Victims of sexual exploitation need more specialized help, study shows

Victims of sexual exploitation interviewed as part of a national study of the phenomenon said they needed specialized help, especially in terms of mental health, as well as training and employment programs.

This Monday, the findings of the project “Improving systems for the prevention, assistance, protection and (re)integration of victims of sexual exploitation” were announced, and the project included interviews with 90 people who were victims of this type of crime.

In an interview with reporters, Marlene Matos, an associate professor at the School of Psychology at Minho University and one of those responsible for presenting the results, said that victims interviewed reported “the need for specialized care in terms of mental health, psychological support.” and psychiatric.”

“They also talk about the need for programs that will help them in terms of education, profession and easier access to the labor market,” the teacher said.

He also argued that as part of this assistance, victims should be able to become more aware of their rights, “namely the right to housing or the right to some temporary social support.”

Victims “are also talking about the need for more effective, faster and less bureaucratic protection,” Marlene Matos said.

He stressed that some of the victims interviewed did not speak Portuguese and that access to services was therefore difficult, and also criticized the slowness of reintegration processes.

The researcher stressed that sexual exploitation is a national and international phenomenon “of alarming magnitude”, with “multiple causes”, for which “responses that improve prevention systems” are needed.

“This is achieved by strengthening the capacity of civil society to recognize sexual exploitation, its signs and signals, and report victims to organizations,” he said.

Marlene Matos emphasized that victims of sexual exploitation “need ongoing long-term support measures.”

“The challenges they face, given the traumatic events of which they were victims, require that the services available to them continue for some time so that their entire recovery journey from sexual exploitation can be successful,” he noted, adding that: At a minimum, this period should be one year and take into account the specific needs of each person.

According to the researcher, this support should consist of physical, mental and social health, as well as financial, legal, legal and information support.

“These victims primarily need information about what types of services exist, what rights they have to those services and how they can be easily accessed,” he said.

Marlene Matos emphasized that the 90 people interviewed do not reflect the reality of this phenomenon “because it is so underreported,” explaining that in order to talk to these people, they needed “the valuable cooperation of all the partners who are working on the ground” with it population.

During the presentation of the findings, it was also highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought “additional challenges”, particularly in terms of identifying and reporting this type of crime, a reality that has affected migrants the most.

Mandatory confinement during this period made victims more vulnerable, and criminals found other tools to lure their victims, using methods through social media, for example.