Trafficking Survivor Shares Her Story to Protect Others

Amy wants young people to hear her story. She wants to help prevent others from becoming victims to human trafficking.By Jenny R. Holladay, Program Specialist, Region 10

Amy thought she had found Mr. Right.  He was handsome, successful, and promised her love, family and commitment.  She trusted him so completely that when he asked her to earn extra money so they could become financially secure, she said yes.

That’s when Amy’s boyfriend started selling her for sex to other men night after night so he could make money, leaving her with nothing

Now, Amy wants young people to hear her story and learn from her mistakes.

Enter Northwest Family Services , a social service nonprofit and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) grantee serving Oregon and Washington. It gave Amy a way to share her story with middle and high-school aged youth. “Deceptions” was created at the request of law enforcement in Vancouver, Washington, and now tells Amy’s story as a way to educate youth about the dangers of trafficking, and those who seek to harm them. Watch the newly released Public Service Announcement featuring Amy and her sister.

Law enforcement in both Washington and Oregon has noticed a surge in trafficking among students in the area. According to a 2013 study by Portland State University:

• At least 469 children were trafficked for sex in the Portland Metro Area in the previous four years. 
• The average age at which victims were referred to support services was 15.5. 
• 96 percent of victims are female, close to 3 percent are male, and approximately 1 percent are transgender.
• 40.51 percent of victims are Caucasian, 27.08 percent are African American, and 5.12 percent are Hispanic.
• 16.62 percent have had a baby.
• More than half of the cases had a gang connection.

See the full report  (PDF). 

The three-hour “Deceptions” curriculum uses Amy’s story to talk about healthy relationships and boundaries, internet safety, sex trafficking and how young women and men can be manipulated into doing things they wouldn’t normally do. 

As Amy, who was a preschool teacher, says, “It can happen to anyone.  I wish I had been taught what to watch out for, so I could protect myself.”

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