speaking a second language can also cause what may appear to be a “freeze” response in certain situations. – Many victims of trafficking suffer an intensive level of self-consciousness which arises from internalized shame and low self-esteem. They often believe that they are very obviously “different” from other people and the fear of being scrutinized, exposed, mocked or castigated by others can threaten to overwhelm them in certain situations. Extreme avoidance behaviour, sudden withdrawal from a room or conversation, or suffering an apparent paralysis of action or speech may be an overly self -protective response stemming from hyper-vigilance and trauma. – Traumatic re-enactment Some survivors of interpersonal violence, particularly those who have been sexually abused, may carry out unconscious repetition of their traumatic experiences by engaging in dangerous acts and relationships. For example, men and women who have suffered sexual exploitation may act in a vulnerably passive or overtly sexual way at certain times or in locations which place them at risk of danger from others, or they may enter into intimate relationships prematurely with people who wish them harm. This is complex in psychological terms118, but it may be behaviour that has become familiar and habitual for them through their experiences of abuse/exploitation, or they may be engaging in compulsive behaviour which is a form of “re-enactment” of their traumatic experiences. Behavioural re-enactments are rarely consciously understood to be related to earlier life experiences. Survivors of earlier rape and abuse may put themselves at risk of further harm, not because they want to be abused or hurt, but because they may be seeking a different, “better” outcome, or to have more control. It may also be because they believe they deserve the pain inflicted on them. Often, re-enactment has a compulsive and involuntary feel. Survivors may feel completely numb, and unaware of how re-enactment is taking place.119 – Traumatic bonding (Stockholm syndrome) Some people who have been trafficked and have suffered violent, interpersonal relationships may form a bond with their abuser. This can arise from an isolated victim’s dependency upon the abuser for their physical and emotional survival which leads to the fear of being abandoned, but also inevitably results in a bond forming with that person.120 As a result, appeasing the abuser becomes an integral part of the relationship. Repeated controlling 108 and/or violent behaviour over a prolonged period can force the victim to adopt the world view of their abuser and internalize the abuser’s opinion of them. Victims may act protectively towards an abuser by denying the abuse for some time afterwards. This can happen to adults and children who have been trafficked for various forms of exploitation. Clinical notes on a young victim of trafficking for sexual exploitation 121 Simon denies sexual touching by [the paedophile who abused him]. A response of psychological denial and dissociation of childhood sexual abuse is seen in children and adults who have been repeatedly sexually abused as young children. This may explain Simon’s perplexity and anger when I asked him about his abuser touching him. Denial is a more frequent response if the abuser is a person with whom the child has to place their trust. Denial is reinforced as the child continues to need the support of the abusing adult. At some point as an adult, the person may be troubled with “repressed memories” of the abuse, particularly at times of life transition or entry into new relationships. Denial is a way of managing an intolerable situation – it can give a demeanour of “coping” which may have appeared mature to outsiders. Some traffickers manipulate victims by alternating between a “loving” and cruel approach towards them, and this can penetrate the victim’s psyche in an effective and intricate way. States of “love” and “hate” become integral to each other in a victim’s mind and so it becomes difficult for them to distinguish between them. Therefore being “in love with”, or “loving”, a person who has subjected them to prolonged interpersonal violence is not as perverse or unnatural a concept to the victim, as it may seem to others. In cases where people who have been trafficked remain in states of both “love” and “hate” with a trafficker, they often feel guilt and shame for these feelings and may take responsibility for their own decisions and choices which resulted in their traumatic experiences. This can lead to feelings of guilt, self-harming behaviours and engaging in further harmful relationships. “The consequences of the sexual abuse in human trafficking”, Trauma and recovery