Editorial: reflecting on trafficking research

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Erratum

I was recently invited to speak to a class of college students about my first completed research project. The research article is completed and recently accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. I am intentionally withholding my excitement here for a moment of reflection. My area of research is survivors of sex trafficking. While the invitation to speak is welcomed, before I head out to share the good news of research here are a few of my personal points of processing, and words of wisdom for fellow researchers. As a counselor/therapist for sexual trauma survivors, I became interested in research after reports from client victims who had repeatedly met social service providers (like me) in various capacities. Nothing unusual about that, just the fact that no previous provider recorded their histories with the horror of sexual trauma included. Then I encountered the clients; on two occasions, I decided to explore with them themes in their stories that led directly to histories of sexual exploitation. My interest in researching this topic took off quickly, then encountered some frustrating twist and turns. Finding published prevalence data on sex trafficking was difficult, as expected. Other major issues were locating a consistent definition of sex trafficking in literature, to the dearth of identification tools, to state laws that go unenforced, and finally victim versus survivor language. I do not have a memoir of personal stories. I have my own personal preparation, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to carrying out the interviews for my research project “Identifying Sex Trafficking Victims…” (Williams, Wyatt, & Gaddis, 2018).

Over a period of 90 days in 2017, I interviewed residents at a transitional home social services agency. My intent was to use a previously validated assessment tool to identify sex-trafficking victims. The goal of the study was to generate primary data, answer research questions and produce a body of work to inform future research with a vulnerable population. Besides the final data of the study, I learned so much more as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, researcher, woman, human, and teachable person. I felt confident and prepared, as I had been under advisement for the previous 18 months by some of the best social work researchers in the south eastern United States as a doctoral student at Tulane University. I knew that Saturday morning when I arrived to begin my research interviews, my personal and professional perspective would be different about my research topic. Of course, I would follow the study protocol precisely, but many more questions and concepts would emerge along the way. My hope now is that the insight I gained along the way will help professionals interview and care for survivors of sexual exploitation. I will share a few of what I thought were mundane details of my experience from my research journal; I had no idea then actually propelled me to complete the project.

Here is the first one. I did not realize until several interviews in “what mattered.” For beginners, I wore the same clothes, shoes, bookbag, glasses, and hairstyle for each batch of interviews. The population of participants saw me repeatedly in that sameness that became consistent and “trusting.”

I don’t trust, I can’t trust, I have never learned to trust … interviewees reported again and again. Building the rapport, trust, and relationships with victims takes time and patience … it is essential for trafficking survivors to trust to recover because things changes to fast … mostly people … they change so fast… (Williams, 2018)

One woman mentioned, she only consented to the interview because she saw me over the past weeks as “the same”, no change (not even my clothes). Each time I arrived at the agency (morning, noon, or night), I became worthy of her trust. That was not something she had experienced in her life of sexual abuse and trafficking (Williams et al., 2018). “Her pimp loved her one minute and not the next … he changed when he changed clothes.” She believed I was doing something good with the research information, and she wanted to be involved. This woman was right that there had to be trust on both sides for her to share her story. I had not noticed my repetitive attire, save for comfort, and the flexibility of sitting on the floor for an interview. Once I found out (third session), that was the uniform. I made a bold note to self for future research projects with human subjects. The humanness of research with sex-trafficking survivors takes time to get the whole story. Getting someone whom you have only known a short time or only the time it took to sign the consent during intake to share their deepest, darkest trafficking truth is difficult. It is better to have a definite start and end date in the research protocol, but how do you manage building rapport…this could take forever.

Almost all my interviewees asked…What is in it for me to answer your questions? You haven’t been where I have been…seen what I have seen, been shot, beat with a bat, lost babies, or slept outside…Oh wait! You have been to war…you mean real war…well then, we can talk…so we could talk about trauma. (Williams, 2018)

Pack your patience and expect to use it before any other expert training you have is needed when interviewing trafficking survivors. Many of the research participants whom I met the first day at the agency (remember this was a 90-day project) were not formally interviewed until the final weeks of the study. Patience added to the bottom line, because little pieces of information collected over time contributed to the participants’ full story in the end. For clarification, the bits and pieces were just the small talk, saying hello or giving a wave of goodbye. I had no idea that it would eventually be the start point of our research interview. Besides the sameness of my presentation, they wanted to know more about me and my intent, background, meanings of things, street credibility, and if I was the judging type or not. It was extremely easy to do this without compromising the rigor or ethical principles of the research study. More important to some of the study participants was whether I had been through anything hard in my life. Well, I have been in combat, yes real war with the military overseas. For at least four participants, knowing this meant they could then talk about their past sexual exploitation. I do not have questions about how our stories are proportionate; it is their meaning to make not mine. I continue with the research of identifying sex-trafficking victims. I am sharing here having the patience to move strategically toward my goal, while tending the nuances of people, some with trauma history.

Another session…you are only going to get what I tell you, so it is better to help me as a participant to be in control for a few minutes. You did mention consent form…so my story is mine and important to you…I have it…and you the researcher want it. Again, you will only get what I can provide now, some of my story I don’t remember. Don’t take any of this personal…just get the story. (Williams, 2018)

Researchers around sex trafficking like other research areas must remember that all research participants are voluntary, and their information that becomes data is confidential. An area like sex trafficking would not be such a priority for research if the information, and people, that could provide it were plentiful. Respecting the position of the participant is multifaceted. Understanding how and to what extent trauma memories are activated with a simple question is important (Williams et al., 2018). When empathy, active listening, and attending are part of your skillset, no matter how bad the past was––healing may begin with you and me.

There you have my editorial points on my research project on identifying sex-trafficking victims. I have been bursting to share this for a few months. Now I can move on to speaking engagements and the awesomeness of publishing.

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Patricia R. Williams

Patricia R. Williams is a licensed clinical social worker and doctoral candidate in social work at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. She has a bachelor degree in social work from Northwestern State University, Louisiana and a master degree in social work from the University of South Carolina. She is a veteran of the United States Army. She has served a tour of duty with the Army in support of the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan. She is certified by the veterans administration to provide evidence-based therapy and sexual trauma counseling. Her practice and research interests include trauma recovery, human trafficking, the commercial exploitation of women and children, and women’s health issues.