Empowerment or Exploitation? Ethical Engagement of Survivor Leaders in Anti-Trafficking Organizations

Abstract

In recent years, anti-trafficking organizations have increased the use of survivor voices in fundraising, direct service, and leadership. While empowerment is the goal, tokenism can be the outcome when organizations do not engage survivors ethically. This integrative literature review article provides an overview of the research on engagement of sex trafficking survivors in organizations leading anti-trafficking efforts in the United States and summarizes findings to emphasize ethical engagement practices from an organizational culture perspective. Overall, it is recommended that organizations ethically engage survivors in a variety of roles within the organization. To do this well, organizations should create opportunities for professional capacity building, enhancement of survivor leadership roles and responsibilities, and adoption of a trauma-informed and survivor-informed organizational culture to empower survivors.