Running Header: TRAFFICKING RECOVERY

Methods of Recovering for Victims of Human Trafficking Ashlyn Cooley Glen Allen High School

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Abstract Human trafficking has become a very real problem for women and girls all over the world. Slavery, which began as purely labor, has evolved to encompass not only labor, but also sex and other exploitations of humans. Recovering this maltreatment is a feat within and of itself, and this research is used to determine the most effective and successful method for reaching a full recovery. There are many traumas that a victim of human trafficking will have experienced throughout their period of enslavement. Some of those as physical and require extensive immediate and long term care. However, one these wounds have healed there is usually still underlying psychological injuries that must be healed before a victim is fully recovered. Since most long-term problems are psychological, the research supports that rebuilding trust in a victims life is the most effective way to achieving a full recovery. By building trust, the victim can begin to open up and heal on her way to becoming a survivor. The facility that would be suit a trust-building environment is one that is not only safe and secure, but that is also staffed with faculty who not only understand human trafficking, but who also have a distinct compassion for victims and a devotion to every single person that inhabits that facility. The project created around this research will be guided towards creating guidelines for future recovery facilities. This is needed because presently, there are not enough facilities for the growing number of victims. However, not just any housing area is adequate enough for victims. With these new guidelines, developing facilities will be able to create the most effective, sustainable, and beneficial facility possible.

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Introduction Human trafficking, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is defined as the trade of women and children for prostitution and force, fraud, or coercion beyond sexual exploitation. This illegal activity occurs all around the world, even in the United States and it is slowly grabbing the attention and awareness of American citizens. In order to help victims regain their lives, various anti-trafficking organizations have been created in order to fight the modern form of slavery. These types of groups and organizations are designed to help trafficking victims and have sprouted up nationwide. Ultimately, these organizations work towards the reintegration of victims into the world again without the emotional and physical wounds of their experiences. Through research, it has been found that overall, there is no set plan of action but rather the procedure of the recovery varies by victims when focusing on the medical and psychological effects, the short-term care, and the long-term care for each victim.

Short-Term Care The most common physical injuries and maladies that a trafficking victim obtains are bruises, broken bones, cuts, burns, rashes, headaches, dizziness, fainting, and sexually transmitted diseases (Armstrong, 2008, p. 23). Some other injuries are just as severe, but are not nearly as visible. Most trafficking victims have PTSD associated symptoms, especially in women, along with other mood and anxiety disorders such as panic attack, OCD, and depression (Clawson, Dutch, & Williamson, 2010). Due to evidence-based research and the progression of psychological treatment, these disorders can be diagnosed and successfully treated. The main types of therapies that are successful for trafficked victims are Cognitive

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Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing, and Stress Inoculation Training. Through these therapies, victims have a better likelihood of full recovery and reintegration into the world. The immediate care of a trafficking victim is one of the most important factors that go into recovery. Victims must have appropriate shelter when first out of the trafficking rings. These shelters must be secret from traffickers, protected, and caring for one gender around the same age (Armstrong, 2008, p. 15). As simple as this sounds, care providers must be wary that victims are provided with a stable environment without must moving around or with people of questionable character, such as drug users, criminals, or violent people. If this happens, the victims recovery will be tainted by first impressions of a lack of safety. Also, Armstrong mentions that sickness and injuries must be treated immediately (2008, p. 21). Not only that, but keeping a victims clean and well-rested with clothing on their backs is needed from the start in order to best begin the healing process of a victim (Armstrong, 2008, p. 21-22). Having a decent short-term care sets the trafficking victim up for a successful long-term care and ultimate recovery. Also, victims should be immediately surrounded by compassionate people in order to begin feeling more comfortable in their new environment.

