Module 2: Community Program Design (((Human Trafficking))

Abstract

Sex trafficking is running rampant with traffickers becoming more and more creative to kidnap women and luring broken women from dysfunctional homes to become sex workers. First Responders are the first encounter that victims experience in the time of crisis. It is important for First Responders to identify the internal and external dynamics that sex trafficking victims display. This is absolutely essential because there is a large percentage of sex trafficking victims that go unidentified. Once those symptoms have been clearly recognized, First Responders are then able to implement best practices for mental health at the scene of crisis. Lastly, after the victim has been rescued, it is important to apply the spiritual interventions necessary for the sex trafficking survivor to transform into an overcomer.

Keywords: Stockholm Syndrome; Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome; Forgiveness;

Intervention; Dynamics and Symptoms of sex trafficking, Best Practices for

First Responders in sex trafficking; Spiritual Intervention and Application

Introduction

This research paper’s focus is the acute, crisis interventions for victims of human trafficking for first responders on a short-term basis. This research paper will focus on the description of dynamics and symptoms common for human trafficking victims. Next, this research paper will address best practices in how first responders respond to the mental health crisis needs of victims of human trafficking. Lastly, this research paper will discuss the spiritual applications and interventions for victims of human trafficking.

Dynamics and Symptoms Common in Victims of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking comes in different forms such as sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and the trafficking of human organs. In this research paper, what will be discussed are the issues and factors contributing to the crime of human sex trafficking. There are many dynamics that victims of sex trafficking deal with while and one of the most widespread dynamics that sex trafficking victims and their traffickers and pimps experience is the Stockholm Syndrome. The writers of the article, A Concept Analysis of Trauma Coercive Bonding in the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, state that Stockholm Syndrome “…is a hostage situation where there is a bidirectional bonding between the hostage and hostage takers to encourage unspoken survival of the hostage,” (Sanchez, Speck, and Patrician, 2019, p. 49)

It is a psychological dynamic utilized by the trafficker to keep their victims bound to them so that they can survive. Stockholm Syndrome causes sex trafficking victims to assume that they are responsible for the abuse that they are experiencing by blaming themselves and protecting the trafficker. What happens psychologically in the mind of the victim is that they experience abandonment and remorse when the trafficker stops abusing them (Sanchez, Speck, and Patrician, 2019).

There are also health issues that victims of human trafficking experience such as “… multiple sexually transmitted infections, HIV, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions (sometimes self-inflicted), repeated urinary tract infections, multiple injuries from physical abuse, and numerous undiagnosed or unmanaged chronic medical conditions.” (Chaffee and English, 2015, p. 341). In addition to the physical symptoms attached to human trafficking, there are psychological and emotional dynamics as well. “Psychological coercion and violence are interconnected, acting as sources of traumatic and chronic stress. Coercion during the trafficked period was measured with binary variables for threats to hurt the person and threats to hurt family or a loved one.” (Marie, Kiss, Pocock, Stoeckl, Zimmerman, and Buller, 2019, p. 4)

There has also been research conducted where a large majority of sex perpetrators were from people the victims have known which also adds another component to the trauma because victims feel like they cannot detach themselves from the abuse. Kelly L. Gagnon states in her article, Victim–perpetrator dynamics through the lens of betrayal trauma theory, “Indeed, researchers have demonstrated that traumas high in betrayal are linked with greater severity of PTSD, anxiety, dissociation, alexithymia, and depression symptoms relative to traumas low in betrayal.” (Gagnon, Lee, DePrince, 2017, p. 374) Another symptom found in human trafficking victims are the issues of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. In the article, Familial Sex Trafficking of Minors: Trafficking Conditions, Clinical Presentation, and System Involvement, the authors state, “Internalizing behaviors include symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints, while externalizing behaviors include symptoms such as aggression and rule breaking behaviors.” (Sprang and Cole, 2018, p. 188)

