Survivor Speak

Denim Day is an internationally-recognized day to support survivors of sexual violence and bring awareness to the issue of victim-blaming. Human trafficking survivors know this issue all too well.

Many survivors of human trafficking are also survivors of sexual abuse. During April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we are exploring the intersection of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Testimony from victims of crime is often the key to successful prosecution, but it can come at a significant cost to the victims themselves, who have to relive some of their most painful experiences.

The voices of Black survivors have historically been left out of the anti trafficking movement. To tell the true story of human trafficking, we can no longer separate it from race.

The National Survivor Study used the experience and expertise from survivors to create a detailed picture of the arc of trafficking.

The findings of the National Survivor Study tell the story of survivors after they exit their exploitation – and it’s the first time this story is being told.

The language we use when talking about human trafficking can be triggering to survivors and preventing victims from recognizing they're in a trafficking situation. It's past time we listen to survivors and develop survivor-centered language.

Guest Blog by Survivor-Advocate Annika Huff Our stories are powerful. When I share my story, audience members often tell me that hearing someone’s real-life experience, in their own words, changes the way they connect to the issue. This is not unique to the work of reducing and preventing human trafficking and supporting survivors. Any successful … Continued

Keyana Marshall was just 15 when she was manipulated into selling sex by a female trafficker she originally went to work for as a babysitter. Throughout her teen years she was passed from one trafficker to another. Finally, law enforcement stepped in. But for Keyana, that only made things worse. She wound up serving nearly … Continued

The National Survivor Study is live. If you are a survivor of human trafficking, please consider participating in this one of a kind study.

In the hands of human traffickers, love is one of the most powerful weapons. That's why it is important to be THAT friend - the one who understands the difference between love and trafficking and has hard conversations with loved ones you are concerned about when necessary.

Survivors of human trafficking are the real experts in the anti-trafficking movement and Polaris is already seeing the benefits of the National Survivor Study.