DEI, Censorship and Victims of Trafficking: Why Political Correctness Is Hiding the Reality

The Inconvenient Truth About Victims We Choose to See

Imagine two people: a young, white, attractive woman traveling with her boyfriend; the other, a black college student who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. One of the two cases goes viral, monopolizing the media, sparking petitions and talk shows. The other? Almost completely ignored.

Why?

The answer is brutal, but real: not all victims are “worth” the same in the public eye .

Some trigger our empathy instantly, others… don’t move us at all.

And it’s not just about emotion: it’s about how we’ve been taught to see victims .

• It’s about race.
• The genre.
• Sexual orientation.
• The personal story.
• The public image.

In this article we will delve into a topic that no one wants to touch:

• Why do some victims become media symbols and others disappear into thin air?
• How does the concept of the “ideal victim” influence justice, information and even laws?
• What does all this have to do with sex trafficking and the new anti-DEI policies that are erasing identities and truths?

It is not a comfortable topic. But it is necessary.

Because until we change who we choose to see as victims , we will continue to protect those who exploit and destroy those who survive.

DEI, Ideal Victim and Sex Trafficking: When Compassion is Selective

Who really deserves empathy?

In the world of crime and justice, not all victims are treated equally . Some receive an avalanche of empathy, public outrage, media attention and social mobilization.

Others, however, fall into silence, forgotten and ignored. This phenomenon is not accidental: there is a social, cultural and media construction of what we call the “ ideal victim ” .

The concept, introduced by Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie in 1986, highlights how some individuals – due to physical, ethnic, behavioral or contextual characteristics – more easily arouse collective sympathy than others.

But in an era when sex trafficking continues to spread in increasingly complex and localized forms, ignoring the true characteristics of the victims, even for political or ideological reasons, means protecting the aggressors and increasing the number of invisible slaves.

What is the “Ideal Victim”?

The Social Construction of Selective Empathy

In 1986, the Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie introduced a concept that was to become one of the pillars of modern criminology and social criticism: the “ideal victim ” .

Not all victims, Christie says, are perceived in the same way.
Public opinion, the media and even institutions also judge the event based on who the victim is, how they present themselves, what kind of story they embody.

“The ideal victim is one who immediately makes us feel like we’re on the right side.”

Christie’s 6 characteristics of the ideal victim:

1. He is weak.
   A child, a woman, an elderly person, a disabled person: anyone who appears fragile and unable to defend himself.
2. He is not guilty.
   He has done nothing that could “justify” or explain what happened. He was not out at night, he had not been drinking, he did not do “risky” work, he did not know the attacker.
3. She was engaged in a noble act.
   She was coming home from school, walking her dog, visiting her grandmother. Nothing that could seem risky, ambiguous or morally questionable.
4. She was attacked by a clearly guilty and stronger individual.
   A big, strong man, with a criminal record, perhaps a foreigner. The perfect “bad guy stereotype.”
5. She behaves in a way that is consistent with the idea of ​​innocence.
   She is submissive, cries, does not rebel. She is not angry, does not shout, does not ask uncomfortable questions. She is perceived as a “just victim”.
6. His story is easy to tell.
   Linear, simple, without gray areas. Easy to sell, easy to empathize. A narrative that “works” in the media.

Why is all this important?

Because the “ideal victim” is not an objective truth , but a collective projection .
It is the product of the dominant culture , of public morality, of media narrative.

And those who do not fit this mold , even if they have suffered the same crime or worse, are often ignored, belittled, or blamed .

⚖️ Ideal victims vs real victims: two different worlds

Let’s think about two examples of victims of sexual assault:

• An 18-year-old white female , a student, sober, attacked while walking home.
• A 28-year-old gay man , a sex worker, was attacked by a client who refused to pay.

They both suffered the same crime .
But who do you think will receive more support?
Who will be listened to?
Who will be believed?
Who will see their story told with dignity?

You already know the answer.
And it’s not right.

The problem of “selective empathy”

The ideal victim is a mirror in which society seeks its own reassuring image .
But the reality of the victims is much more complex, dirty, uncomfortable .

Many survivors:

• they made questionable choices,
• they already had precedents,
• come from marginalized backgrounds,
• they do not behave as expected from a “good victim”,
• They don’t cry. Sometimes they get angry. And they’re scary.

Recognizing the pattern is the first step to overcoming it

As long as we continue to use the “ideal victim” filter to decide who deserves empathy, we will continue to leave behind those who need it most.

Christian, drug addict, transgender, sex worker, refugee, runaway child:
they are not less victims.
They are just less comfortable.

The Gabby Petito Case: The “Perfect Victim” for Media Narration

In 2021, the world watched with bated breath as Gabby Petito disappeared , a young American influencer who documented her life on the road with her boyfriend on Instagram and YouTube. When she was reported missing during a van trip, American – and international – media devoted days of non-stop coverage to her story. Interviews, TV specials, Facebook groups, viral hashtags. Eventually, her body was found. She had been murdered by her partner.

