02/28/2022
Meet Kelly
The last time Kelly was s*x-trafficked it was January 2010. Kelly was a senior in high school and her trafficker controlled her for nine months of the school year. When she finally called the National Human Trafficking Hotline the advocate who took her call was exactly what she needed her to be at the time: supportive yet firm. She listened closely and pushed back on some of the languages Kelly used to describe herself â language that indicated that Kelly had internalized her victimization and abuse. When she used the label pr******te to describe herself, for example, the operator said âdid you want to work in the s*x industry as a little girl?â she reminded Kelly that she was 17 and that according to U.S. law, she was a s*x-trafficking victim, not a pr******te. She told Kelly âyou canât use a label you didnât pick/ Did you pick that label for yourself?â It was precisely the message Kelly needed to hear: This isnât your fault. This isnât your doing. You are not responsible for this and you deserve to feel safe and treated with dignity and respect.
Kellyâs  initial healing journey was a long one. She was dealing with complex PTSD and coping with it in a healthy way was a learning curve. She often felt overwhelmed and confused and many times when she felt like she had no one to talk to â Kelly called the hotline. They were always there for Kelly to listen, provide validation and emotional support, and re-orient herself to her support network on the ground. They never over-promised or told her they were going to fix things for her. In fact, the only promise they ever made was that they would try their absolute best.
This is where your support goes. Its people with names and families. Its people with whole lives ahead of them. Its a girl named Kelly*
*all names and photos have been changed to protect the identity of the survivor.
Via polarisproject.org
IF YOU NEED HELP:
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call: 1-888-373-7888
Text: 233733