Long-Term Care After short-term care, a victim goes through a long-term care process that usually occurs in a rehabilitation center of some kind. According to Armstrong, centers exist to give clients a new taste of freedom, that has been denied to them for so long (Armstrong, 2008, p. 18). And though most facilities are adequate in supplying various services and cares for victims, there are too many victims for each of them to receive the same quality of care. As

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Clawson and Grace point out, there needs to be more good facilities that are tailored more specifically to the needs of trafficking victims (2007, p. 3). It is also helpful for female victims to recover in a primarily female center mainly because she has most likely been exploited by males and that memory may inhibit recovery. This lack of trust for males and the feelings that surface due to that may easily resurface and therefore, most of the staff should be female in order to avoid discomfort caused by male presence. A vital aspect that was reinforced by multiple sources was that regardless of the quality of the facility itself, without the assurance of the victims physical and emotional safety, it simply isnt good enough. The need for the protection is derived from the lack that victims have had in their pasts and in order to rebuild someone on an emotional level, they must be open to trust and to achieve that, they must feel safe at all times. In an ideal long-term care facility, a trafficking victim should become equipped to become immersed in the world. Through various programs, this is made possible. At the best rehabilitation centers, some services provided include intensive case management, medical screening and routine care, mental health counseling and treatment, job training programs, life skills, youth development program, education, and family involvement (Clawson & Grace, 2007, p. 6-8). With well-developed and staffed programs such as these in a secure environment, victims will begin taking their steps further from victim and closer to survivor. However, regardless of any program that a victim participates in, trust is a vital need in rebuilding every person.

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Trust Building From businesses to relationships, trust is needed in order for people to trust one another and the authorities and influences that enter their lives. Imagine not being able to trust a family member or a best friend because theyve either committed a betrayal or have a presence and demeanor that is frightening. Withholding trust from everyone creates a lonely, on edge person and one that most people would never dream of becoming. Trust comes easily for those with a happy family and social life, but for a human trafficking victim, trust does not come easily due to the brutal and abusive backgrounds that each victim has lived through. Emotional and physical abuse symptoms of trafficking victims are very similar to symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Clawson, Dutch, & Williamson, 2010). In society, we value trust. Hundreds of psychologists make money just to build trust, whether in marital relationships or in personal insecurities, and prove that trust is necessary to be content in all walks of life. Without trust, there is no healing, there is no moving on, and there is no humanity. Maybe that sounds a little dramatic, but its true. Trust is the foundation for practically every motive behind every action that any person has or hasnt done. As children, we learn to trust our parents and our surroundings and to distrust strangers. Trust assists in making life choices and is tightly bound to emotions. Placing trust in another person can be extremely difficult once that trust is broken simply because the desire to protect oneself and ones feelings is an innate tendency. This importance of trust is not absent for a human trafficking victim, trust is just no longer present. So, in order to fully recover and move forward, one must learn to trust.

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There are various types of therapies in the world that focus on building trust. The one that is most closely linked with human trafficking symptoms is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as stated previously. In an ideal recovery facility, human trafficking victims should have access to therapies or medication that eases anxiety and promotes comfort and security. Without this, victims will keep the mindset that theyve learned to sit in learned helplessness and never fully become the person they once were. The presence of trust and building trust between two people is important to everyone, and the repercussions of a shattered trust are catastrophic. Depression and other types of mental illness can easily take hold and prevent a person from fully opening up and healing internally. Especially when the abuse is sexual and the distrust comes from violation and disrespect, a woman or girl can feel empty and useless or as if she deserved the fate she got. This type of negative thinking prevents the internal fighter from overcoming the greatest difficulties and is yet another hurdle that victims might be faced with. However, sometimes depression and other subtle disorders can be hard to catch, so mentoring or getting to know a survivor better will help to detect any underlying issues (Brewer, 2014).

Trust in Relationships There are many different organizations which fight to free girls and women in human trafficking and combat what is modern slavery. One of these, The Gray Haven Project has a home in Richmond, Virginia and I tracked down one of their mentors who happened to be my good friend, Corrin Brewer. She had volunteered with the Gray Haven for about a year and half and in that time mentored one of the human trafficking victims housed there. When asked about the importance of trust, Corrin stated that, You cant have a real mentoring

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relationship with it, (2014). Of course, as with all relationships, it takes time, but that is to be expected. Sometimes, in order to begin building a relationship, all it takes is a conversation about that mentees interests or aspirations. Being wherever she is comfortable and talking about what shes willing to share without pushing for too much information can allow the relationship to blossom and grow in meaning an importance (Brewer, 2014). What was most interesting about what she said was that there was no set activity or any kind of trust building exercises that she and her mentee did together (Brewer, 2014). I feel like in order to help the mentorship, there should be an optional program or exercise in place that would allow the two to connect or just have fun together. This might be helpful to the shyer mentors or mentees and would help move the recovery process forward.