Gabby had become the perfect symbolic victim :
✅ young
✅ white
✅ attractive according to Western standards
✅ “innocent” and sweet in the imagination
✅ engaged in a “spiritual”, free and romantic journey
✅ part of a love story that turned into a nightmare

A clean, emotional and marketable narrative .

The Media Paradox: Who Deserves Visibility?

Around the same time as Gabby’s disappearance, two other people had disappeared under similar circumstances :

• Lauren Cho , 30, Korean-American, missing in California. She was older than Gabby, non-white, and was drinking with her partner at the time of her disappearance .

• Jelani Day , 25, African-American, college student and future doctor. Missing in Illinois. His body was found in a river, under mysterious circumstances.

No one talked about it.
No hashtags.
No 24/7 news cycle.
No collective mobilization.

Why?

Because they did not fit the “ideal victim” standard .

The selective narrative of the victim

Gabby was easily compatible with the collective imagination of those who deserve empathy :

• It did not represent cultural or social conflicts

• It didn’t make the average viewer feel uncomfortable.

• She could have been “your daughter”, “the girl next door”

Lauren Cho? Too old, too Asian, too “guilty” to have disappeared after an argument.
Jelani Day? Male, black, potentially “strong,” therefore not perceived as a vulnerable victim.
Yet the circumstances were similar , if not more disturbing.

When the algorithm decides who counts

The hard truth is this:
The media, the algorithms, and even the public, prefer a victim who reassures, not provokes .
One who confirms our beliefs, not challenges them.
The ideal victim is edible .
The others… are ignored.

Awkward question:

What if Gabby Petito was Asian?
What if she had a troubled past?
What if she was queer?

Would we have heard of her?

Would we have cried for her?

Sex Trafficking: The Reality Is Harsher and Much Less Photogenic

Sex trafficking is a modern form of slavery in which people – often vulnerable teenagers or young adults – are sexually exploited against their will through coercion, deception, or psychological manipulation.

Many people think that this phenomenon only concerns international trafficking of Asian or South American women brought to the United States. In reality, much of the sex trafficking occurs at the local level , often just a few miles from the victims’ homes.
In my work with law enforcement, I have seen cases where entire families trafficked their children , even just between nearby villages or neighborhoods, creating networks of systemic exploitation .

The most affected victims are often:

• Teenagers who ran away from home
• Young people from dysfunctional families
• Homosexual or transgender people , marginalized or rejected by their families
• Vulnerable adults with addiction, mental health or extreme poverty issues

LGBTQ+ and Sex Trafficking: An Ignored Emergency

A 2020 study found that LGBTQ+ youth are 7.4 times more likely to become victims of sex trafficking than their heterosexual peers. This figure is likely an underestimate, given the shame, taboo, and fear that often keep victims from reporting.

These young people, often kicked out of their homes, marginalized, without support , become easy targets for traffickers. Yet, their pain remains invisible , because they do not embody the “pure” and “conventional” image of the victim .

DEI and the new censorship of truth

In 2025, the US government introduced a new anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policy that requires the removal of references to victims’ race, gender and sexual identity in official reports and communications from government agencies.

This means that it cannot be said whether a victim was Asian, African-American, transgender or gay , so as not to “discriminate”.

But this is not inclusion: it is a denial of reality .

If we can’t say that Vietnamese girls are trafficked to America, how can we stop the network that exploits them?
If we can’t say that most of the young gay men who are trafficked come from ultra-conservative religious families who kicked them out, how can we build adequate prevention and support?

The new ideal victim: white, straight, invisible

By censoring racial and gender identity, the state – unknowingly or not – is constructing a new “ideal victim” : white, heterosexual, conforming, socially acceptable.

But sex trafficking does not work according to politically correct logic . Traffickers see only vulnerability and money .
For them, a body is a body. A target is a target.

The Cambridge/Watertown Case: Who Really Cares?

In my area, the Cambridge-Watertown (Massachusetts) sex ring case is in the news today. But the media interest is not on the victims – many of whom were minors, trafficked, marginalized – but on those who paid for their bodies : businessmen, politicians, wealthy and influential men.

Once again, the victims become the backdrop of the scene , while the narrative focuses on the powerful actors .

DEI in Europe: Current Overview

In Europe, the concept of DEI – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has taken on increasing importance, but with different approaches and paces than in the United States.

According to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) , European countries are developing DEI strategies in the workplace, education and institutional sectors , with a particular focus on:

1. Diversity

• It concerns ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, migration background .

• In the workplace, European companies are starting to promote staff diversity policies , including through gender quotas and inclusive hiring programs.

2. Equity

• Unlike “equality” (treating everyone equally), equity involves compensating for structural inequalities .

• This concept is increasingly applied in access to education, employment and political representation , especially for historically disadvantaged groups.

3. Inclusion

• The goal is to create environments where everyone can feel represented, safe and valued .

