Financial Abuse and Coerced Debt in the Lives of Sex Trafficking Survivors
Lauren Vollinger, PhD & Marianne Thomas, PhD | September 22 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Sex trafficking is an inherently coercive and exploitive act with direct and indirect financial implications. Survivors are often left with financial consequences directly related to the financial abuse endured during their trafficking situation. “Coerced debt” is a type of financial abuse that is defined as all non-consensual, credit-related transactions that occur in an intimate relationship where one partner uses coercive control to dominate the other partner (Littwin, 2012). Much of the extant literature on coerced debt has been conducted with service-connected women who have experienced domestic violence. However, little research has been conducted on the impact of coerced debt in the lives of people who have experienced abusive relationships in the context of sex trafficking. This presentation will discuss findings from a study conducted with thirty-four individuals who experienced sex trafficking in the United States. Individuals were invited to participate in qualitative interviews through convenience and respondent-driven sampling of an online anti-trafficking listserv. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was done to answer the following research questions: “Did survivors experience coerced debt as part of their trafficking situation?” and, if so, “What types of coerced debt did they experience?” Descriptive findings about the frequency and nature of financial abuse and / or coerced debt in the lives of trafficking survivors will be presented. This presentation will conclude with a discussion on the current state of practical and legal remedies for addressing coerced debt and recommendations for future research and policy to address this issue.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of “coerced debt” in the context of abusive relationships
· Present findings from a qualitative study conducted with survivors of sex trafficking about their experiences of financial abuse and/or coerced debt during and after their time in the sex industry
· Discuss the implications of this study for practitioners, policy makers, and future research