Trust through Religion A concept that is very nearly linked to trust is religion. I believe that any victim, who had a religious standing prior to being victimized, should be re-exposed to that religion as soon as possible. This way, a victim can grab back onto their roots and begin to rediscover themselves and their identity, something that theyve probably lost in the abuse of their previous years. Another reason why religion is so important is because, especially in Christianity, it emphasizes an unconditional love an exception all the time. With the love of a God behind any person, a sense of empowerment and hope fills their entire body and breaks through the walls and layers of protection of a persons brokenness and allows true spiritual healing occurs. Sometimes, a shrink just isnt good enough because of all of the negative stereotypes and assumptions that come with it. Not many people want to admit that theyre crazy enough to need therapy; although thats not really what it means, its still the

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assumption associated with it. However, with a religion, a person can receive the love and companionship that they desire without seeming crazy or mental to themselves or to others. Not only that, but religion is a constant. Even once a survivor moves out of a facility and begins to live on their own, they can take their religion with them. It is something to stand on and be sure in and allows any person to learn to trust and let go of their own problems. Not only that, but prayer is its own kind of therapy; one speaks aloud and voices any problem or concern and then begins to learn to trust that prayers will be answered in due time. Religion and faith also come in families. Once a person has found their church home, it is pretty much forever unless they make the choice to stop going. Churches have various bible studies and bonding time along with actual services that build relationships between members and can begin the foundations of a new family through God. Other religions are similar in the way that those one worships with can become friends close enough to act as a family and rely on one another for moral and spiritual support.

Conclusion Since most of the research found relies heavily on rebuilding trust in every aspect of a victims life, my thesis statement is veering in that direction. People in a victims life provide a basis for their recovery and as Clawson and Grace state, the staff must be run by individuals who live and breathe trafficking in order for a victim to be understood and empathized with. For my final project, I have decided to construct a Utopian facility for victims to begin and continue their long journey on the road to becoming survivors and, ultimately, overcomers. I believe that no matter how much medical recovery and care facilities that a victim may go through, without the right people employed and without the

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right relationship rebuilding, the victim will always have open psychological wounds. This is derived primarily from the amount of psychological trauma and broken trust that a victim would have been and still be experiencing throughout their recovery process. The best way to heal a person is to simply love and accept them and ensure their safety at all times. And I feel that that is all a trafficking victim really wants: to be truly loved.

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References: Armstrong, H. C. (2008). Rebuilding lives. Retrieved from http://www.freetheslaves.net/ Document.Doc?id=60 Bales, K., Hyde, J., & Levin, M. (2006). Physical and mental health aspects of rehabilitating children freed from slavery. Retrieved from http://www.freetheslaves.net/Document. Doc?id=36 C. Brewer, personal communication, March 27, 2014 Clawson, H. J., Dutch, N. M., & Williamson, E. (2010). Evidence-based mental health treatment for victims of human trafficking. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp /07/HumanTrafficking/MentalHealth/index.shtml Clawson, H. J., Dutch, N. M., & Williamson, E. (2010). Medical treatment of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and its applicability to victims of human trafficking. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/HumanTrafficking/SA-DV/index.shtml Clawson, H. J., Dutch, N. M., Solomon, A., & Grace, L. G. (2009). Human trafficking into and within the United States: A review of the literature. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/ hsp/07/ HumanTrafficking/LitRev/index.shtml#needs Clawson, H. J. & Grace, L. G. (2007). Finding a path to recovery: Residential facilities for minor victims of domestic sex trafficking. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons. unl.edu/humtraffdata/10/?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Fhumtraffdata%2F10 &utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages Hughes, D. M. (2003). Hiding in plain sight. Retrieved from

Trafficking Recovery 12 http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/hiding_in_plain_sight.pdf Polaris Project. (2011). Child sex trafficking in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/resources-by-topic/sex-trafficking Polaris Project. (2010). In their shoes: Understanding victims mindsets and common barriers to victim identification. Retrieved from http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/ resources- by-topic/human-trafficking Polaris Project. Domestic sex trafficking: The criminal operations of the American pimp. Retrieved from http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/resources-by-topic/sextrafficking