Alcohol abuse : a self-regulated health behaviour among the survivors of sex trafficking

Abstract

Sex trafficking is an abusive offense affecting the identity of the trafficked due to the social isolation and stigma it accompanies. The present study aims at exploring how alcohol abuse is related to sex trafficking, based on interviews with survivors of sex trafficking and the staff of non-governmental organizations involved in their rehabilitation. Thematic analysis indicates that addiction plays both direct and indirect roles in the process of sex trafficking. The abuse of alcohol is often part of the process of induction into sex work. Many victims are introduced to alcohol by pimps, brothel owners or other prostitutes to make initial sexual abuse easier to bear. Yet, not all the sex trafficked become addicted. ‘Addiction’, nevertheless, emerges as an important theme in their narratives. For instance, many of the victims spoke about being ‘addicted to sex’ or ‘addicted to money’, which made the process of rehabilitation difficult to consider. Finally, the study indicates towards how alcohol abuse unlike the other addictions can be self-regulatory, even while it is a maladaptive strategy, thus reflecting the complexities behind the phenomenon of ‘addiction’.