Towards Ethical Representation
As you may or may not already know, this year I am working as the Program Assistant at Eden House, a long-term residency program in New Orleans for survivors of human trafficking.
Even though I have written many weekly blog posts, I have rarely included anything about my work because of confidentiality and because I struggle knowing how I ethically present the things that my day includes.
One of my tasks at Eden House is to schedule Professional Development workshops for our interns. A couple of weeks ago, Leanne McCallum, who leads the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force, was our scheduled speaker.
After getting a general understanding of what the Task Force does, one of our topics of conversation included myths about human trafficking. Some of these myths include that only foreign nationals are trafficked, that trafficking always includes smuggling, and that trafficking always includes physical violence or abduction. (read more about misconceptions and myths)
A significant reason for that these myths are prevalent in society is because of the ways that human trafficking is portrayed in media and movies.
I have often heard people in this field complain about the movie "Taken," which portrays a girl who is suddenly abducted and then when she is found at the end, is immediately happy again. But a more common reality for those who have been trafficked is that they are manipulated or coerced into being trafficked (the law uses the phrase "force, fraud, or coercion" to describe human trafficking). Also, even once they are liberated from their situation, it takes survivors long and hard work to process and heal from the trauma.
Movies or media posts that create fear or significant emotional response through shock and awe tactics is called "sensationalism." It uses the most horrifying experiences (like being kidnapped) seem like the only experiences, which then means that less dramatic narratives (like being manipulated by a family member) are minimized and possibly represented as invalid. Tangentially, these physical representation of trafficking can actually be triggering for individuals who have experienced that trauma, meaning that the post or movie is actively harmful.
Take a look at this list that describes some of the ways that trafficking is unethically represented (and ethical alternatives):
It's not just Hollywood that misrepresents trafficking in unhealthy ways. Often times, it's people with really good intentions who want to raise awareness. Sometimes it's social service workers who are trying to provide helpful services to survivors. Sometimes it's people like me who want to share with y'all the work that I'm doing within the field.
On this page, I will not share the trafficking stories of the residents in my house. It's not allowed or appropriate or ethical. Those are not my stories to tell.
But what I'm trying to work through is how to ethically represent the day-to-day interactions I have at work that often are impacted by the trauma of the residents we serve.
It's a delicate place to work and I don't always do it perfectly (shocker, I know). I'm learning how to have grace with myself concerning the ways that I still need to improve. But, my hope is that as I move forward with my blog, my representation of my work will be thoughtful, considerate, and ethical. And if you think it's otherwise, please let me know! I welcome the feedback.
Even though I have written many weekly blog posts, I have rarely included anything about my work because of confidentiality and because I struggle knowing how I ethically present the things that my day includes.
One of my tasks at Eden House is to schedule Professional Development workshops for our interns. A couple of weeks ago, Leanne McCallum, who leads the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force, was our scheduled speaker.
After getting a general understanding of what the Task Force does, one of our topics of conversation included myths about human trafficking. Some of these myths include that only foreign nationals are trafficked, that trafficking always includes smuggling, and that trafficking always includes physical violence or abduction. (read more about misconceptions and myths)
A significant reason for that these myths are prevalent in society is because of the ways that human trafficking is portrayed in media and movies.
I have often heard people in this field complain about the movie "Taken," which portrays a girl who is suddenly abducted and then when she is found at the end, is immediately happy again. But a more common reality for those who have been trafficked is that they are manipulated or coerced into being trafficked (the law uses the phrase "force, fraud, or coercion" to describe human trafficking). Also, even once they are liberated from their situation, it takes survivors long and hard work to process and heal from the trauma.
Movies or media posts that create fear or significant emotional response through shock and awe tactics is called "sensationalism." It uses the most horrifying experiences (like being kidnapped) seem like the only experiences, which then means that less dramatic narratives (like being manipulated by a family member) are minimized and possibly represented as invalid. Tangentially, these physical representation of trafficking can actually be triggering for individuals who have experienced that trauma, meaning that the post or movie is actively harmful.
Take a look at this list that describes some of the ways that trafficking is unethically represented (and ethical alternatives):
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| http://www.nolatrafficking.org/social-media |
It's not just Hollywood that misrepresents trafficking in unhealthy ways. Often times, it's people with really good intentions who want to raise awareness. Sometimes it's social service workers who are trying to provide helpful services to survivors. Sometimes it's people like me who want to share with y'all the work that I'm doing within the field.
On this page, I will not share the trafficking stories of the residents in my house. It's not allowed or appropriate or ethical. Those are not my stories to tell.
But what I'm trying to work through is how to ethically represent the day-to-day interactions I have at work that often are impacted by the trauma of the residents we serve.
It's a delicate place to work and I don't always do it perfectly (shocker, I know). I'm learning how to have grace with myself concerning the ways that I still need to improve. But, my hope is that as I move forward with my blog, my representation of my work will be thoughtful, considerate, and ethical. And if you think it's otherwise, please let me know! I welcome the feedback.
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