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Flower in Sunlight

Early Findings

The organizations serving minor survivors of sex trafficking create and often promote narratives about this population. Theses organizations, most often through their websites, contribute to how the general public, policy makers, law enforcement, direct service providers, and even survivors understand trafficking and the needs of individuals who have experienced trafficking. 

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The trends within the initial findings report an overwhelming presence of religion within residential services available for minor survivors of human trafficking. While faith may be a great source of healing for some, placing faith as a central focus of programming raises some concern. When religious redemption broadcast as a necessary component of healing, it may suggest a moral failing because of the abuse endured was connected to sex.

While early findings echo a majority of programming centering religion, it is unclear how religious affiliated organizations may empower or disempower survivors compared to their non-secular counterparts. The framework below reflects how statements regarding survivors available on websites are being coded.

Features promoting empowerment

  • Promotion of survivor's agency/ survivor identified needs

  • Acknowledges/ encourages collaboration with other anti-trafficking services

  • Multidisciplinary/ whole person approach

  • Survivor centered

  • Challenges root causes or oppressive systems contributing to trafficking

  • Organization centers population served versus staff serving population

Features facilitating disempowerment

  • Focuses on aspects of force, fraud, or coercion (deserving victims)

  • Questionable economic solicitation (neoliberalism)

  • Promotion of false representations

  • Identity limited to victimhood

  • Label of modern day slavery without further acknowledgement of chattel slavery

  • Highlights age/ infantilizes population

  • Refers to population as victim outside of legal context

  • Sinner/ Savior (explicit religious/moral reflection) 

  • Rescued/ Rescuer

  • Survivors are lacking without program (restoration of dignity, etc)

  • Worthiness justified by identity beyond human

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