Sarah Angeli, PsyD

Abstract Human Trafficking has been a national as well as a global issue gaining more attention throughout the last two decades. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2017), about 600,000 to 800,000 individuals become victims of trafficking internationally each year, half of whom are younger than age 18. In particular, sex trafficking has become a rising issue in minority communities of low socio-economic status. A wide range of governmental agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations have made significant efforts not only in rescuing women and children from trafficking, but also seeking to reintegrate them into society and provide for their mental and physical needs. One aspect of this recovery that is well-examined is the role of psychotherapy in the healing process of survivors (Kortla, 2010). Few studies, however, focus on the transgenerational trauma experienced by children born to these survivors. The available studies largely compare this issue to the trauma of offspring of Holocaust survivors, or survivors of torture or sexual assault, rather than centering on the unique aspects of transgenerational trauma experienced specifically by family members of sex trafficking survivors (Calvo, 2014). For this study, a qualitative analysis was conducted based on semi-structured interviews of survivors of sex trafficking. The participants were asked about their parenting-related challenges, their relationship to their children, their child’s behavior, and their children’s emotional and social functioning. Thematic analysis was used, coding commonly echoed themes across the data set. Based on the findings of this study, its implications can be further explored and used to improve mental health services provided to children of sex trafficking survivors.