"Imagine having all of your freedoms taken away, being forced to work against your will, and constantly living under the threat of violence - in short, being forced to live as a slave. Sadly, this situation is a reality for millions of children, women, and men each year as part of the global human trafficking industry."

- Bill Flores -

Oppression

There are multiple definitions and conceptualizations of oppression, traditionally, it was considered the exercise of tyranny by a ruling group (Young, 2014). Currently its definition has altered and it is generally defined as the disadvantages, injustices, cruel treatment, and control people may face due to unconscious assumptions and reactions to the processes of everyday life (i.e. habits, norms, cultural stereotypes, etc.) (Young, 2014). Oppression includes five components: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence (Young, 2014).

“Oppression occurs when one group has more access to power and privilege than another group, and when that power and privilege is used to maintain the status quo (i.e., domination of one group over another). Thus, oppression is both a state and a process, with the state of oppression being an unequal group access to power and privilege, and the process of oppression being the ways in which inequality between groups is maintained.” (David & Derthick, 2014, p. 3)

Exploitation is one of the main faces of oppression experienced by individuals and/or groups that are trafficked. According to Young (2014), exploitation consists of oppression occurs through the process of transferring the earnings/results of labor of one social group to benefit another. Victims or sex trafficking and/or labor trafficking experience exploitation. Labor trafficking may involve the following: working long hours, poor work conditions, and receiving little to no pay. Victims are forced and/or coerced to work against their will and do not receive adequate profit. Victims of sex trafficking are exploited as they provide men with sexual satisfaction against their will due to being forced or coerced and receive little in return (Young, 2014).

Areas of occupation affected as a result of being exploited:

Employment: Victims are forced into labor positions and therefore, may have no say in their employment. They may be working in poor conditions, long hours, and gain little satisfaction from their employment position.
Home Establishment and Maintenance: Victims do not have the financial means to obtain adequate living situations and are trapped in poor living situations.
Financial Management: Victims of human trafficking receive little to no profit for the services they are forced or coerced to provide. They may be attempting to pay off "debt" but are unable to manage their finances due to being exploited.

EXPLOITATION

Powerlessness, another face of oppression, merges with concepts of exploitation. According to Young (2014), powerlessness consists of a lack of authority, autonomy, self-expression, and creativity within their work. Victims of human trafficking may already be a part of a vulnerable population (immigrant, LGBYT community, low SES status, etc.) and their traffickers utilize their vulnerability in attempts to limit their power entirely. For example, victims of trafficking have no work autonomy as they are being forced and coerced by their traffickers. They are unable to express themselves as they are forced to work against their will. Expression may lead to further complications and the traffickers may use force and threats to ensure the victims continue to provide services. In general, victims are taking orders from their traffickers, and do not have control over their situation.

Areas of occupation affected by powerlessness:

Social Participation: Victims lose the power over their lives and are forced to follow their trafficker's rules and are often unable to see their family or friends. Victims do not have a say in where they go, often they are moved from location to location and have no contact with their family. Traffickers obtain more power over their victims by isolating them.
Education: Victims may unable to obtain an education and cannot express their educational needs.
Religious and Spiritual Activities and Expression: Victims may lose their sense of connectedness to their religion and spirituality. Their traffickers may not allow them to express their religion because they feel they are superior and are in power.

POWERLESSNESS

In regards to the five faces of oppression, violence occurs within multiple oppressed groups. Sadly, the majority of these oppressed groups (women, LGBTQ community, and Spanish speaking Americans) are victims of human trafficking and experience violence. Violence may be used to employ power over victims (Young, 2012), as often in the case of human trafficking. Trafficking often results with the victims obtaining various physical and psychological issues such as fractures, lacerations, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2019).

Areas of occupation affected by violence:

Health Management and Maintenance: Due to violence experienced by this population, physical and mental health may be severely impacted. Victims may be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases and communicable diseases. In addition, these individuals may not have the opportunity to obtain and access healthcare. Chronic health conditions may appear and/or worsen as they may be unable to obtain necessary medical care.
Safety and Emergency Maintenance: Unsafe situations are common for victims of human trafficking. Victims often work un unsanitary and hazardous conditions. Housing may not have basic necessities such as electricity, food, water, smoke alarms, etc. creating an unsafe living situation.

VIOLENCE

What do the five faces of oppression mean to human trafficking victims?

In regards to human trafficking victims, the five faces of oppression mean that they have less opportunities, are treated as less than others, are powerless, and subject to unfair, violent, cruel, and unjust treatment. Victims are oppressed due to lack of power and autonomy over their own lives and their traffickers utilize their power to further marginalize them. Victims are subject to the demands of their traffickers and are limited in their ability to engage in their lives. Therefore, their occupational choices are restricted and their occupational identity is impacted as well. They may be unable to engage in activities that are meaningful to their identity, which impacts their overall health and wellness. Living in a state of fear due to the violence they experience may become the new norm for these individuals. Potentially, due to the powerlessness experiences, this population may accept their situation and live in a state of continual oppression.

Where can I go for Support?

The Hope Project
- https://www.hopeprojectusa.org
  - Provides Survivor Client Services (Counseling and therapy services)
  - Mentor Program
  - Ambassador Program
  - Lakeshore Human Trafficking Task Force
  - Hope Village (Rehabilitation Program)
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
- https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs
  - Tips for identifying and communicating with victims
  - Discusses policies and protocols
  - Provides link to National Human Trafficking Hotline
Michigan Abolitionist Project
- https://www.michiganabolitionistproject.org/michigan-organizations/
  - Has a variety of resources for survivors and community members of programs and resources that exist in Michigan
  - Provides a list with links to organizations located in Michigan doing anti-trafficking work in Michigan
Wedgewood Christian Services
- http://wedgwood.org/
  - Specialized shelter and trauma recovery center
  - Exposure to new activities
  - Academic options