Prevalence and risk of violence and the mental, physical and sexual health problems associated with human trafficking: an updated systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. Human trafficking, a modern form of slavery, is a fundamental abuse of human rights and dignity estimated to affect 21 million individuals worldwide (International Labour Organization (ILO), 2016). One definition is 'the act of recruiting, harbouring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person for compelled labour or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion' (US Department of State, 2015). Trafficking is a major assault on freedom, fuelled by poverty, discrimination, corruption, poor governance and enforcement and exploited by transnational organised crime. It is often the sad betrayal, by deception, coercion or force, of promise for a better future life in a new location. The systematic review by Ottisova et al. (this issue) is a welcomed update to a systematic review by Oram et al. (2012) and adds vital and timely information. The context of human trafficking is diverse and although it often involves movement between nations, it may occur within national or local boundaries. It can involve young children, as well as older adults, but young adults are its primary target. Both sexes are trafficked in similar numbers, but usually for different types of exploitation; women for the sex trade and domestic servitude and men for agriculture, factory, fishing and construction labour. Children may be used for begging, labour, military service and/or sexual exploitation (US Department of State, 2015). The extent of human trafficking for organ procurement remains unclear. Processes leading to trafficking often occur during recruitment through misrepresentation of the job, contract terms, recruitment fees, debt bondage (unlawful fees for transportation, recruitment
