In the trenches of combatting sex trafficking and sexual exploitation it is vital to understand the tactics used against victims and survivors, so that as advocates and members of society, we do not further harm them in the process of extending our hands as a resource. It is time to put traffickers in the crosshairs of justice. The term crosshair refers to the intersection of two lines which create aim and focus.
Sex traffickers use precision and laser focus to systematically destroy the humanity of their prey. Their goal is to render their victim into complete reliance for their agenda, which is to make money off the sale of someone for the purpose of fulfilling someone else’s sexual deviancy. Make no mistake, this is modern-day slavery.
I read a statement from a buyer of sex who stated, “when I purchase a woman for sex, she no longer is human in my mind, and I can freely do whatever I want to her because she becomes my object.”
A few years ago, in Northern Nevada a hunt was made available and for approximately $5,000 you had the chance to “Hunt a Hoe.” The purchased woman would be dropped off via helicopter at the top of a hill, dressed in lingerie and boots and told to run down the hill without getting caught. The buyer was given a paintball gun and was instructed to go up the hill looking for the prey, if they succeeded in shooting the woman with a paintball before she made it down the hill, they could do whatever they wanted to her.
While this is disturbing, the hunter and prey concept is often what fuels a trafficker’s appetite and how they entice their buyers.
“Trafficking is not a random act of violence or exploitation. It is a calculated, systematic process designed to maximize profit and minimize risk for the traffickers.
Human trafficking does not just affect the individuals who are trafficked; it has a ripple effect across society. It undermines the rule of law, fuels corruption, and perpetuates gender and economic inequality.
By understanding the lifecycle of human trafficking, we can begin to see the patterns and strategies employed by traffickers. This knowledge is a powerful tool in the fight to end this form of modern-day slavery. It’s not just about rescuing victims; it’s about preventing victimization before it starts and ensuring survivors have the support, they need to rebuild their lives.” https://thelaw.institute/understanding-human-trafficking/human-trafficking-lifecycle-recruitment-exploitation/
Daily survivors of sex trafficking live in fear of being caught if they are not already imprisoned by their slave owners. It is a misconception however, that sex trafficking only occurs in confinement. The reality of sex trafficking in our culture is that it often hides in plain sight within our communities. Walking around in a silent façade of normalcy.
The navigation away from this type of sex trafficker is daunting.
Traffickers can be anyone.
They are diverse as survivors.
At Xquisite, we have discovered that the modern-day slave owners exists off fear and intimidation toward their prey and are living within our society often unscathed because of their positions of authority within our communities. Traffickers hide under masks of doctors, business owners, teachers, counselors, law enforcement, clergy, legislators, family members, friends – they can be anyone!
According to Andrew Forrest founder of the Walk Free Foundation, "There are more people enslaved today than in any other time in history." Our perception of “slavery" needs to change. We tend to only believe that it occurs in poverty, third world countries, and isolated in a cargo hold. That is untrue. In fact, we have victims of sex slavery everywhere in what appear to be cozy and safe neighborhoods. If you take a moment to look deeper into your daily encounters, you will find a world that is crying for us to notice their pain and the horror they desperately try to hide from us. The fear of being exposed is excruciating, the psychological warfare they endure keeps them in invisible chains that cut as deep as the actual physical violence inflicted on them. They are in a constant state of healing from strangulation, beating, broken bones and sexual trauma, all of which must be kept hidden to protect the trafficker. What you might see on the outside is not always what is keeping them captured on the inside. Can you see them beyond what they are showing you?
I am on a journey to provide a safe place for survivors to become free. Just as a trafficker uses laser focus and precision to enslave and dehumanize someone, I have a renewed passion to extend equally precise and laser focused love and support. I truly believe that everyone deserves to be loved, valued, seen, and importantly believed. What many survivors experience is disturbing, unfathomable and quite frankly seems unbelievable, that someone could inflict such horror on another person. Walking alongside survivors and hearing their stories often causes me to want to rise and fight in a way to expose the trafficker for their deviant and disgusting behaviors. And when given the opportunity to do so in a safe and just way for the survivor, I absolutely will.
I realize that the best way to fight is to allow love to win. We do not need to add to their pain, we need to see them as God does, as someone He loves, designed to live a life free and to thrive.
Anti-trafficking advocacy must be precise, and laser focused as we expose the traffickers in our communities that exist right in front of us in plain sight. They are getting away with systematically destroying the humanity of someone for their monetary gain and sexual deviancy. Once we see it for what it is, it then becomes our choice to be a part of ending it.
I am all in, and I invite you to join me in the fight against sex trafficking right where you live.
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