Now that Taken 3 is released and raking in the box office profits, I think this is a good time to revisit the premise of the Taken series. How well did Taken actually represent the reality of sex trafficking? (I’ll give you a clue: not well at all.)

(If you haven’t seen Taken, Taken 2, or Taken 3, be warned – here be spoilers.)

Here’s a description of the premise:

In the original Taken (2008), a wealthy 17-year-old white girl on vacation with a friend in Paris meets a handsome young man who offers to share a cab from the airport. He turns out to be part of an Albanian gang and tells his fellow gang members where she’s staying. She is violently kidnapped, kept in a drug-induced stupor, and sold as a permanent sex slave at a very fancy auction. Her father, who just so happens to be a retired CIA agent, (and who was on the phone with her during the kidnapping, conveniently) uses his considerable skills to find his daughter, brutalizing and torturing his way through Europe.

So let’s talk about some of these details:

1. She’s a wealthy white girl.
Traffickers prey on the vulnerable, and most often the vulnerable are socioeconomically disadvantaged, come from minority populations, are in some way disenfranchised (homeless, runaway, in foster care, etc.), and/or have mental or physical disabilities. The girl in the movie has none of those vulnerabilities. Of course, sex trafficking can happen to anyone. Given the right circumstances, traffickers will take advantage of whomever they can. All I’m saying is, the movie doesn't represent the typical scenario. The film is flashy and intense; sex trafficking is insidious and manipulative.

2: She meets a handsome young man who gets information from her and passes it along to his fellow gang members.
This is totally true. Traffickers aren't always sketchy old dudes with vans; in fact, they rarely are. And even the ones who are, their game is manipulation. Traffickers know young women are more likely to talk to handsome, charming young men. They know how to appeal to a person’s particular insecurities and vulnerabilities. 

(In Taken 2, the father of one of the kidnappers he killed takes Badass Dad and his wife hostage. In Taken 3, the wife is murdered, and Badass Dad is framed for it. Trite action movie premises aside, we’re going to focus on Taken 1.)

They also know that you can catch more flies with honey, which brings me to my next point…

3: She’s violently kidnapped.
This is really quite rare. First of all, kidnapping is a crime of its own and traffickers try to keep their hands clean. They’re far more likely to manipulate people into coming with them willingly (at least at first). That way, if it comes to a legal scenario, they might be able to talk their way out of it. “It was consensual!”

Second, if you kidnap someone violently, you have to control them violently – tie them up, drug them, beat them into submission, etc. If you charm someone into falling in love with you, then they’re putty in your hands.

It is a horrible truth that it’s much easier to control someone when their feelings are involved, especially when that someone is a teenager. It’s disgusting, but that’s how it works.

4: She’s kept in a drug-induced stupor.
This depends on the situation, but let’s be real: drugs aren't cheap. If traffickers can control someone using less expensive means (again, like manipulation), they will. (And they’ll sell the drugs instead. It’s all about the moolah.)

5: She’s sold at auction as a permanent sex slave.
This is rare. Traffickers see their victims as money-making assets. You can sell the same person a lot of times and keep making money from them. Selling them once and letting them go decreases a trafficker’s ability to make a profit.

6: Her father happens to be a retired CIA agent.
Sure, this is kinda fun for an action movie premise, but it bears no relationship to real life. More importantly, I want to address a subtle danger here: this gives the impression that anyone with the right combination of determination and badass-ery can just go storming in and rescue people. Let me be perfectly clear: that is extremely dangerous. Not only for the one doing the storming, but also for the people under that trafficker’s control. Traffickers are powerful, dangerous people. They’re very attached to their money and they have no scruples about dealing with people who get in their way. It’s best to gather information and give it to authorities who know how to handle it safely. This is not the time or the place to be an action hero.

The bottom line is this: Taken is a cool action movie that bears little to no resemblance to the everyday reality of sex trafficking. It’s given a lot of people the wrong impressions and, as fun as it is that Liam Neeson gets to be an action hero now, those wrong impressions are pretty damaging to actual anti-trafficking efforts. It’s important to separate fact from fiction and approach the problem in a realistic and meaningful way. Because life isn't Hollywood and we aren't action heroes. 

Rachel Boyce
Director of Operations

PS: If you’d like some more facts about sex trafficking, check out this useful infographic. The sources it lists at the bottom are also good places to go for more info.

