From Identification to Restoration: How Safe House Project Uses a Holistic Approach to Combat Sex Trafficking in the United States

Author: Strobel, Rebecca & Dunn, Brittany

Abstract: This Brief Report discusses the multi-faceted approaches used by Safe House Project to effectively combat domestic sex trafficking in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of individuals are estimated to be trafficked in the United States each year, but only 1% are likely to be identified in their lifetime and even fewer are able to access the resources they need to break the cycle of victimization. Safe House Project (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization working to respond to domestic sex trafficking by identifying and protecting survivors, increasing the rates of identification through education, and providing a continuum of restorative care to survivors. SHP’s work ranges from emergency support for survivors exiting trafficking and identification training to safe house capacity building and certification. The success and exponential growth of SHP’s programs in the last several years give credence to these holistic approaches and the collaborative nature of its work calls for further partnership and knowledge-sharing in the anti-trafficking industry. This article provides greater context for the current state of sex trafficking in the United States and the approaches needed to combat it from multiple angles and through collaboration.

Keywords: emergency response, methodology, partnership, prevention, protection, sex trafficking