The Impact of Victim-Blaming on Human Trafficking Survivors

What is victim-blaming?

This concept makes the person believe they had a choice. It makes them believe they made the wrong decision which led to their trafficking situation. Victim-blaming relies on this perception, yet human trafficking is NEVER the victim’s fault. Human trafficking can appear in different scenarios including some therapeutic environments or when interacting with law enforcement.
Often, victim-blaming occurs through questioning. A survivor may be asked a series of questions regarding what they could have done differently to prevent their trafficking situation. They may inquire if accepting a job that turns out to be a trafficking scam or having irregular immigration status for example perhaps led to their trafficking situation.
This tendency to blame victims is challenging to address because it is often an unconscious decision or choice. It is a way to psychologically separate ourselves from the victims to believe that bad things do not happen to good people. Sometimes, convincing yourself that the victim must have done something wrong is a way to protect yourself. This is a problematic mindset however because what protects one person’s emotional well-being can be very harmful for others. This form of self-protection can have a negative and real-world effect on others. This is especially true when trafficking survivors are blamed for their own victimization.
This social stigma and the fear of not being believed may prevent victims from seeking the help or resources they need after they leave their situation. The victims then internalize the blame and believe they did do something wrong to end up in that situation. This belief may prevent them from seeking the help they deserve.
This issue is compounded by the fact that victims who are blamed for their abuse report greater distress, increased depression, and worsened symptoms of anxiety. People who are blamed for their abuse also report more complicated post-traumatic stress disorder. It is extremely unfair to hold survivors responsible for the exploitation they endured. It is also unfair to insinuate that they had a choice in being trafficked.
Victim-blaming is a culture and mindset that must be changed. Everyone can do their part by examining their own thoughts and reactions to victims of these crimes. Remind yourself of the harm this blame has on survivors to stop viewing survivors as the ones responsible for their trafficking situations.