Update:
PPS: Thanks to my friend Ryan for asking this question: what about the brutality? Yes, depending on the disposition of their trafficker(s), sex trafficking victims can be brutally beaten. If you want to learn more about this (warning: difficult subject matter ahead!), Google the term "gorilla pimp."

Happy World Mental Health Day!
Today is World Mental Health Day! Let’s talk about some ways that mental health affects survivors of trafficking.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This may be the most obvious one. PTSD is common in people who have suffered abuse and sexual assault. According tothis useful 2010 report by the HHS, more than 50% of trafficked women they studied reported the following symptoms and rated them “severe”:

PTSD can be debilitating. It can prevent a survivor from taking steps to build a new life. It extends the traumatic experience for months or years after the situation has ended.

Remember, Courtney’s House doesn't use the word “rescue” because you can rescue a body, but you have to transition a mind. Getting out of the physical situation is a step, but there are lots more after that before building a healthy, full life. 

(For more about the word "rescue" and how it affects the anti-trafficking movement, read this great article.)

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have a variety of causes. The list on the website for theNational Eating Disorders Association includes low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life, depression, anxiety, anger, stress, troubled personal relationships, difficulty expressing emotions or feelings, and history of physical or sexual abuse. Survivors of trafficking often experience many or most of those.

Additionally, traffickers often withhold food as a control mechanism. Many survivors of trafficking see food as something they can’t have unless they've obeyed, or something they need to hoard in case they can’t get more later.

Many of the survivors we serve have some kind of eating disorder, or at least an unhealthy relationship with food. This is why Courtney’s House always keeps food available at the center. It not only helps our clients to eat, but gives them the security of knowing they can eat whenever they want.

Developmental Changes, Delays, Disorders
Trauma has a major impact on brain development, particularly in the formative years of childhood and adolescence. Most children who are trafficked enter the life before the age of 14, many under the age of 10. Traumatic experiences may alter the way their brains work, change hormone production, delay emotional development, etc. Childhood trauma can change the way a person perceives and experiences the world, even as they grow to adulthood.

Let us also remember that traffickers often rely on trust and coercive methods, rather than kidnapping and outright force. It’s much easier to control teenagers when you get them to care about you. Traffickers know that, and they use it to their advantage.

Mental Health is Important
Those are just some of the common ways that mental health issues affect survivors of trafficking. Let’s all remember that survivors don’t just need to be rescued. Courtney’s House works to help survivors get the care they need, from physical health to mental health, from basic needs to fun and games, from personal safety to fulfilling lives. 

Thanks for taking the time to learn about trafficking and mental health, and Happy World Mental Health Day!


Rachel Boyce
Director of Operations

Articles like this are a good example of why Courtney’s House needs to work hard to get the word out about domestic minor sex trafficking:

"Sexual Slavery - an Indiana Phenomenon, too"

Let me be clear: it’s great that the Courier-Journal is talking about the fact that trafficking is happening in Indiana. I’d just like us to get to a place where this is no longer a surprise.

When you say the word “trafficking,” lots of people think it’s an overseas kind of a thing. A traveling-across-national-borders kind of a thing. A dramatic kidnapping-and-drugging thing like in that (exciting to watch, but highly inaccurate) movie, Taken. 

In other words, we think trafficking is a thing that only happens to other people.

I get it. Just like we all want to think that getting cancer or being struck by lightning are things that only happen to other people, we assume that trafficking only happens to other people. No one wants to think that trafficking happens right here in our own US of A, to people who are citizens of these here United States. That would mean that we’re not as strong a society as we think we are. That would mean that there’s risk for our own people right here at home.

But you know what? It does happen here. 

And you know what else? The fact that we’re so loath to think it happens here is part of what makes it go unnoticed here. If you don’t think it could be happening in your neighborhood, you’re not looking for the signs in your neighborhood, so it stays hidden in your neighborhood. It’s a vicious spiral.

Don’t think you’re alone in this, though. Lots of people don’t think it could happen here. So much so, that when the TVPA (Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, or Trafficking Victims’ Protection Act) was initially enacted in 2000, it contained no protections for American victims of trafficking. Zip. Zilch. Nada. That part was added years later, and even then, there was no money appropriated for them. It was so unbelievable to us that Americans could be victimized by trafficking, that that attitude became enshrined in law.

And while we’re at it, lots of people think that sex trafficking only happens to women and girls. It doesn’t. It happens to people all over the spectrum of sexual and gender identity. Male, female, transgender, cis, hetero, LGBTQQIA – you name it. It’s not about identity or sexuality. It’s about power and vulnerability. And money.

