers usually built rapport with victims through questioning, use of art therapy, therapeutic horticulture and prayers. Care-givers catergorise the issues that generally emerge through their conversations with victims over the following: physical impact, psychological impact, social impact, educational impact, and after-care programmes. Findings also showed that care-givers at the shelter were accommodating and supportive. The study recommends that while informal counselling should be available in the shelter, serious mental health issues such as addiction, trauma, suicide, among others should be dealt with by professionals. University of Education,Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh