Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight against Child Sex Trafficking
Welcome to Invading the Darkness: stories from the fight against child sex trafficking in the United States. This podcast features Linda Smith, the founder of Shared Hope International, sharing stories from her 23 years of fighting the battle of domestic minor sex trafficking.
In 2025, "Invading the Darkness" will introduce a video element to its podcast, featuring hosts Yvonne and Kim, who are survivors of sex trafficking and advocates for the Just Like Me campaign.
Yvonne and Kim will share their life experiences, insights, and narratives from other survivors.
Our desire is that each episode will help you better understand the importance of fighting child sexual exploitation in the United States.
Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight against Child Sex Trafficking
Navigating Legal Systems with Trauma-Informed Care: Lacy's Story S4E4
In this deeply moving episode of Invading the Darkness, Lacy shares her experience navigating the legal system as a trafficking survivor—and the lasting impact it had on her healing. From being retraumatized by the very systems meant to protect her, to becoming an advocate for change, Lacy sheds light on the urgent need for trauma-informed, survivor-centered support in every step of the justice process.
Her story is a powerful reminder that justice must do more than prosecute—it must protect, restore, and truly see the person behind the case.
You can help make the legal system more survivor-centered and trauma informed! Take the Victim-Offender Intersectionality course and share it with criminal justice professionals you know. Visit https://store.sharedhope.org/product/voi/ to get started!
Don’t forget to subscribe @sharedhopeinternational,
follow us on social media, and check out invadingthedarkness.org.
Visit https://invadingthedarkness.org/
Learn more about how you can take action https://sharedhope.org/justlikeme/
SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://sharedhope.org/appealforms/podcastsupport/
Listen now to hear Lacy’s journey and the call to reform systems that were never built with survivors in mind.