1. Serving Survivors of Trafficking
Magalie Lerman
National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference 2017

2. Human Trafficking Defined
Human Trafficking is a severe form of exploitation
Federal definition from the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act (TVPRA) of 2000:
a) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery; OR
b) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age
Inter-personal and communal, not institutional
The 4 Ps approach to addressing human trafficking
Human Trafficking Defined

3. Homelessness as a Risk Factor
Human trafficking does not result as a lack of agency, but rather a lack of resources
Labor trafficking other than sexual labor constitutes the majority of cases.
The dominant human trafficking narrative, the war on sex trafficking, either criminalizes or pathologizes
Ex: prostitute vs. victim of trafficking
Homelessness as a Risk Factor

4. People in exploitative situations often form trauma bonds
The criminalization and stigmatization of the sex trade and homelessness create fear and lack of recourse
There is a high burden of proof to qualify as a victim of trafficking within the criminal legal system
Traditional homeless services can feel worse than an exploitative situation to a client/ survivor
- What does an exploiter require of a person?
- What do traditional homeless service providers require of clients?
- What does a person get out of an exploitative - situation?
- What does a person get out of homeless services?
Few Options for Exit

5. Utilizing a Rights vs. Rescue Approach
In order to leave an exploitative situation, the environment and context of a person’s life have to be right and a person has to be ready
Utilizing a Rights vs. Rescue Approach

6. Harm Reduction as Best Practice
Supporting people in or exiting exploitative situations is about building trust
Support is not conditional
Work with a person on the goal they define for themselves – it probably won’t be related to trafficking
People might not recognize their situation as exploitative. Mirroring their language is best
Hold up people’s ability to survive as a strength
Challenge provider stigma towards sex work, drug use, and codependency
Challenge the reliance on criminal justice solutions
Hold up housing and strategies for reducing poverty and homelessness as human trafficking prevention
Harm Reduction as Best Practice

7. Resources My contact: Magalie.lerman@gmail.com
Collateral Damage: The Impact of Anti-trafficking Measures on Human Rights Around the World
The Freedom Network
The Sex Worker Project
Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking
Resources