The Victims who Refused to be Rescued: Lived Experiences of Victims of Sex Trafficking

Abstract

While many are at risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking, there are still "unrescued victims". This study seeks to answer why victims of sex trafficking refuse to leave the environment in which they have been and continue to be victimized. It utilized a phenomenological study to reveal the experiences of the victims of sex trafficking through interviews as further supported by a group discussion amongst pimps. The study found that participants' need for income and desires to improve their lifestyle influenced their decision to remain victims. Anent, the victims' pre-victimization life status is linked to their decision to stay/leave. The more destitute the victims, the more likely they are to remain in the sex industry. Furthermore, despite the abuses, victims' perceptions of their victimization have positively shifted over the years of captivity. The participants personally perceived themselves from forced victims to persons who maintain their victimization as profession. The economic-benefit, the deception of the pimps, and culture of the locale collectively play apart in this shift of perception. The study comes to an unusual conclusion about victimization in sex trafficking. Recognizing this phenomenon may prompt better interventions by authorities in developing more inclusive rescue, counseling, and victim-centered programs.