Lastly, one of the dynamics and symptoms that is common in victims is the avoidance of expressing traumatic events. In assessing the narrative as told by the victim there may be a reluctance to recall the events that took place that caused and contributed to their traumatic experience because they have to relive the traumatic moments. Elizabeth K. Hopper supports this in her article, Trauma-Informed Psychological Assessment of Human Trafficking Survivors, stating, “Survivors’ avoidance of traumatic memories—one of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD —might further complicate the process of obtaining a complete trafficking narrative.” (Hopper, 2017, p. 20)

Best Practices in How First Responders Respond to the Mental Health Crisis Needs of Victims of Human Trafficking

First and foremost, it is important that when first responders come to the scene of a crisis concerning those who have been victims of sex trafficking is to not label and identify them as criminals. With the victim already dealing with the experiences of their trauma, the increased anxiety from first responders and law enforcement is first to have the perspective that the individual is a victim. In the article, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Assessing and Reducing Risk, the authors state, “…it is not uncommon for first responders or service providers to treat DMST survivors as delinquent criminals rather than survivors of a form of victimization that requires holistic trauma responsive care.” (Countryman-roswurm and Bolin, 2014, p. 523) It is best practice to not increase anxiety or trauma within human trafficking victims because that can be counter-productive. It is important to be aware of this because a lot of the times human sex trafficking victims are often mislabeled as offenders instead of victims forced against their will. Vincent Taylor, the author of Implicit Bias of White Police Officers: How Training Can Impact Underage Black Female Victims of Sex Trafficking, makes mention that the founding director of the Walter Leinter International Human Rights Clinic at Fordham Law School in New York City states, "…most sex workers’ experience with criminal justice systems is not as survivors of abuse but instead as perpetrators of the crime of prostitution.” (Taylor, 2017, p. iii)

Once the human sex trafficking victim is found in an immediate crisis, the first ten minutes of the first responders’ interaction with the sex trafficking victim are very crucial(Christian, 2014). According to Barbara Christian, in her article, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Trauma: Crisis Management Training Manual for First Responders, she states, “During this time it is necessary to develop a rapport and build trust so that the victim believes the responders are there to help and not hurt him/her as they have been told for years by their traffickers.” (Christian, 2014, p. 25) It is in these first ten minutes that a first responder can assist a sex trafficking victim in coping with their trauma by expressing statements to help them feel safe. Christian states, “In the case of sex trafficking, if the victim is being rescued, one can say, ‘You are safe’ or ‘I am to here to help you get out of this situation.’ One can also reassure the victim that they deserve to be treated better: ‘You deserve to be treated as a human being, with dignity and respect.’” (Christian, 2014, p. 26) Simple statements expressed at the time of crisis can profoundly affect the victim to de-escalate their feelings of anxiety at the moment.

In addition, when trafficking victims are accompanied at the scene of a crisis, it is important to separate the victim from the person accompanying them. Research has shown that “…sex trafficking victims are usually accompanied by their traffickers, or a trusted accomplice called a ‘bottom girl.’ These individuals speak for the victim, actively prevent the child or woman from speaking, insist on being present for the examination, and give false information such as name, address, and how the trauma occurred.” (Chensay, 2013, p. 904) It is important to isolate the victim from their trafficker or pimp to alleviate any fear that the sex trafficking victim may and to be able to express themselves freely. Once the victim is isolated to themselves, they can now communicate their honest concerns with the first responders expressing that they are indeed sex trafficking victims and need help to escape their trafficker and recover from the trauma they have endured. Identifying victims of human trafficking is already difficult because of the lack of thorough education and training for first responders. Suppose the victim of human trafficking has become identified. In that case, it is important to separate the accompanying individuals because there are victims who refuse to self-identify out of fear of retaliation from their pimp or trafficker. Stephanie Chester, the author of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Social Work Practice, states, “Social workers experience difficulties when attempting to identify DMST victims. They do not self-identify because of their concern regarding retaliation and further abuse from their pimps.” (Chester, 2017, p. 31)

