The Power of Survivorship

At 16, Nicole* had enough. An abusive father. A grandfather who raped her. An alcoholic mother. When it all seemed too much, a friend uttered those seven magic words and Nicole jumped at the chance to move in with a family she believed would help her.

However, like many human trafficking victims, Nicole was targeted by a recruiter “friend” who preyed on this honor roll student desperate to find a better life.

She moved in with her friend, the mom, and the mom’s boyfriend. He wanted Nicole to join his escort service. “No,” she insisted. But someone had laced Nicole’s soda with a drug. She woke up during her sexual assault, and felt that choice was no longer an option. Forced into prostitution, she was raped and sold and raped again.

There’s no single profile of a human trafficking victim. Anyone — no matter age, race, religion, or gender — can fall for false promises of love, a good job, or a stable life. And despite their unconscionable situations, most victims don’t realize that’s what they are.

A client helped Nicole escape. But no one fully understood what happened to this scared and confused girl. So she didn’t get the help she needed.

It took Nicole 17 years to come to terms with what had happened, after living through the suicide of her sister (also a human trafficking victim). What Nicole ultimately needed was a continuum of care. She wanted a different ending for herself. So she tapped into local resources and discovered that she was part of a global tragedy while listening to someone from Polaris, a global organization dedicated to helping human trafficking victims.

Her epiphany led Nicole to achieve a Master’s degree in social work. And her own survivor advocacy work. Because human trafficking victims are more than survivors. They are professionals — writers, designers, social workers, teachers — empowered to become part of the solution.

• The Office for Victims of Crime’s innovative e-guide provides operational support for established and emerging human trafficking task forces and agencies.
• GEMS Survivor Leadership Institute empowers survivors to emerge as leaders within the human trafficking movement and within their own lives.
• Survivor advocate-designed SOAR training helps medical professionals identify, treat, and respond to the 87.8% human trafficking victims who reach out to healthcare professionals during their exploitation.
• The U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, 11 survivor advocates (and presidential appointees), drew upon their diverse backgrounds to make recommendations to guide federal anti-trafficking policies.

How You Can Support Human Trafficking Victims

The U.S. Department of State offers 15 ways you can help fight human trafficking, starting with the basics: Learn how to identify a potential trafficking victim. See them as victims, not criminals. And, if you’re in a position to do so, provide job opportunities to trafficking survivors.

Listen to their stories . Learn from them. No matter who you are — victim, law enforcement, lawmaker, family member, friend — you can do something about this global problem.

• Contact the Human Trafficking Hotline (1–888–373–7888) if you see something suspicious.
• Get involved in your local community.
• If you are a survivor, or know someone who needs help, contact the National Survivor Network.

*Name changed to protect privacy.