Spiritual Trafficking, Spiritual Abuse, Faith Communities

Fri, September 20 | 1:45 PM EDT– 2:45 PM EDT

Topic: Conceptual, Research | Knowledge Level: Advanced

Rev. Sarah Hardman, MATS

This presentation addresses the phenomenon of spiritual trafficking within religious institutions through identifying, analyzing, and defining the trend. The research will be in light of first-hand lived experiences as the researcher recounts their own experience of being groomed, trafficked, and subsequently re-exploited by religious communities. The research conducted is a Directed Content Analysis by the presenter of existing research, trends, and standards of the concepts of spiritual abuse, human trafficking, and the intersection of these concepts. The initial research question was, “Is spiritual trafficking a definable term” and the research provides an overview of the current research while identifying gaps in this data. The findings of the research assert there is indeed a category of spiritual trafficking that has been observed and more research should be dedicated to further expand it. This presentation serves as a poignant backdrop for the exploration of spiritual trafficking, a term coined to encompass the manipulation and coercion of individuals within religious contexts. Spiritual trafficking can overlap with sex or labor trafficking; yet can be categorized as its own experience, much like spiritual abuse (which can overlap with sexual or domestic violence but ultimately can be categorized separately with its own harmful abuses that are spiritual in nature). Drawing parallels with the better-known concept of spiritual abuse, the presenter elucidates how spiritual trafficking aligns with the definitions and tactics of traditional trafficking, involving elements of force, fraud, coercion, manipulation, and control.

Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.

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Presentation Objectives

• Create a working definition of “spiritual trafficking” through research and first-hand experience and differentiate it from “spiritual abuse”
• Identify the dynamics, tactics, and ways that spiritual trafficking translates into four distinct variants: grooming, passive exploitation, active exploitation, and re-exploitation
• Utilize first-hand experience to give tangible examples for the audience to identify these theories in practice
• Create a call-to-action for faith-based communities and beyond to address this concern