• Survivor Survey 5.0 - Sexual Tactics

    This Survey is Confidential and Optional
  • About this Survey

    These questions were designed to assist us in information collection from trafficking survivors. Your answers may allow us to help you find answers you need in order to help you navigate through your survival journey. We may also use your answers to create a database of information for use in trying to discover common themes and patterns shared by survivors that may allow us to paint a full picture of how these systems work, where they have "hubs", how the financial arms operation, and how we can eventually prevent and eradicate predatory trafficking of children and adults. All information is voluntary and "I don't remember" is also a perfectly valid answer. Please select anything that applies to your experience and, remember, any answer is optional. Your individual information will not be used, given or sold to any third party. This is only for data collection and analysis purposes. You are not obligated to share anything you do not feel comfortable sharing.
  • Did you complete our Survivor Survey 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 already?
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Acronyms

    These are provided for reference. If you have any other acronyms you would like us to add, please let us know. TRIGGER WARNING - These definitions may be triggering to some survivors.
  • AKA: Also Know As - Alias names or nicknames used instead of a birth name

    CIA: United States Central Intelligence Agency

    CPS: Child Protective Services

    CSAM: Child Sexual Assault Matierals

    DEA:  United States Drug Enforcement Administration

    DFC: Drug Facilitated Crimes

    DFSA: Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault

    FBI:  United States Federal Bureau of Investigation

    LE:  Law Enforcement

    PO:  Parole Officer or Post Office

    SA:  Sexual Assault

    USPS:  United States Postal Service (different than UPS and FedEx)

     

  • Definitions

    These are provided for reference. If you have any other definitions you would like us to add, please let us know. HIGH TRIGGER WARNING - These definitions may be triggering to some survivors.
  • COERCE means to forcefully persuade, compel, or threaten an unwilling person to do something, often exploiting fear, authority, or pressure. It involves overpowering someone's will to achieve compliance or obedience.

    COERCIVE CONTROL
    Coercive control is a pattern of acts and behaviors that an abuser uses to take away your freedom and to control your life.

    CONSENTUAL SEX VIOLATION:  When someone consents to sexual activity but it goes further than agreed or they do not stop when asked, or you are unable to ask because of the ferocity involved, it is considered sexual assault, sexual coercion, or rape. Consent must be ongoing, voluntary, and can be withdrawn at any time; continuing after a boundary is set is a violation of consent.

    Source:  Office of Women's Health

    GASLIGHTING
    The term “gaslighting” is used to describe a pattern of behavior in which the abuser denies that acts or events have happened as you know they have, causing you to question your reality, doubt your judgment and memory, and feel like you are going crazy. The abuser will often twist your emotions, words, and experiences and use them against you. Gaslighting tends to happen gradually, over time.

    INCAPACITATED ASSAULT: Sexual acts performed on someone unable to consent due to alcohol, drugs, sleep, or unconsciousness.

    ISOLATION
    One way an abuser can gain control is by cutting you off from the people who care about you. This is called isolation. Over time, this can make you feel like the abuser is the only person you can turn to.

    NONCONSENSUAL IMAGE SHARING: Distributing intimate images (revenge porn) or taking photos without permission.  This may include voyuerism (see definition below), and the use of video or still images.  (Remember, if you were unable to consent, they did not have permission).  This may also include images of physical assaults, sexual assaults and/or "Stuff" materials or other CSAM images.

    RAPE/ATTEMPTED RAPE: Forced or coerced vaginal, anal, or oral penetration.

    SEXUAL COERCION: Pressuring or manipulating, by any means, someone into sexual activity, often used by known perpetrators.  (See "Coerce" above).

    SEXUALLY ASSAULT BY PENETRATION: Penetration of genitals or anus with (any) body parts (not just genitals) and/or objects of any kind.

    SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Verbal harassment (e.g., sexual jokes or comments), non-verbal (e.g., explicit messages, gestures, or stalking), physical contact (e.g., unwanted touching or kissing), unwanted sexual advances (contact/touching as below), or exhibitionism (flashing, exposing genitals).  In a work situation: quid pro quo harassment (job benefits tied to sexual favors) and hostile work environment harassment (pervasive conduct that makes the workplace intimidating or offensive).