So what can we do about it?

Start noticing. Start recognizing that words like “pimp,” “forced prostitution,” and “underage prostitution” are just other words for trafficking. (Yes, even when “pimp” is used in a song. Listen to those lyrics.) Start recognizing that power dynamics aren't black and white, and a situation that seemed innocent at first (like that mall security guard who’s really nice to the teenage girls) doesn't always stay that way.

Also, look out for opportunities to get info. One good opportunity to learn, talk to people, and get info about trafficking is coming up in the form of the DC Stop Modern Slavery Walkfest on Saturday, October 4th. Come walk with us, get your friends to sponsor our team, stop by the resource tables, and hear some great speakers (including our own Tina Frundt). 

Most of all, stop being surprised. Stop letting your friends and family be surprised. Know that it can and does happen here. This isn't just a thing that happens in the movies, and it’s definitely not a thing that only happens to other people. And the more people who know what to look for, the more people we’re able to help.

This really shouldn't be surprising anymore, so let’s make it known.

Rachel Boyce
Director of Operations

Today, in the newsletter we sent out to our subscribers, we mentioned our recent partnership with a Catholic parish in MD. A few people promptly unsubscribed from our newsletter and indicated that they did so because of this partnership. Their disapproval of the Catholic Church was fierce, and they severed their ties to Courtney’s House because of it. To them, and to anyone else who has doubts about Courtney’s House working with a Catholic Church, I write the following:

I completely understand where you’re coming from. As a former Catholic myself, there are lots of things I disagree with the Church about. But this partnership isn’t about those things.

This partnership was formed because the leaders of that parish noticed signs of trafficking within their own congregation. They noticed that people in their care were being victimized, and they reached out for help. They wanted to help the kids who were being trafficked under their noses. We weren’t about to say no to that.

Granted, we disagree on lots of things. But we’ve talked about it. Courtney’s House is not going to distribute any sort of religious material to the survivors we serve, and the parish isn’t asking us to. Courtney’s House hands out condoms and welcomes LGBTQ survivors, and we’re not asking the parish to do the same. We’re willing to work with lots of faith-based groups and organizations on anti-trafficking efforts. We aren't sacrificing our ideals and we’re not asking them to, either.

This is about meeting on common ground. This is about getting the kids the help they need, and both parties are on board with that.

Sure, the Catholic Church on the whole has failed at that before. Sure, it wasn't very good about the molestation scandal, and it still has a lot to answer for. But this time, these people at this church in our area noticed that something was wrong and asked for help. Isn’t that exactly how we hope the Church will behave in the future? Isn't that exactly the right thing to do?

If we refused to help these kids because we disagreed with the Church’s teachings or past behavior, would that help anyone? I don’t think it would.

And golly, wouldn't it be great if this could serve as an example to other Catholic parishes in other places? Wouldn't it be great if this model could help other church personnel all over the world notice and report the victimization they see? How far could that reach? I dare to dream.

So there you go. I respect your opinion, and I’m sorry if we’ve offended you. We chose to create this partnership in order to help kids who are being trafficked. That’s our mission, and we’re sticking to it.

Rachel Boyce
Director of Operations

This article was all over my facebook and twitter feeds this week. You may have seen it, too:

http://abc13.com/news/authorities-bust-prostitution-house-disguised-as-spa/150777/

The last line is telling: “Deputies are still investigating whether the women were being held against their will as part of a bigger human trafficking operation.” The women were arrested first, and questions about human trafficking came later. Notice that there’s no mention in the article of the owner of the property, the managers of the business, or the money – all those important things that could answer questions about trafficking.

This is where law enforcement and the anti-trafficking movement are out of sync. After decades of anti-prostitution work, it’s hard to adjust the law enforcement mindset from treating the women in these situations as criminals to treating them as victims. By contrast, the anti-trafficking movement focuses on helping the victims and stopping the traffickers. Arresting the potential victims is not the same as helping them.

To be clear, I’m not blaming law enforcement. The choice to arrest potential victims may come out of a desire to do good – to get them out of the situation first, then determine the details, to take them to a safe place and get them the help they need there. The problem with that is that jail is not a safe place, much as we all wish it could be.

Courtney’s House and other anti-trafficking organizations want to work with law enforcement to stop the traffickers and help the trafficked.

We want to help trafficking survivors get the help they need without having to go to jail first.

We want to help law enforcement identify traffickers and buyers in order to interrupt the flow of money and stop the industry in its tracks.

