This summer, several interesting news reports and studies came out that are worth collecting together for future reference. One thing the anti-trafficking world has sorely needed is more and better data, along with raising survivor voices. This summer has delivered! We’ve shared a lot of these on our social media, but here they are together in case you missed any!

News, Stories, Reports & Studies

Survivor Voices

A trafficking survivor shares his story as someone who identifies as male, LGBTQ, and invisible for not fitting the stereotypes perpetuated about trafficking. (Source: Boston Globe)

A trafficking survivor shares her story as a mom and a divorcee who was solicited via social media and dating apps. (Source: ELLE)

Reports & Studies

This new study examines the availability of aftercare services and reports on “deserts” – how difficult it is to find help targeted to meet the variety of needs survivors may have. (Source: The Avery Center & National Survivor Law Collective)

This study of trafficking court cases in Vietnam is one of the few studies to focus on the profile of traffickers. It’s important because it raises the possibility that we should understand that for a significant portion of traffickers, the underlying root causes may mirror the same vulnerabilities that put victims at risk. Thus, what may reduce the risk of becoming a victim may also reduce the likelihood of becoming a trafficker. (Source: Blue Dragon)

This study of boys selling sex in Thailand attempts to address the knowledge gap about the exploitation of boys. It shares their experiences and shines a light on some problematic beliefs and attitudes even among front-line service providers that stigmatize and discriminate against them. (Source: ECPAT)

This study examines the issue of low wages, the gender pay gap, and the impact of COVID-19 on migrant workers in the seafood industry in Thailand. (Source: Oxfam)

Naturally, the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report is an essential annual review. 

Other News

Apple is making headlines for introducing device-level child safety protection features for the iPhone in a way that they say will still protect user privacy. (Source: The New York Times). WeProtect Global Alliance has a helpful blog article on why this is a game-changer. Check it out here.

New stories about trafficking to view on film and TV

Our friends at Daughters Rising recommend Joy, a film about a Nigerian sex worker in Austria needing to pay off debts. It’s among the more realistic depictions on film. Available on Netflix.

And a new drama, Coercion, is about to come out on Showtime. This one is important because it’s based heavily on the life of a survivor, Rebecca Bender, who is one of the executive producers. Most notably, it focuses on her life after exploitation. This part of a survivors’ story is at least half of the whole story, but it’s almost always entirely eclipsed by the exploitation side in most media depictions of trafficking. But to truly understand trafficking, one has to delve into life after “The Life.”