COVID-19 and the Impact on Survivors of Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence, & Sexual Assault

Intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking are on the rise during COVID-19 because many families and survivors are staying home, or are isolated from support systems. This isolation, along with increased stress and financial instability, puts survivors more at risk for violence in their homes.[i] Immigrant survivors of violence also face additional barriers, including limited access to healthcare and social services, and their immigration and work authorization process have been impacted. High unemployment rates during COVID-19 can affect survivors’ financial independence, which in turn can make them more dependent on the person(s) causing them harm and make them more vulnerable to exploitation. Communities of color and LGBTQ communities are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, especially during COVID-19. Read more about the impact of COVID-19 on adult trafficking survivors and child sex and labor trafficking survivors. 

The resources on this page are intended to support the needs of survivors and to support human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault programs, community health centers, workplaces, and other community programs and organizations in their work to serve trafficking survivors during the COVID-19 public health emergency.  Especially during COVID-19, community collaboratives are an important way to ensure that the needs of survivors are met.  Please visit the Building Collaborative Responses to Human Trafficking for additional resources and let us know if we can provide support or additional resources.

Resources for Supporting Survivors, Families, and Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault (DV/SA) Programs during COVID-19

The COVID-19 public health emergency is putting survivors at a higher risk for violence and exploitation, and it has changed the way that advocacy programs offer services. Listed below are resources for survivors to help cope with their experiences and to assist in safety planning.

• Information on COVID-19 for Survivors, Communities, and DV/SA Program
• Resources list of resources on DV/SA/HT in Spanish
• Resources for Kids and Families Experiencing Violence
• Safety Planning During COVID-19: Tips From Survivors For Survivors, Sanctuary for Families (Available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, German, Korean)
• A Guide for Survivors of Sex Trafficking During COVID-19, Sanctuary for Families (Available in English, Spanish, and Korean)
• Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Children Advocacy Center of Texas – English & Spanish
• Una Llamada a la Acción Para Familias y Amigos que Experimentan Violencia en el Hogar (A Call to Action for Families and Friends Leaving with Violence in the Home)

Resources for Service Providers to Support Survivors during COVID-19 

Survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault will have a range of needs during COVID-19. See below for a list of resources for service providers, including for domestic violence programs, human services programs, emergency responders, housing programs, and other social service providers.

• Supporting the Health and Economic Needs of Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault and Trafficking Survivors during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (webinar) 
• Virtual Case Management Considerations and Resources for Human Services Programs, DHHS
• Preventing Human Trafficking, What Emergency Responders Need to Know
• COVID-19 Extended Assistance for ORR Populations (T Visa applicants)
• Resources to Support Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault During the COVID-19 Pandemic, NIWAP
• COVID-19 Resources, Services, and Support, Office on Trafficking of Persons
• COVID-19 Impact on Trafficking in Persons – A Protection, Gender & Inclusion Technical Guidance Note
• Resources for Health Crisis Response for HT, Domestic & Sexual Violence Programs
• Public Charge Update: What Advocates Need to Know, Protecting Immigrant Families

Supporting the Health and Wellness of Trafficking Survivors during COVID-19

Due to increased stress, higher unemployment and underemployment rates, and barriers to accessing services that survivors may experience, supporting the health and wellness of survivors during COVID-19 is critical. Health professionals and advocates are in a unique position to coordinate their care both virtually and in person to meet a survivor’s safety planning and health care needs, and to promote prevention. Learn more by visiting the online toolkit, www.IPVHealthPartners.org/covid19, which provides tools for building community health center and DV program partnerships to support survivors. Also see the links below for information on supporting health and wellness during COVID-19, information on health care access for immigrants (including public charge), and resources in Spanish for information on accessing health care. 

• www.IPVHealthPartners.org/covid19: How health center and DV program partnerships can support survivors during COVID-19
• Find a Community Health Center: Online tool for locating a federally-funded community health center near you. Health centers see all patients regardless of ability to pay, and offer services on a sliding scale. 
• Find a local free clinic
• Health and Wellness During The Coronavirus Pandemic – Resources
• Using Telehealth to Identify and Manage Health and Substance Use DIsorder Conditions in Rural Areas
• Healthcare Coverage Options & Marketplace
• Update on Access to Health Care for Immigrants and Their Families, National  Immigration Law Center
• COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups (available in several languages)
•  COVID-19, social and health services and “public charge,” USCIS, Spanish 
• Know the Facts about “Public Charge,”Oregon Law Center, (several languages)
• Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook, Spanish

COVID-19 Resources for Workplaces and Economic Development Programs 

The increased financial stress due to economic instability, job loss, and reduced working hours can contribute to increased violence and risk for exploitation. The following resources offer support both for workplaces to help provide safety and a trauma-informed environment for survivors, as well as help to meet the financial needs of survivors and increase job security.

• Resources for Economic Development Programs Responding to COVID-19
• Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): A Primer
• Survivors and the Workplace/ Sobrevivientes y el Lugar de Trabajo
• National Domestic Workers Alliance COVID-19 Resources for Workers, Spanish
• Immigrant Workers’ Rights and COVID-19, A Resources for Workers and their Advocates
• Farmworker Justice Resources

FUTURES provides training and technical assistance for the Building Collaborative Responses to Human Trafficking project, which supports organizations seeking to work collaboratively to effectively respond to human trafficking in their communities. Especially during COVID-19, community collaboratives are an important way to ensure that all the needs a survivor has can be met, including needs for health services, legal services, housing, among others. To request technical assistance, resources, or for more information on the Building Collaborative Responses Project, please contact Mónica Arenas at: marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org. 

[i] Campbell A. M. (2020). An increasing risk of family violence during the Covid-19 pandemic: Strengthening community collaborations to save lives. Forensic Science International: Reports, 2, 100089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100089