The U.S. State Department estimates that each year approximately 800,000 to 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders worldwide and that “no country is immune from trafficking.” Our goal in telling these complicated stories in photo reportage is to gather information truthfully, present it in a cohesive manner that would allow a multifaceted public to react in ways that encourage a democratic and international discourse.

The apprentice, Justine Rivero, researched and analyzed an extensive reading list, watched films related to visual culture and interpretation, attended art exhibits relevant to the topic, and compiled a list of articles and academic papers that deal with visual documentation and issues of human trafficking. Some of the main questions that we examined in our work are: How is a person in the twenty-first century sold into captivity and exploited against her will capable of recovering after such trauma to the mind, body and spirit? What are some of the primary psychological and social issues? Under what conditions is rehabilitation successful? What type of power dynamic is created when a man purchases forced sex and why?