Sympathy vs. Empathy: What Really Helps Victims of Human Trafficking?
At some point in your life, everybody feels sympathy for another person. We see people facing sad, negative, or difficult situations and feel sorry for them, or maybe even pity them. When we’re feeling sympathetic towards people, we often try to “make things better” by saying just the right thing to cheer them up. We try to find a silver lining or give advice that would “fix” this situation, even though there’s nothing that can really be done at that very moment. Because of this, sympathy can sometimes hurt more than it helps. Empathy, on the other hand, prompts us to feel with somebody. According to renowned researcher Dr. Brene Brown, empathy is when we reach inside ourselves and embrace the part of us that has experienced the same kind of hurt as the person in front of us. Empathy is following someone into the deep, dark hole that they have fallen into. It is seeing things from their perspective and simply reminding them that they are not alone and that they are still worthy of love.
It is with empathy, not sympathy, that we should approach the problem of human trafficking. A common word that is used to describe people who have been trafficked is “victim.” The dictionary defines “victim” as “someone who has been harmed as a result of a crime, accident, or other action.” It also describes a victim as someone who’s been “tricked or duped.” Based on this basic, dictionary definition, this would be an appropriate word to describe trafficked persons. The connotation of the word victim, however, holds a very different meaning. Victims are often seen as helpless, broken, and fragile. They are seen as weak and naive as if they could wither away or crack at any moment. Victims are approached with sympathy, or sometimes even pity.
To truly empower those who have survived human trafficking, we need to see them as far more than just victims. We need to see them as survivors and conquerors. Those who escape human trafficking are undoubtedly some of the most resilient people to ever live. Despite being bought and sold as objects and suffering horrible, degrading things, they continue to fight and live day after day. To think of them purely as victims further robs them of their integrity and humanity. Each and every survivor of human trafficking has a name, a life, and identity. To reduce the sum of their life to victimization can negate everything else about their identity and personhood. In order to truly advocate for those who survive human trafficking, we must protect their integrity as fellow human beings.
A local (to Cincinnati, Ohio) organization that seeks to assist women who are in sex-trafficking while also protecting their integrity is Weightless Anchor. Weightless Anchor is a branch of BLOC Ministries, located in Price Hill, Cincinnati. They provide the women of Price Hill with access to laundry services, clothes, hygiene items, food, and a community of volunteers who love them as they are. For more information on protecting survivor integrity or assisting with Weightless Anchor, you can visit their website by following the link below.
http://www.onebloc.org/weightless-anchor
Brene Brown on Empathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw