Group therapy is one of the most successful interventions for adolescents. This is because of the nature of this stage of development and the need to belong to a group. Hearing the stories of other teens and knowing that their experiences and feelings are similar is very therapeutic. Another characteristic of the adolescent stage is a short attention span, so the clinical social worker should tailor exercises that initiate and sustain discussion for adolescents.
Writing Instructions:
Topic: Human Trafficking (Adolescent victims)
Identify two opening exercises that could be utilized to create a comfortable environment for sharing and cohesion for a group of adolescent girls who were victims of human trafficking.
• Describe the exercises in detail so that another social worker would be able to implement them.
• Explain ways these exercises might be effective in creating a comfortable environment for these teenage girls.
• Support your rationale with the literature. For example, what does the literature say about teenage girls who have been arrested for prostitution/human trafficking and who openly discuss their experiences?
• How do these exercises promote group cohesion and encourage these teens to talk openly?
Human Trafficking (Adolescent victims)
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Human Trafficking
Human trafficking refers to the use of coercion or force to lure victims to engage in commercial sex or other forms of labor. Adolescent victims of human trafficking experience traumatic events which have a negative impact on their physical and mental states. As a result, they may exhibit behavioral issues and are at high risk of developing substance use disorders (Pascual-Leone et al., 2016). Group therapy is an example of a treatment approach that addresses resilience building, effective coping, skills development, and enhances interpersonal connections for trafficking victims. In therapy sessions, social workers focus on creating a comfortable and trusting environment that encourages interactions among group members and enhances cohesion (Salami et al., 2018). The purpose of this essay is to describe the identity opening exercises used to create a comfortable therapy environment and to describe how they promote cohesion and open communication.
The identified exercises include asking ‘get to know me’ questions and physical activities such as dancing. For ‘get to know me’ questions, the social worker can prepare a list of questions that will help the members get comfortable talking about their lives and experiences. These questions should focus on neutral topics such as what they feel about therapy, what they look forward to in therapy sessions, what they like doing, and what they would be doing if they had not come for therapy. One member should be selected as the questioner and all other members should be given the opportunity to answer the questions. The second exercise is to select a physical activity that will help the members work towards a specific goal. The social worker could divide the members into groups of three and let them display their dancing skills. The exercises will help to create a comfortable environment for the teenagers because they will encourage healthy interactions among them. The ‘get to know me’ questions, for instance, will help the members get comfortable with sharing their experiences because they will learn more about each other. Dancing is a creative way that can help adolescents work together and enjoy each other’s company (Paone et al., 2008).
Research evidence supports the use of engaging activities when working with adolescents in group therapy. According to Paone et al. (2008), when therapists identify different activities based on the needs of the adolescents, they create trust and this makes it easier for adolescents to open up about their experiences. The use of expressive and dramatic arts helps teenagers to express their feelings by improving their ability to communicate with each other and with the therapist. As per Hemmings et al. (2016), group therapy sessions provide teenage victims of human trafficking with the opportunity to share what they experienced and to support each other as they get through a trauma. The described exercises create group cohesion by promoting better interactions, facilitating openness, enhancing trust, and promoting commitment to group work.
In conclusion, group therapy helps human trafficking victims to deal with trauma. Social workers should incorporate exercises that encourage communication and build trust among trafficking victims to encourage them to open up about their experiences and to begin the path to healing.
References
Hemmings, S., Jakobowitz, S., Abas, M., Bick, D., Howard, L., & Stanley, N. et al. (2016). Responding to the health needs of survivors of human trafficking: a systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1538-8
Paone, T., Malott, K., & Maldonado, J. (2008). Exploring Group Activity Therapy with Ethnically Diverse Adolescents. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 3(3), 285-302. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401380802347962
Pascual-Leone, A., Kim, J., & Morrison, O. (2016). Working with Victims of Human Trafficking. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 47(1), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-016-9338-3
Salami, T., Gordon, M., Coverdale, J., & Nguyen, P. (2018). What Therapies Are Favored in the Treatment of the Psychological Sequelae of Trauma in Human Trafficking Victims? Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 24(2), 87-96. https://doi.org/10.1097/pra.0000000000000288