Breaking the Cycle: Understanding and Preventing Re-Trafficking

arrows pointing both ways on a street signifying re-trafficking

December 8, 2025

By Julianne Will

When a survivor of human trafficking escapes their trafficker, we often imagine the hardest part is over. But for too many, freedom is fragile. Without safety, support and stability, survivors can be drawn back into cycles of exploitation — a process known as re-trafficking.

What the Data Shows

While data on re-trafficking is scarce, a 10-year study by the International Organization for Migration sheds light on who is most at risk. The study examined 79 known re-trafficking cases in the IOM Human Trafficking Database and found that:

  • Women, children and young adults are most vulnerable to being re-trafficked.
  • Those trafficked before age 18 are particularly at risk of being exploited again in adulthood.
  • The period immediately after having exited a trafficking situation and en route to assistance is a highly vulnerable time for survivors.
  • Many victims are re-trafficked within two years of their initial escape.
    Survivors with unresolved family conflict, lack of support or economic hardship are more likely to fall back into trafficking situations.
  • Survivors with addiction are at risk of re-trafficking. 
  • The psychological or psychosocial trauma of trafficking affects survivors’ ability to reintegrate into their former lives, leaving them vulnerable to re-trafficking. 
  • Those struggling with addiction or trauma-related mental health challenges face greater vulnerability.
    Some survivors even encounter corruption or abuse from law enforcement, creating deep mistrust and making them less likely to seek help in the future.

The report also reveals that re-trafficking doesn’t always look the same the second time. Survivors may be exploited in different countries, for different purposes or even within their own communities after returning home. And they may be rejected by their family or community because of their trafficking experience, particularly in cases of sex trafficking. 

“Trafficked persons who have psychological or psychosocial difficulties due to their trafficking experiences may find it difficult to reintegrate into their former lives, rendering them vulnerable to re-trafficking.”
 — Alison Jobe, “The Causes and Consequences of Re-Trafficking,” IOM, 2010

The U.S. Perspective: The “Revolving Door”

In the United States, data on re-trafficking is even harder to find. According to a recent paper by Marietta Baba et al. (2023) in Human Trafficking: A Global Health Emergency, systematic research on re-trafficking rates is “rare.” The reasons are complex:

  • No centralized data system: Information about survivors is scattered across agencies and jurisdictions.
  • Inconsistent definitions: State laws don’t always align with the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), making comparisons difficult.
  • Limited follow-up: Few agencies track what happens to survivors after they leave trafficking situations.

Still, what we do know is deeply concerning. U.S. professionals in law enforcement and social services report that re-exploitation is a major concern. Survivors may “disappear” from services or face renewed pressure from traffickers. One study cited by Baba found that 15.6% of adult migrants who had experienced labor trafficking in the U.S. had also been victimized previously — suggesting patterns of re-trafficking.

Exiting a trafficking situation is a long and difficult process. Re-trafficking is so common that theoretical models of exit from prostitution include re-victimization as a formal stage. 

Why Survivors Are at Risk Again

Re-trafficking is not a sign of failure by survivors — it’s a reflection of systemic gaps. Survivors face enormous challenges once they leave exploitation:

  • Unresolved trauma and PTSD
  • Housing and financial insecurity
  • Addiction and mental health challenges
  • Discrimination and isolation
  • Threats or coercion from traffickers

Without comprehensive, long-term support, these barriers can push survivors back into dangerous situations — especially if the systems meant to protect them fall short.

How LifeWay Network Breaks the Cycle

At LifeWay Network, we understand that exiting a trafficking situation is a process, not a single event. Our survivor-centered programs are designed to address the vulnerabilities that research identifies — and to build lasting freedom.

We provide:

  • Safe housing and community-based support for women exiting trafficking
  • Access to education and job training, helping survivors rebuild financial independence
  • Trauma-informed therapy and counseling for healing and recovery
  • Support with legal pathways, including T visas and immigration relief
  • Connection to addiction counseling and healthcare
  • A strong community of expert care, reducing isolation and rebuilding trust

Each of these interventions directly responds to the risk factors outlined in global and U.S. research. By walking alongside survivors for the long term, we help ensure that freedom doesn’t just happen once — it lasts.

At LifeWay Network, we understand that exiting a trafficking situation is a process, not a single event.

 

LifeWay Network’s New Safe Housing Model

As we’ve identified the needs a survivor of human trafficking encounters on her path to healing and independence, LifeWay Network has evolved to provide a continuity of care. 

  • We connect survivors in urgent need of short-term shelter with safe, anonymous stays in hotels via ReloShare’s Safe Stays program. Survivors can use an alias and secure a room without a credit card.
  • Situated in a confidential residential setting in New York City, LifeWay Network’s Comprehensive Safe Housing Program offers a safe living space for as many as seven residents. Each is provided a single or double bedroom, along with essentials such as food, clothing, toiletries and non-prescription medicines. Wrap-around services include: case management, counseling, skills building workshops, job readiness training, assistance finding employment or enrolling in school/training programs and more. Residents can stay as long as a year.
  • LifeWay Network’s Semi-Independent Transitional Housing offers a supportive and minimally structured environment for as many as 10 women that empowers survivors who are highly independent and motivated and who have made significant progress toward self-sufficiency. Each resident is provided with a single, double or triple bedroom and basic household supplies. Support staff are available for residents on-site as many as 7 hours per day, and 24/7 on-call staff offer after-hours support. Residents can stay as long as two years.

We continue to examine the gap between the exit from a trafficking situation and a life of independence to minimize survivors’ vulnerabilities to re-trafficking.

The Way Forward

Re-trafficking is a reminder that ending human trafficking isn’t just about rescue — it’s about recovery, reintegration and resilience. The evidence is clear: When survivors have safe housing, economic opportunity and trauma-informed care, the cycle can be broken.

LifeWay Network remains committed to that vision — one survivor, one safe home, one life rebuilt at a time. Look for Part Two of this blog on re-trafficking in January, when we examine re-trafficking in the context of survivors at LifeWay Network’s safe houses.

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