Mary P. Van Hook

Trafficking of children in Albania: patterns of recruitment and reintegration.

PROBLEM Many children in Albania and other countries of Eastern Europe are being trafficked as part of the global business of human trafficking. OBJECTIVES The study sought to identify the patterns of child trafficking involving Albanian children, and especially childrens views of the role of family issues and the nature of the trafficking experience. METHOD The study included verbally administered questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and use of already existing reports. Study participants included 61 children who had escaped from trafficking, 22 children from similar at-risk groups who had not been trafficked, 15 parents of currently or previously trafficked children, 10 parents from similar groups whose children had not been trafficked, and 8 key informants. RESULTS Children at greatest risk of trafficking had very limited education and frequently were working on the streets. Their families were poor with many interpersonal problems, including violence. They typically belonged to the Gypsy community. Trusted community members usually recruited the children by promising that the children would work to help the family financially. Once abroad, the children were harshly treated, forced to work long hours, physically abused, and isolated from family members. Families did not receive the promised payment. Once returned, children had a difficult time reentering due to family, educational, and economic issues. CONCLUSIONS Contextual issues supporting child trafficking in Albania include poverty, major internal and external migrations, discrimination, and problems in the legal system. Poverty combined with family problems and membership in the marginalized Gypsy group places children at increased risk of trafficking into harsh labor conditions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The study of Albanian children who were trafficked suggests that dealing with trafficking of children requires addressing family problems and complex social issues that perpetuate poverty as well as the legal and social structures that place children at risk and continue to marginalize certain communities. As a result, changes in social policies that protect victims and punish traffickers and the development of programs that facilitate integration and promote the economic and interpersonal welfare of families whose children are at-risk have been established in Albania.

Psychosocial Issues Within Primary Health Care Settings

Abstract Given the important role of primary health care and the impact of psychosocial issues on health care, the records of individuals referred to social workers in two urban health care clinics serving low-income individuals were analyzed. Major psychosocial issues included family problems, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and violence. Women were more likely to have suffered violence while many of the men had problems dealing with their own aggression toward others. Women with depressive symptoms were more likely than other women to report substance abuse, financial problems, sexual abuse, anxiety, and physical problems. Implications for training and practice are discussed.

The Majority Legal Status of Women in Southern Africa: Implications for Women and Families

Women in many countries of southern Africa do not have majority status or have only recently gained this right. Majority status grants individuals adult legal status and the right to bring matters to court, own and administer property, have legal custody of children, and contract for marriage. This article summarizes the legal status of women in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Lack of majority status contributes to the ongoing risk of poverty for women and makes them overly dependent on men. Compounding the situation in these countries is the presence of a dual legal system. Improving the situation of women and their families involves targeting changes in the legal system, influencing implementation of laws, educating women about their rights, and giving women needed support to seek their legal rights. The legal status of women must be viewed in the context of historical changes in the economic, educational, political, and cultural developments of society.

Responding to gender violence in Albania A partnership effort

With the birth of democracy in Albania, social workers partnered with attorneys, physicians, other community leaders, organizations, and foundations, to identify the problem of domestic violence in the country. They addressed the problem of violence by establishing a center for women, community information programs, and initiatives to address policy issues.

The Impact of Economic and Social Changes on the Roles of Women in Botswana and Zimbabwe

This article examines the ways in which the colonial heritage and recent economic and social developments have influenced the roles of women in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It describes changes that have improved the lives of women in these countries and the barriers that women still have to overcome in the legal, educational, economic, and family spheres.This article examines the ways in which the colonial heritage and recent economic and social developments have influenced the roles of women in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It describes changes that have improved the lives of women in these countries and the barriers that women still have to overcome in the legal, educational, economic, and family spheres.

Contextual Approach to Acculturative Stress Among Latina Immigrants in the U.S.

Based on Family Stress Management theory, we explored the contextual influence on acculturative stress and psychological distress. We included 639 Latinas from the National Latino Asian American Survey. We hypothesized that (a) impact of acculturative stress on psychological distress depends on specific contexts; (b) U.S. climate (i.e., perceived discrimination, happiness with U.S. move, years in the U.S.) impacts acculturative stress and psychological distress the most, and (c) contextual factors interact in impacting acculturative stress. Acculturative stress did not always lead to psychological distress. Perceived discrimination and difficulty visiting family abroad were positively associated with acculturative stress. Years in the U.S. and happiness with the U.S. move were negatively associated with acculturative stress. Years in the U.S. and perceived discrimination interacted in predicting acculturative stress. These results can aid formulation of effective interventions that target contexts likely to impact acculturative stress and psychological distress among Latinas.

Modern day slavery: sex trafficking in Albania

Purpose – Human trafficking for sexual purposes is a significant human rights violation, as well as a crime of international proportions. Albania has been identified as an important source of individuals who are trafficked as well as an entry point from Eastern Europe and Russia into Western Europe. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nature of this problem and governmental and societal responses.Design/methodology/approach – An examination of data sources regarding sex trafficking in Albania seen through the lens of the Albanian context and feminist legal perspective helps provide an understanding of the complexity of the issue and the nature of appropriate approaches.Findings – Recommendations are given for a more effective anti‐sex trafficking campaign, incorporating socio‐economic factors that might be linked to sex trafficking.Research limitations/implications – The lack of available data from victims of sex‐trafficking and Albanian government limits the ability of researchers to evaluate the...

Educational challenges in Southern Africa: implications for social work

The increasingly technical and global nature of society challenges nations to find ways to educate their people if they are to survive economically and provide for the general welfare of the population. As a result, social workers concerned about empowerment need to understand and attempt to address the educational issues facing their own and other societies. While the United Nations has identified education as an essential right of children, disenchantment about the role of formal education as a strategy for promoting economic and social development in developing countries points out the challenges in using education as an empowerment strategy. For example, many young people leave school unable to find work; major problems remain in terms of inequities of access to educational opportunities (Basie, 1987; Morna, 1990; Nafziger, 1988; Schilling, 1991); governmental support for secondary and university level education has been criticized for perpetuating social inequities (Basie, 1987; Chazum et al., 1988; Morna, 1990); and high birthrates pose a great challenge to educational systems in developing countries (Basie, 1987). This paper examines some of the educational issues facing developing countries and the challenges and opportunities for social workers from the perspective of Botswana and Zimbabwe, two countries in Southern Africa which have invested heavily in education out of a belief that an educated population is an essential national resource (Botswana National Development Plan 7, 1991; Sibanda, 1991). Educational issues will be discussed in terms of resources, curriculum, the problem of school leavers, and the potential contribution of social work. The educational patterns and difficult choices facing these countries are also present in many other