3.1 Understanding VoTs’ Needs
What This Module Covers
This module focuses on understanding the different and often overlapping needs of victims of human trafficking (VoTs), with attention to factors that influence whether and how they take part in sport-based activities.
Based on insights from the Needs Analysis Report, it looks at psychological, practical, cultural, and gender-related barriers that professionals regularly encounter in their work. It also addresses common assumptions that can affect communication, participation, and the overall impact of sport-based support.
The module offers practical guidance for coaches, social workers, and psychologists on how to better understand participants’ needs, communicate in ways that feel safe, reduce barriers to participation, and build trust through trauma-aware practice.
Why This Matters in Work With VoTs
The findings highlight common barriers that can affect participation in sport, as well as areas where professionals often need more guidance. Being aware of these challenges helps coaches, social workers, and psychologists plan activities that are safe, supportive, and appropriate for participants.
Psychological and emotional barriers
Many survivors experience emotional exhaustion, fluctuating motivation, fear, and difficulties with trust. These challenges can affect how they approach group activities, attendance consistency, and willingness to engage. Trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, or fear of disappointment may reduce motivation or lead to withdrawal, particularly in unfamiliar or unpredictable settings. Emotional safety, trust-building, and predictable structures are therefore essential.
External and contextual barriers
Survivors often face practical obstacles that limit participation, including financial constraints, transportation difficulties, unstable daily routines, or competing recovery-related responsibilities. Coaches and professionals may also feel uncertain or fear making mistakes when engaging with survivors, especially without trauma-informed training. Addressing these barriers requires flexible scheduling, accessible locations, affordable participation, and organizational support to ensure safety and confidence for both participants and staff.
Gender-specific and individual considerations
Different participants may face different challenges. Women survivors may experience shame, fear of failure, or anxiety about judgement, which can limit participation in group activities. Male survivors may struggle with a lack of exercise habits, economic pressures, or exhausting work schedules. Understanding these differences helps trainers adapt expectations and activities appropriately, ensuring inclusive participation for all.
Knowledge and support gaps among professionals
Many sports professionals lack confidence in responding to trauma-related reactions or recognizing when additional psychological or social support is needed. Targeted trauma-informed training, alongside collaboration with social workers, psychologists, or other specialists, is essential. This support helps protect participants and professionals, strengthens trust, and promotes sustained engagement in sports activities.
Structural and programmatic factors
Participation can also be limited by structural issues, such as lack of dedicated resources for sport or leisure, limited access to inclusive facilities, documentation requirements, and environments that prioritize competition over inclusion. Integrating physical activity into project design, advocating for dedicated funding, and encouraging partnerships with local sports clubs can help overcome these barriers. Inclusive infrastructure, intercultural sensitivity, and gender-responsive approaches further support recovery outcomes.
The transformative potential of sport
When these conditions are met, sport can help rebuild identity, restore confidence in the body, and re-establish trust. Its impact comes not from performance or competition, but from creating shared, safe spaces where survivors reconnect with themselves and others. Structured, supportive sports activities strengthen self-esteem, social skills, and emotional wellbeing, making them a powerful tool in holistic recovery.
How to Apply This in Practice
Participation in sport can be influenced by a range of personal, social, and contextual factors that are not always immediately visible. Survivors of trafficking may respond to sport activities in ways that reflect past experiences of trauma, instability, or exclusion. For professionals, understanding these sensitivities is essential to interpreting behavior accurately and responding with care.
Survivors may appear hesitant, inconsistent, or withdrawn in sport settings. This does not necessarily reflect a lack of interest, but may be linked to emotional exhaustion, fear of failure, or difficulties trusting others. Group environments, unfamiliar routines, or perceived pressure can increase anxiety. Recognizing that engagement may fluctuate over time helps professionals avoid misinterpreting behavior as resistance or lack of motivation.
Irregular attendance or sudden disengagement is often connected to factors outside the sport setting, such as unstable living conditions, financial stress, health concerns, or ongoing recovery processes. Awareness of these realities helps professionals understand participation patterns without placing unrealistic expectations on survivors.
Feelings of safety and comfort can be shaped by gender dynamics and cultural background. Some survivors may feel unsafe or exposed in mixed-gender environments, while others may struggle with unfamiliar social norms or fear of judgement. Sensitivity to these factors supports respectful engagement and reduces the risk of re-traumatization.
Working with survivors can place emotional demands on coaches and practitioners. Uncertainty about how to respond appropriately, fear of causing harm, or lack of trauma-informed knowledge may affect confidence and decision-making. Recognizing these challenges highlights the importance of support structures and shared responsibility when working with this group.
Trust develops gradually and is strongly influenced by predictability, clarity, and respect for personal boundaries. Survivors may be particularly sensitive to unclear roles, sudden questions about personal experiences, or inconsistent communication. Awareness of these sensitivities helps professionals foster a sense of safety and autonomy, which is foundational for any meaningful participation.
Empathy Journey
the night before.”
Last night, the participant decided:
“I’ll go to the women’s fitness session tomorrow.”
But after a stressful morning, a meeting with immigration services and a call with their lawyer, their energy is already low. They pause and think:
“Do I still have it in me today?”
They decide yes.
suddenly shifts.”
On the way, a last-minute scheduling change disrupts their plans — a work shift is moved, a childcare arrangement falls through, or a support appointment runs long. They create unpredictability, which can feel overwhelming. Now they are rushing, a little late, and already tense.
the group is larger
than last week.”
Walking into the space, they notice:
- more people than expected
- a few unfamiliar faces
- some mixed-gender activity happening in another corner
Suddenly their sense of safety shifts. They worry about being judged, seen, or misunderstood, not because of who they are now, but because past experiences have made new environments hard to trust.
but I freeze.”
The coach says,
“Hi! We’re glad you made it!”
It’s kind, but it’s also public, and the participant feels a wave of self-consciousness. They smile politely but instinctively step closer to the wall, scanning the room while trying to regulate their breathing. From the outside, it looks like distance or disinterest.
Inside, it’s managing anxiety and uncertainty.
but I stay on the edge.”
They join the warm-up but position themselves toward the back. They choose low-intensity variations because their body feels tight after a stressful morning.
They’re not avoiding participation; they’re protecting their sense of control and testing whether this environment feels safe enough to stay. They leave a bit early, quietly.
Not because they weren’t interested, but because today required more emotional energy than a normal day.