    SHIFTING BLAME (“DARVO”)
    Another form of emotional abuse is when the abuser denies the abuse, blames you for his/her actions, or makes you look like the bad one. For example, s/he might:

    - spread lies about you to friends or family;
    - say that you are really the one being abusive; or
    - call the police and make a false report against you, accusing you of doing what s/he did to you.

    Some people call this pattern “DARVO,” which stands for “deny, attack, reverse victim and offender.” It’s a way to shift blame away from the abuser and make you seem like the one at fault.

    SNUFF FILMS/IMAGES:  These are images of someone who was killed in real life while someone took photos, video or live streamed the event.

    STEALTHING: Non-consensual removal of a condom during sexual activity.

    THREATS OF SUICIDE OR SELF HARM
    Sometimes, an abusive partner or ex may say things like, “If you leave me, I’ll kill myself,” or “If you don’t do what I say, I’ll hurt myself.” These are very serious threats—and they are also a form of emotional and psychological abuse.

    The abuser is trying to make you feel guilty or scared so you’ll stay in the relationship or do what s/he wants. These sorts of threats of self-harm play off of your love or concern for the abuser as a way to control you.

    UNWANTED SEXUAL CONTACT/TOUCHING: Groping, grabbing, kissing, or fondling upon your body or body part by another.

    USING CHILDREN
    If you and the abuser have a child together, the abuser may use your child to control, scare, or hurt you.

    USING OTHERS
    Sometimes, an abuser may hurt you by going through other people (third parties) instead of doing it directly. This can take different forms and involve different people.

    VOYEURISM: Watching someone engage in private acts or activities without their consent.

    ABUSE OF PETSThey may try to hurt or control you by threatening to harm or actually harming your pet or a family pet or to force you to watch harm of pets or force you to do harm to your pets

    Source:  https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/forms-abuse/emotional-and-psychological-abuse/forms-emotional-and-psychological-abuse 

     

     

  • Physical Abuse Tactics

    HIGH TRIGGER WARNING!!
  • Victims of childhood abuse, domestic violence, and workplace toxcicity may share your experiences with psychological abuse and control.  We offer definitions of various terms here for awareness and relative use with this survey.

    If you grew up in a dysfunctional situation, this type of behavior may have been "normalized" for you.  That normalization can make previously victimized people vulnerable to falling into similar siutations because they may not see this behavior in others as unusual.  They may also "feel" this is wrong when its happening to them, but they feel conflicted inside at the same time.

    Purposes of Threatened or Actual Abuse

    To emotionally punish the person they are abusing

    To scare the person they are abusing 

    To physically punish the person they are abusing

    To coerce the person they are abusing

    To control the person they are abusing

    Source: https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/forms-abuse/emotional-and-psychological-abuse/forms-emotional-and-psychological-abuse 

    Physical abuse is a powerful way that an abusive person gets and keeps someone under control and it instills an environment of constant fear.

    Source: https://nnedv.org/content/forms-of-abuse/ 

    Physical Abuse is deliberately aggressive or violent behavior by one person toward another that results in bodily injury.

     

  • The legal age of consent in the United States at the federal level is 16 years old.

    Sexual relationships with a person aged less than 16 years amount to statutory rape, and it is punishable by the law.

    Apart from the federal law on statutory rape, each of the states in the US has its local laws regarding consensual sex. The consensual age varies from 16 years to 18 years depending on the state.

    Here is a link to the current Age of Consent MAP:  https://www.bhwlawfirm.com/legal-age-consent-united-states-map/ 

    Were you under the age of 16 at any time at any of these locations while you were being trafficked?

    ANSWER HERE:

     

  • Sexual Control Tactics

  • Please tell us what SEXUAL tactics your "handler(s)" forced you to engaged in or used on you personally during the time you were being trafficked by them. See the above definitions that have hot links for details. Choose all that apply to your situation. (Check marks will turn blue once selected)
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  • End of Survey

    It is important that you take breaks and do some self care after completing our surveys. We encourage you to write in your journal about anything that may have come up for you, or, if you have already started your blog page, you can use this time to update it now with things that have come to your memory. The next survey will be more detailed an will begin diving deeper into the details of what went on day to day during your experience. This will be in a checklist format so you don't have to give descriptors. We want to minimize any retraumatization while we collect this important information about survivors. Thank you for sharing your story. It is so important to those who are working to move forward, heal and make real change!
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