WHY THIS MATTERS
Millions of boys and men around the world have survived sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Yet their stories are rarely told, their trauma is often denied, and their needs are chronically unmet.
This framework is built from interviews with male survivors in more than ten countries and is written
by a survivor who has become a global advocate. The framework speaks to a global crisis that remains
hidden in plain sight and offers a roadmap for funders, policy makers, advocates, corporations, and
others to create systemic change.
CORE CHALLENGES
• A perfect storm of shame, stigma, and systemic neglect
has rendered boys and young men who experience sex
trafficking and sexual exploitation invisible to the very
systems meant to protect them:
• Boys are less likely than girls to seek help due to
shame, fear of judgment, cultural norms, and rigid
gender role expectations.
• Stigma surrounding male victimhood, which is
reinforced by media, institutions, and dominant
masculine norms, silences survivors and denies
them healing.
• Reliable data on male survivors is scarce, leading to
underreporting, policy gaps, and lack of tailored services.
• Most anti-trafficking programs focus on female
victims and rarely address the needs of boys and
men.
• In some countries, male survivors risk incarceration,
death, or exile simply for disclosing their abuse,
especially where same-gender relations are
criminalized–even when boys and young men are
forced into them.
The result is a global systems failure –
one that continues to deny boys and men
the right to safety, care, and dignity.
FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR TAKING ACTION: THE RAISE FRAMEWORK
To transform how the world responds to male survivors, we must RAISE the level of global commitment.
Each principle represents a practical step for governments, philanthropy, and the private sector:
WHO SHOULD ACT
• Philanthropy must lead by funding survivor-informed
models and investing in housing, trauma-responsive
care, and the coordinated support systems that
male survivors need to heal and rebuild. Existing
solutions designed for women can offer valuable
insights, but must be adapted to reflect the unique
needs, experiences, and barriers that men and
boys face.
• Governments must update trafficking definitions,
eligibility criteria, and service mandates to include
boys and men. They must ensure protections extend
to all survivors regardless of gender or geography.
• Corporations, particularly those in tech, finance,
travel, and media must use their platforms, data, and
global supply chains to prevent trafficking, support
survivors, and invest in innovative care models.
• Global development actors and multilaterals,
such as UNICEF, the International Organization
for Migration, the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime, and the Inter-Agency Coordination
Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), must
integrate the needs of male survivors into global
frameworks for human rights, child protection,
and trafficking prevention. These institutions shape
international norms and funding flows, and their
leadership is essential to widespread change of
the systems that are meant to support and protect
survivors and those at risk of being trafficked.
Most importantly,the world needs to
take bold, coordinated action – driven by
survivors themselves. Without it, this crisis
will remain hidden in plain sight.
