Opening Doors for Trafficking Survivors
Each January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month invites us to confront a form of violence that is widespread, often hidden, and…
Opening Doors for Trafficking Survivors
Each January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month invites us to confront a form of violence that is widespread, often hidden, and deeply interconnected with other forms of harm. Human trafficking—including both sex trafficking and labor trafficking—rarely occurs in isolation. While sex trafficking often receives more public and media attention, labor trafficking is the most common form of trafficking in the United States and occurs across industries such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, hospitality, and food service. Across both forms, traffickers rely on familiar tactics—coercion, isolation, threats, and economic or immigration-related control—mirroring dynamics seen in abusive relationships and exploiting existing vulnerabilities.
Because of this overlap, domestic violence and sexual assault programs are often among the first places human trafficking survivors turn for help. Yet trafficking is not always recognized within traditional responses, leaving some survivors without the full range of support they need. Survivors of trafficking frequently require safe housing, trauma-informed advocacy, legal assistance, and long-term stabilization—needs that closely align with, and sometimes extend beyond, existing survivor-serving systems.
A survivor-centered approach is essential. This means -
- Listening to survivors as experts in their own lives.
- Recognizing the diverse pathways that lead into trafficking that are shaped by poverty, migration, race, gender identity, age, and systemic inequities.
- Avoiding the criminalization or misidentification of survivors—especially from youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities.
Safety, dignity, autonomy, and culturally affirming support must guide every response.
This is where a no wrong door approach becomes critical. Survivors should not have to know the “right” words or systems to access help. Whether someone seeks support through a domestic violence program, a sexual assault advocate, a healthcare provider, or another community resource, every door should lead to safety, understanding, and meaningful options. Strong, coordinated community responses help ensure trafficking is recognized, survivor autonomy is respected, and support is seamless rather than siloed.
Human Trafficking Awareness Month is more than a moment of recognition; it is a call to action. By strengthening collaboration across systems, investing in prevention, and centering survivor voices, we can build communities where exploitation cannot take root—and where every person has the opportunity to live free from violence, coercion, and fear.
Additional Resources
The Survivor Reentry Project (Freedom Network USA)
A national program supporting human trafficking survivors in accessing post-conviction criminal record relief by connecting them with a nationwide network of pro bono attorneys.
Framework – Tools to Combat Labor Trafficking (International Rescue Committee)— an initiative offering e-learning and technical assistance designed to help providers identify and respond to labor trafficking in the U.S. with trauma-informed, survivor-centered resources.
Aequitas
Provides training, research, and technical assistance to strengthen prosecution and systems responses to sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
A leading non-profit organization dedicated to combating human trafficking by building a survivor-centered movement, operating the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, and using data to drive systemic change, supporting survivors, disrupting trafficking networks, and advocating for stronger laws and policies.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
A free, confidential, national hotline that provides 24/7 support, and also trained advocates who can connect survivors to local services (shelter, medical, legal, mental health, safety planning). They also have a referral directory to find regional organizations and programs.