Assistance to traffi cked women in Spain. Other victims and forms of violence

Abstract

The article discusses the findings of a research on the assistance of women identified as “sex trafficking victims” in the Autonomous Community of Madrid in Spain. The study includes qualitative interviews with social workers and educators, as well as the analysis of documents. The study points out that there are mechanisms of control of bodies and sexuality, of economic and life options, which, in turn, produce forms of violence on both the women assisted and those who assist them. The coming together of conservative morality and ancient forms of discrimination with the current neoliberal approaches that characterise actions with sex trafficking victims made possible these forms of control and violence. The research suggests the need to critically act upon current practices of assistance to prevent and reduce actions alien to the well-being of the people they address and spreading forms of violence similar to those that counter-trafficking claims to fight against.