One of the things that makes CAASE different from other anti-gender-based violence organizations is our niche in supporting survivors of sex trafficking. While we now work with and support survivors of all kinds of sexual harm, assisting survivors of sex trafficking has been a priority of ours since the beginning and has shaped all our programs. Over the years you’ve probably heard us talk about our support for the survivor model. But what is the survivor model, exactly? And why does CAASE believe it’s the best approach to combat exploitation? As CAASE gets closer to our 20-year anniversary, we are reflecting on the two decades of clients we have had the privilege of working with. We have seen firsthand the ways that survivors themselves support and champion the survivor model. So as a survivor-centered organization, it’s imperative we follow their leadership here and listen when they tell us: the survivor model is what’s best for survivors of sex trafficking.

So, what exactly does this model entail? What would it look like in action? Here’s what you need to know.

The three main components of the survivor model 

The survivor model is a framework that consists of three main components to fight sex trafficking and to support those who survive it. Firstly, it would criminalize buying sex. What this means is that instead of prioritizing punishing those selling sex, we would focus on those buying sex and making sure that their actions are penalized. The goal of this is to reduce demand for the sex trade. 

The second main component of the survivor model is that it would decriminalize selling sex. This is a priority because it would recognize that people being prostituted are more often than not being coerced and forced into it. We must recognize their vulnerability and approach their situation with care and protection instead of blanket punishment. These survivors are often doing survival sex trading, which is defined as the “exchange of sex for food, money, shelter, drugs, and other needs and wants”. It’s often safe to say individuals in these situations would choose another option if they were available to them. One study showed that 89% of prostituted people would like to leave. People in these situations don’t deserve more punishment on top of the extreme harm they are already trying to survive. By decriminalizing selling sex, those being prostituted won’t experience further harm by being arrested and/or prosecuted. It would recognize them as victims, not criminals. 

Lastly, the third main component of the survivor model is the way that it would provide support services to those being trafficked or exploited to help them ultimately exit the sex trade. Nordicmodelnow.org defines these support and exit services to include elements like “access to safe affordable housing; training and further education; child care; legal, debt and benefit advice; emotional and psychological support.” Exiting the sex trade and finding safety, support, and stability can be a long and challenging process, so it’s imperative that survivors are provided with help so that they can exit the sex trade and get sustainable, long-term help to stay out of it. 

“Black women and girls make up a staggering 40 percent of the women trafficked in this country, while 24 percent are Latina. We also know that LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially trans women of color, are also overrepresented in the sex industry. And it is these women who are far more likely than White people to be arrested for prostitution-related crimes.”  

— Brenda Myers-Powell, survivor leader and founding CAASE board member

It’s not “sex workers” versus survivors 

“But what about sex workers that aren’t being trafficked?”   

It’s a frequent question that comes up in conversations around the survivor model. Folks have an idea that there is a large portion of “sex workers” that are having a safe experience and freely choosing to participate in the sex trade over many other options. This sadly is not common.  

This sentiment from our letter to Survivor’s Agenda in our blog post, When Allies Disagree, sums it up best: “CAASE recognizes that some people freely choose to engage in sex for money, and we respect those who want to engage in prostitution and be afforded the same dignities and rights that America (rhetorically) grants to all workers. CAASE also recognizes that sex trafficking is different from prostitution. However, research shows that the majority of people who have been or are in the sex trade did not enter it as adults, want or wanted out of it, and either are being or were harmed by it.” 

The survivor model is not and should not be about sex trafficking victims versus sex workers; it’s about all of us versus the people who perpetuate and profit from sexual exploitation. It’s about centering the voices of survivors who’ve been exploited. It’s about putting accountability where it belongs. 

From survivors, we know a lot about common experiences of entry into the sex trade, and we know not many people are choosing it freely and enthusiastically.  

What about full decriminalization?

“Why is partial decriminalization better than full decriminalization?” is another question we hear a lot.  

We all agree that people being sold for sex should not face criminalization. Full decriminalization, though, would also mean that people buying sex and pimping would face no consequences. At CAASE, we don’t think that’s good enough. Sexual exploitation exists because there’s a demand for it: some people think it’s perfectly fine to spend their money on sex, and pimps therefore see forcing people to sell it as a lucrative opportunity. The survivor model changes that. By holding buyers and pimps accountable, we can decrease rates of sex trafficking, including that of children.  

Most importantly, survivors voice their support for partial decriminalization. We should all strive to center their voices and trust their ability to know what’s best not only for themselves, but also for others who have survived sexual exploitation.

Striving towards a safer future

Anyone who cares about working towards a world free from gender-based violence should prioritize the survivor model. The survivor model will protect more people from sexual exploitation and harm. Namely, women and children, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, and those in poverty. 

We have seen the survivor model success in other parts of the world. We can look to other countries where it’s been implemented. In Sweden, it was found that the number of men buying sex decreased from 12.7% to 7.6% between the time the survivor model was introduced in 1999 and 2008. The survivor model was adopted in Norway in 2009. In 2014, their government found that prostitution and the demand for the sex trade decreased since it was enacted as law.  

The survivor model protects the most vulnerable among us who face the highest risk of sexual exploitation. Embracing the survivor model has the power to shift our cultural attitudes around gender-based violence at large too. When we prioritize women and girls’ safety, we move closer to a world where harm and violence are truly unacceptable, and there is no price anyone can pay to negate that. 

Learn more about the equality model and supporting survivors of the sex trade:    

• We’re Listening: What Black Survivors Say About the Sex Trade 
• Policing and Enforcement of Prostitution Laws in Chicago 
• Workers Rights Won’t Fix the Sex Trade
• Legalization Isn’t an Antidote to Prostitution’s Harms 
• When Allies Disagree 

CAASE published this piece on August 10, 2026. It was authored by Lizzy Springer and edited by Ryan Spooner. Learn more about our staff.