“Boys hear that it only happens to girls,” Steven Procopio, clinical director of MaleSurvivor, a network of therapists and survivors,says. Tom Jones’ tortuous journey - from male child trafficking victim to adult survivor - is far more common than is often acknowledged by anti-trafficking organizations, law enforcement and the news media.
“And Boys Too,” ECPAT-USA, 2013 report. For example, when filing human trafficking reports, they would often ask: ‘Why couldn’t he get away? He’s a boy.’ One informant said she was forced to explain to law enforcement professionals before filing a report that boys and young men can be bought and sold just like girls.” “Key informants pointed out their belief that law enforcement has very little understanding of (commercially exploited) boys. “I was very ashamed to talk to a therapist who I knew cared about me,” he says. More: How many people are victims of sex trafficking?Įven then, years after the exploitation ended, it was difficult for Jones to acknowledge what he had suffered.
And Jones says he was preparing for a third attempt when he decided finally to reach out for help. “I put a lot of focus and energy into taking my own life.” “I’m lucky, because I shouldn’t be here,” Jones says. Instead, he buried his pain and shame deep inside, carrying the burden alone and in silence for another 15 years.