Spiritual Applications and Interventions

Due to the severity of the trauma that encompasses trafficking, spiritual intervention is a necessary component in the recovery process. Spiritual application does not necessarily mean that healing for the victim only happens within religion's confines. Spiritual application and intervention may occur in many ways. One of the main spiritual applications is for the victim to forgive themselves. The authors of the article, Emotional needs of women post-rescue from sex trafficking in India, stated, “…forgiveness is important in the process of recovery, and it has different layers. Forgiving oneself is the first layer because only after they forgive themselves they will be able to forgive others.” (da Silva and Sathiyaseelan, 2019, p. 7) Sex trafficking survivors often blame themselves as they see themselves responsible for how dirty and guilty they feel even though they were not at fault and were forced into becoming sex workers. This is the first step in the recovery process because it is only when the survivor forgives themselves that they will forgive their trafficker.

Farah Deventer-Noordeloos states in her article, The lived religion of polish sex trafficked survivors: a targeted investigation for practical theological analysis, “Clinicians and pastoral counselors have given much attention to the potential therapeutic benefits of forgiveness, but it only recently has been recognized as an important coping mechanism in dealing with sex trafficking.” (Deventer-Noordeloos, 2018, p. 444) Forgiveness is a necessary component of the healing process of survivors of sex trafficking. Forgiveness is not in the condoning of the trauma that the trafficker caused but forgiveness in releasing hatred in the heart towards the trafficker.

In addition to pursuing peace through forgiveness, it is also a spiritual application to the victim to see justice pursued towards their trafficker. In the article, Social Justice and Spiritual Healing: Using Micro and Macro Social Work Practice to Reduce Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, the authors stated, “…social justice advocacy is a form of practicing spirituality. The fulfillment of one's spiritual life must include engagement with others in the remaking of the world, healing, and creating supportive structures and institutions.” (Perdue, Prior, Williamson, Sherman, 2012, p. 452) It is important to experience the spiritual release that forgiveness can bring, and yet at the same time, it is important for justice to be served for the trauma that was caused to bring closure.

It is also important for victims to express themselves without judgment in a safe environment. In the article, Exploring resilience through case studies of art therapy with sex trafficking survivors and their advocates, the writers state, “When survivors can express their feelings in a safe environment, their feelings of worth promote self-confidence, and sharing their experiences and reactions in a group setting strengthens their sense of identity and worth.” (Kometiani and Farmer, 2019, p. 11) In these particular groups, victims of human trafficking are able to come together and share of their own experiences and to offer support to one another to help one another heal (Kometiani and Farmer, 2019). There is hope and healing when people come together in a an environment where they can feel safe. The Bible states in James 5:16a, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” When you are in an environment where you can release to each other the emotions in your heart and are also able to pray for one another there is healing that can be taken place((Kometiani and Farmer, 2019).

Self-Care is an important spiritual application. Not just for the victims but also to those who help sex-trafficking victims heal. The Bible states in Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself” meaning we are to love others to the same extent that we can love ourselves. In dealing with this demographic, compassion fatigue can cause burn out as was stated in the article, Human Sex Trafficking in America: What Counselors Need to Know, the author Stacey Diane A. Litam states, “Counselors are encouraged to seek supervision, connect with colleagues and practice regular self-care routines to avoid experiencing burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue when working with this population.” (Litam, 2017, p. 52) Regularly scheduled times of self-care and refreshment are necessary to continue forward.

Conclusion

In this research paper, many dynamics and symptoms of sex trafficking have been expressed, ranging from specific psychological dynamics to physical and emotional abuse induced by the trafficker. Understanding and being made aware of these dynamics can equip first responders to recognize victims when they come across them at the scene of crisis. Once at the crisis scene, the best practices concerning mental health will be able to de-escalate the victim's anxiety and result in victims being rescued and transformed into survivors. Moreover, when the survivors become free from their physical bondage to the trafficker, the spiritual interventions stated in this research paper can occur. The healing process can occur psychologically and emotionally for the survivor to become an overcomer.