What We Know About Sex Trafficking Victims

Oasis of Hope is fighting sex-trafficking, one life at a time.

Oasis of Hope residents live in a beautiful and spacious safe-house nestled in the hills of Pennsylvania. For safety and security purposes, we cannot disclose the details of our CURRENT clients. However, we can share that we have received DOZENS of referrals from deeply wounded victims just in the past few months. They hail from all over the United States, and of course, right from our back yards in Pennsylvania.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT SEX-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS:

• They are scared. Often, these women have been running for their lives, or hiding in fear that they will be found again by their pimps.
• They are pessimistic. It’s hard for women who have been emotionally, physically and sexually abused by people they thought they could trust to believe there are people who really care.
• They are ashamed. Most sex-trafficking victims feel deep shame about what happened to them. They often blame themselves and are convinced they are deplorable and unforgivable people.
• They are disturbed. It is common for victims to suffer from an anxiety or mood disorder like PTSD, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
• They are distracted. More than 65% of victims struggle with sleeping and have recurring nightmares. They can be jumpy, easily startled, on guard and have difficulty concentrating.
• They are addicted. Drugs are almost always used by traffickers to manipulate and control sex-trafficking victims. Consequently, most also battle some form of drug addiction or dependence.
• They are confused. Often, these women have developed survival strategies during captivity that make it difficult to succeed in real life (ex. Stockholm syndrome and trauma & cognitive disorder.)

It is our mission to help these women successfully transition from BROKEN VICTIM to VICTORIOUS SURVIVOR.

When Oasis of Hope clients successfully graduate from our restorative program, they embrace a world they previously knew as hostile, unforgiving and abusive as victorious survivors. They have received the tools and strategies they need to begin their life afresh. Although they may continue to battle the memory of their horror-ridden experiences, they will do so with a newfound faith in God, with faithful supporters and with the knowledge that they CAN succeed in life!