Overcoming Obstacles to Stability and Safety
When individuals are marginalized, oppressed, and devalued, they are dehumanized, which makes it easier for traffickers to take advantage of this vulnerability. One of the greatest obstacles we can overcome to help provide safety and stability to survivors is to see them as human again. By restoring dignity and choice, empowering through legal and social services, housing, and access to basic needs, we will be helping survivors move away from living lives controlled by exploitative situations. The obstacles above are huge societal issues that will take work and time, but we all can start by practicing kindness, and doing our part in addressing our personal biases. Small steps always lead to big outcomes, so let’s keep moving forward!
The “Big Three”
When it comes to talking about the lack of stability and safety, we cannot escape a discussion about how some individuals are more vulnerable to trafficking than others due to three big systems of oppression, violence and marginalization. This is directly linked to racism, gender-based discrimination and violence, and sexual orientation. For each of these areas there is inequity, where there is a lack or even a denial of access to necessary resources such as safe housing, making a living wage, educational training, childcare that is safe and affordable, and being able to receive protection from the legal system, Each of these factors makes these populations more at risk than others to poverty, economic inequality, and more at risk for homelessness and as a result more vulnerable to being exploited through labor or sex trafficking.
Homelessness, the Lack of Secure Housing and Human Trafficking
Not having access to safe and secure housing predisposes individuals to be human trafficked and also puts them at risk to be trapped in continued cycles of exploitation and poverty. Between January 2015 and December 2017, The National Human Trafficking Hotline had 1,548 individuals reported unstable housing situations at the start of their experience of exploitation. This continues even after the exploitation ends because there is not enough supportive, affordable or inclusive shelters or long-term housing opportunities.
3 Ways Human Traffickers Lure Economically Vulnerable and Homeless Individuals
A human trafficker takes advantage of systems of oppression and inequity that are already at work in our world making certain populations vulnerable. For individuals in poverty or facing homelessness promises of economic stability and shelter are lures that human traffickers use to exploit their vulnerabilities and take advantage of their basic needs.
3 Ways to Create Safe Spaces for Survivors to Grow Relationally
Supported by psychological research, we are beings of attachment that are both harmed and healed in relationships. For survivors of trafficking and exploitation, learning how to trust and grow relationally again after so deep a betrayal is one that takes great risk, repeated exposure to safe relationships, and time. This requires allies to know how to create safe relational spaces by doing their own personal work to deal with their own relational hurts and trauma. This is so they don’t foster unhealthy relational dynamics for survivors, especially as staff working with direct service providers.
5 Ways Traffickers Build False Safety Through Trauma Bonding
Individuals who exploit others exploit our innate need for connection and twist relational bonds to coerce and manipulate individuals making them feel loyalty and connection with their abuser. They make false promises of love, shelter, family, security and belonging that turns out to be a false front for a usury relationship between the trafficker and the individual being exploited.
A Vignette of Vulnerability
This blog covers how abuse becomes a normalized way of living. When it is all, you have known, you don’t see how it is exploitive or harmful. Love has been redefined. Exploitation is an abuse of trust, and individuals taking advantage of vulnerabilities caused by childhood adverse experiences. People who are exploited are not different from the rest of us. Any one of us could be lured into an abusive and controlling relationship because we are built to want safety, love, and our needs met.
No Safe Place: The Root of Vulnerability
This blog talks about where vulnerability starts that normalizes abuse and makes individuals more likely to be exploited. It starts at home, behind closed doors, in unstable family situations where children are exposed to higher levels of ACES. Development is impacted, as the child learns that the world is an unsafe place where primary attachment figures are not attuned, present or protective. It concludes with talking about how to believe and support children that disclose abuse.
Help support Eden’s Farm: Pittsburgh’s first and only Safe House for Survivors.
Rollerskate to Liberate is excited to support Eden’s Farm and the development of Eden’s House. We’re gathering advocates and movers of all kinds to help join the #Movement. By signing up, skaters and movers will dedicate themselves to move on October 9th and raise money for Eden’s Farm by asking friends and family to sponsor their movement. It is by far the easiest and most fun way to volunteer for a great cause.
RS2L Learning Hub is here!
The RS2L Learning Hub is here to help individuals from all backgrounds understand the reality in which human trafficking happens, the grooming process, the importance of healthy relationships, risk factors that can make individuals more vulnerable, and actionable steps we can take in relation to and response to trafficking.