Human trafficking survivor Kate Price, a prospective student at the University of Massachusetts Boston, launched a crowd-funding campaign to help her finance a PhD in Sociology.
“For me sociology is a great way to look at human trafficking,” Price said. “Having been trafficked, I want to use experience and bring my understanding of trafficking to help creating better support systems for those who share the same fate.”
In early childhood and throughout adolescence, Price said that an immediate family member sold her for sex in order to support his drug addiction. She recalled that this family member sold her to men at truck stops, at parties, even within her own home.
She added that, after escaping that period of sexual abuse, it took roughly 20 years working with a trauma therapist until she could feel comfortable enough to share her story. “I survived that upbringing through education, determination, and the encouragement of a few supportive adults and friends,” As she wrote it in her GoFundMe homepage.
Now Price is planning to do empirical research on human trafficking, in which she will try to find best practices to help victims beyond the point of finding an exit from trafficking. “It is not enough to just rescue a victim,” she said.
She believes that people who get the chance to exit the trafficking cycles need a strong, positive support system to help them regain their self-esteem. It is not all about “rescue,” she explained. Victims of sexual exploitation need assistance until they can reclaim their sense of personhood and achieve their dreams.
Price said that part of her research plan will also focus on the purchasers of sex: the abusers. She believes that “Most of them have been abused in the past as well.” She added that the reason some of them are inflicting others with the same psychological and physical pain is because “trafficking is a system of violence that is self-reinforcing.”
Kate Price, who is currently taking non-degree classes at UMass Boston, encourages foundations, advocacy organizations, and community members alike to come together to help survivors achieve their dreams and greatest potential.
She also invites the UMass Boston community to contribute in helping her to raise the $ 60,000 needed to achieve her dream of completing a Ph.D. Degree in Sociology from UMass Boston.
For more information on this crowdfunding campaign visit her GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/cnh2i0