Sex Trafficking is a deeply troubling and complex form of abuse, involving the manipulation and coercion of individuals into engaging in commercial sexual acts against their will. It’s a global issue affecting millions of men, women, and children.
Sex Trafficking refers to the act of economically exploiting and forcing an individual to participate in any sexual act. It involves recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Identifiable Victim Markers (IVMs):
• Addictions: Victims may develop addictions as a coping mechanism or be forced into substance dependency by traffickers.
• Anxiety: Chronic anxiety and fear often result from the traumatic experience.
• Avoidance: Avoiding situations, places, or people that remind the victim of the trafficking experience.
• Compliance: Compliance with the trafficker’s demands due to fear, coercion, or conditioning.
• Conditioned Beliefs: Internalized beliefs or distorted thinking patterns forced upon the victim.
• Detachment: Emotional detachment or disconnection from self or others.
• Dissociation: Psychological disconnection from the traumatic experiences.
• Emotionally Numb: A defense mechanism to cope with the overwhelming trauma.
• Hypervigilant: Heightened awareness and sensitivity to potential threats.
• Isolation: Feelings of isolation and separation from support systems and society.
• Labeling: Negative self-labeling or stigma associated with being trafficked.
• Minimization: Minimizing or denying the severity of the experience.
• Nervousness: Chronic nervousness or unease due to ongoing trauma.
• Reactive: Emotional reactions, sometimes aggressive or defensive, to triggers.
• Self-blame: Blaming oneself for the trafficking experience or perceived failure to escape it
