Do Sex Workers and Sex Trafficking Survivors Report Crimes? A survey/story bank for sex workers and sex trafficking survivors who have been victims or witnesses of violent crimes.
1.
COYOTE is collecting stories to support a bill for immunity for sex workers and sex trafficking survivors reporting violent crimes to police. Surveys are a way that we can bring the voices of criminalized people who would rather remain anonymous to law makers.
We will share the collected stories with other sex worker activists working on immunity bills. Please do not share any personal information or anything you wouldn't want shared with law makers and activists.
This survey will ask you to share stories that may bring up bad memories. Please do not proceed if that sounds too traumatic. You can skip any questions you want to and phone numbers for crisis lines will be at the end of the survey.
Do you understand and want to tell a story?
Yes
No
2.
Have you been the victim or witness of a work related crime that you DID report to police? Examples could include being assaulted by a customer, being trafficked, witnessing someone being trafficked, witnessing child pornography, or a client telling you about a crime they committed against a child.
No.
Yes and it went fine.
Yes and they wouldn't take my report.
Yes and they threatened to arrest me.
Yes and they did arrest me.
Would you share the story? What did the police do that was helpful or harmful? After this experience, would you go to police for help again? Using general terms and summarizing rather than getting into details can help minimize or prevent re-traumatization.
3.
Have you been the victim or witness of a work related violent crime that you did NOT report to police? Examples could include being assaulted by a customer, being trafficked, witnessing someone being trafficked, witnessing child pornography, or a client telling you about a crime they committed against a child.
Yes
No
Please share the story. What was the violent crime? Why didn't you go to police for help? What factors did you consider when you were thinking about going to police? Using general terms and summarizing rather than going into specific details can help minimize or prevent re-traumatization.
4.
If you were in a state that guaranteed immunity from prostitution charges when reporting violent crimes, would you report in the future?
Yes, immunity would ensure that I would report violent crimes to the police.
No, immunity would not address my concerns in reporting.
Comments?
5.
What state(s) did this happen in?
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
6.
What state(s) do you work in? (We ask because an experience you have in one state might affect the way you think of police in another state.)
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
7.
You can reach the SWOP Behind Bars Community Support Line at 877-776-2004 or text via swopbehindbars.org
You can reach the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network at 800-656-4673 or text via rainn.org
Do you have any feedback about the survey?