Episode 14: The Misbranding and Misunderstanding of Trafficking and How Honoring the Person’s Whole Life Opens the Door to Serve Them Effectively

Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm is a survivor of the streets, has a doctorate, and serves as Director of the Center for Combatting Human Trafficking at Wichita State University. She makes the point that being labeled a victim or survivor of trafficking may imply that the trafficking experience is all that defines a person and denies the lifelong lived experiences of each person. Honoring those experiences that contribute to a person's whole life opens the door to serving them effectively. Trafficking is often the result of vulnerability brought about by earlier experiences and the inability of overwhelmed and traumatized systems to appropriately and adequately respond. These are deeper, longer, and systemic issues that won’ be solved through awareness alone, which is why Dr. Karen Countyman-Roswurm developed interventions and responses that are focused, research based, and are working. The Center’s prevention and interventions efforts cut across populations to address at risk elementary school youth to trafficking survivors as well as changing policy and legislation. Learn more about her insights and tremendous work in Kansas.