Human Trafficking Efforts to Protect Connecticut's Vulnerable Children and Youth: Incorporating the Voices of Community Practitioners.

Research demonstrates a growing number of exploited and trafficked children in the United States, but few studies address how practitioners continue to respond to these issues. Multiple efforts identify victims of human trafficking and provide services since the passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 and its reauthorization. However, the TVPA oftentimes failed to protect the most vulnerable. This qualitative study included four focus group sessions with 28 practitioners from various disciplines (e.g., social work, healthcare, legal) to examine how the state of Connecticut has expanded services and programs for children and youth trafficking victims. The findings describe current statewide partnerships along with challenges and successes when working with child victims of human trafficking, offering practice and policy recommendations.

Intimate Partner Violence Is Associated with Suicidality Among Low-Income Postpartum Women.

BACKGROUND: Although intimate partner violence (IPV) during perinatal period is more common than during other maternal health conditions, it receives less attention within research on maternal mortality rates. Given the risks for maternal mortality because of suicidality, the purpose of this investigation is to examine the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) among postpartum women exposed to IPV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited between May 2005 and March 2007 from primary care clinics in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 701 postpartum women were included in the analysis. Postpartum SI was assessed using the clinical interview schedule-revised. IPV was assessed using a structured questionnaire previously validated in Brazilian populations. Crude and adjusted risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance to examine the association between IPV and the risk for postpartum SI. RESULTS: The prevalence of postpartum SI was 4%. Among those with postpartum SI, 70% reported IPV during the postpartum period. Compared with non-IPV counterparts, postpartum women who reported IPV had an increased risk for SI (relative risk [RR] 7.25, 95% CI: 3.23-16.27). In the fully adjusted model, the risk for SI remained significantly higher for women who experienced IPV than for those who did not (RR 3.02, 95% CI: 1.29-7.07). CONCLUSIONS: Postpartum women exposed to violence had a threefold greater risk of having suicidal thoughts.