To that end, Courtney’s House works with law enforcement agencies around the country to train officers on what to look for, how to interview, and what steps to take when dealing with situations of sex trafficking. As a survivor-run organization, we can help officers see the process from the survivors’ perspective. That way, we can work together with law enforcement to get survivors the help they need from beginning to end.

While I applaud the intention of the Houston PD in making this bust, I urge them to shift focus to the bigger picture. Let’s work together toward stopping the criminals and helping the victims.

Rachel Boyce
Director of Operations

During the past few months, there has been a lot of media about non-survivors claiming that they’re survivors of sex trafficking. Some people say that it’s okay because at least their heart is good and they’re trying to help so many. As a survivor of trafficking, along with my many brothers and sisters who are survivors of trafficking, this not only hurts us, but it hurts the movement.

I can’t understand – and many survivors can’t understand – why anybody would lie about what we have gone through and the struggle that it took us to get here, although many survivors have been through different circumstances. And over the years, pieces may grow of their story. The substance never changes. The substance can’t change because it’s what we went through. In this movement has been hard already for so many organizations to find funding, I’m always astonished when I hear more and more organizations pop up. More and more people are getting upset that people are asking survivors questions to identify whether they’re a survivor or not. Isn’t this what we do for domestic violence or sexual assault? Would I get offended if you asked me questions to verify that I’m a survivor of sex trafficking?? I would NOT if another survivor asked me and we had a conversation about this and not a interrogation, why would I?? I grew up in what we call the “life” and honestly I’m use to that and know how to handle it, therefore I would not be offended.

But who would be offended or hurt ? Who would jump on the defensive? Not a question I’m going to answer just something to think about. It took me a very long time to change my own mindset to get out of the life and many of the survivors I know also had to push past what we endured to start organizations to speak out, but many of us do this with very very little funding or none at all, because we cannot possibly see anyone else go through the pain that we have all gone through. We don’t get the millions, we don’t get the Time magazine cover or even the respect from others in the movement but what we do get is the gratification of helping another that was in a similar situation that we also went through and that makes me get up every day.

So as a non-survivor, you can help, but that doesn’t mean you have to lie. You don’t have to be a survivor to have services at all. If you work with survivors of human trafficking and say you empower them, then maybe you should partner with the survivor-run program in your area. After all, why wouldn’t you if you dedicate your services to helping human trafficking survivors?? Couldn’t we help more together then we can a part??

How do you know if someone is a real survivor or not? Pieces of our story grow, but the substance doesn’t change. To me, the people that lie about being a survivor, and misuse money – in my opinion, that’s also a sickness. It sounds like maybe they have gone through something. But shouldn’t we be giving them the right references and referrals so that they can get the help that they need? Shouldn’t we say something when we think the story isn’t correct? Shouldn’t we not try to profit out of it or just say merely that, “well, they’re helping people, so it doesn’t matter”? It matters. It takes away our pain and our struggle as survivors who’ve been doing this in the movement for so long.

But how can you tell? How do you know what organization to support? Because your heart is pure, as a supporter, and you want to help somebody. I like to say: research us. Research the organizations. Look up people’s annual reports. Everything on their IRS form should be public knowledge. Call, ask questions, and I think it’s okay. We won’t get offended if you are asking (in a respectful way) our story because we understand and we’ve been here a long time fighting the cause. We want you to also see the truth in what we do.

Call organizations that work on trafficking in your area and ask them if they partner with survivor-run organizations, and ask them what there definition is as a partner? And if they don’t, why don’t they partner with a survivor run organization?

There are many organizations that are survivor-run that don’t get acknowledgement, and do not get the support that we need. If you would like to support a survivor-run organization and really understand where your funding is going, please check out the next few resources:

Breaking Free, run by Vednita Carter in St. Paul, MN

Veronica’s Voice, run by Kristy Childs in Kansas City, MO

Neet’s Sweets, run by Antonia “Neet” Childs in Charlottesville, NC

MISSSEY, in Oakland, CA

The Sage Project, in San Francisco, CA

Courtney’s House run by Tina Frundt, Washington DC

These are just a few organizations that are doing amazing things by survivors of sex trafficking inside the United States, although it’s hard at times to understand who are real survivors and supporters.

Don’t give up on real survivors. Listen. Ask questions. And support those that you believe are supporting the cause.

Thank you,

Tina Frundt
Survivor and Founder of Courtney’s House