Shame is often used to maintain power and control. Statements like: “You are just a whore now” “No one will believe you” “Your family won’t love you anymore” “You are the one committing a crime” may be used.
If recovery of a victim is not made prior to this breaking phase it becomes much more difficult.
Definitions:
Stable: the group of victims under the control of a pimp/trafficker. The average is 3-5.
The Life: what a victim refers to being trafficked as.
The Game: what a pimp/trafficker refers to trafficking as.
Statistics:
- 25% of survivors report when sold online they saw an average of 10 buyers per day [source]. The number slowly goes down from there.
Complex Trauma:
In all trafficking situations complex trauma occurs that can be persistent and devastating. Trauma effects the body on every level, it removes the ability to self-regulate which then interferes with a victim’s perception and cognitive ability. Trauma is experienced not only from the interactions with their pimp/trafficker but with every sexual encounter the victim experiences. The trauma associated with just one day in “the life” is hard to comprehend, let alone years.