• In Europe, much work is being done on linguistic inclusion (for migrants and refugees), accessibility for disabled people and school inclusion.

Policies and Initiatives in Europe

• France and Germany are implementing regulations to increase the presence of women and minorities on corporate boards.

• The European Commission has launched the LGBTQI+ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 , to combat discrimination and promote inclusion at EU level.

• The Action Plan on Anti-Racism 2020-2025 aims to combat structural racism in Member States.

• Many universities (e.g. Oxford, Sorbonne, Amsterdam) are establishing DEI Departments to create more inclusive academic policies.

⚖️ DEI and European Context: Differences from the USA

• In Europe, DEI tends to be less polarizing and more institutionalized , although subject to criticism from conservative political groups.

• Europe’s cultural diversity (many languages, different colonial histories, welfare models) makes DEI more fragmented but also more locally rooted .

• Nordic countries (e.g. Norway, Sweden, Finland) are leading the way with DEI practices in the workplace and society.

Critical Issues and Challenges

• Cultural and political resistance , especially in countries with sovereignist governments (Hungary, Poland).

• The concept of DEI is often perceived as “imported” from the USA and not always adapted to the European context.

• Lack of homogeneous data on ethnicity and sexual identity in many countries (e.g. France and Germany do not collect ethnic data by law).

DEI: USA vs Europe – Comparison Sheet

Strategic Observations

• In the US, DEI is more radical, visible, codified , but also more attacked .
• In Europe it is slower, more fragmented , often institutionalized but depoliticized , and therefore more resilient but less effective in terms of immediate social impact.
• Both models have clear strengths and limitations , but without structured DEI, systemic inequalities remain invisible.

‍♀️ Testimonies – The voices of the forgotten victims

Talking about numbers is helpful. But hearing stories changes the heart .
Below are three simulated testimonies, based on real-life models of victims involved in sex trafficking. They are not real people, but they could be.

Testimony 1 – Camila, 16, Latina Girl Who Ran Away From Home

“I was 16 when I ran away. My mother had a new boyfriend and didn’t want me to stay at home. She said I was too noisy. So I left. At first I slept at a friend’s house, then I started staying out. One day I met Alex. He offered me food, said I was beautiful, that we would live together in California. After a week, he started asking me for favors. ‘Just once,’ he said. Then it became every day. Photos, videos, men. I had no choice. When I tried to run away, he threatened me with a knife and said he would find my little sister. I believed him.”

Why Camila is not an “ideal victim”:

• She is a Latina minor , not white.
• She had run away from home , so she was seen as a “rebel”.
• He was on the street, probably without documents or family support .
• He doesn’t have a “clean” story to tell the media.

Result: No news program ever talked about her.

Testimony 2 – Jason, 17, Gay Boy Kicked Out of Home by Religious Family

“When I told my father I was gay, he threw my stuff out the door. ‘You’re not welcome here anymore,’ he told me. I slept in the station for two nights. Then a guy noticed me, offered me a sandwich and a roof. I trusted him. The first few days everything was fine. Then he started taking pictures of me. Telling me I could make money. Before long I became a commodity. Online. I lost count of the men. People think boys can defend themselves. But when you’re hungry, scared and nobody is looking for you… you’re just a body for sale.”

Why Jason is not an “ideal victim”:

• He is a man : he is expected to be able to defend himself.
• He is homosexual : often a victim of prejudice, even unconsciously.
• She is emotionally vulnerable , but socially invisible.
• His story is not culturally accepted by everyone .

Result: Zero empathy, zero visibility, zero support.

Testimony 3 – Agent S., 42 years old, police operator on local investigations

“I’m part of an investigative unit that deals with human trafficking. I’ll tell you the truth: we see victims every day that no one wants to see. Black kids, transgender people, teenagers without families, drug addicts. People are outraged when an influencer disappears, but they don’t say anything when three LGBTQ+ kids disappear in one month in the same neighborhood. We once found a network where families were sharing their children for sexual abuse. All white, respectable, religious. You know what the prosecutor told us? ‘Find me a presentable victim, otherwise they won’t take her seriously in court.'”

Why these stories remain hidden:

• Because they are not talkable on morning talk shows.
• Because they break the image of the angelic victim and the monstrous aggressor.
• Because they don’t bring political consensus, clicks, or safe visibility.

Why these testimonies matter

These stories show that real victims aren’t always comfortable to listen to . They don’t live in tidy neighborhoods, they don’t make TikTok videos, they don’t smile in photos. They’re dirty, broken, and invisible . But they’re the ones who need our voices, our support, and our truth the most.

What you can do

✅ Share stories like these
✅ Challenge your own internal biases
✅ Support those who work with all victims, not just the “perfect” ones
✅ Remember: empathy is not earned, it is offered

Inconvenient Truths

“Did you know that…”

40% of sex trafficking victims are minors.
100% are ignored if they do not fit the stereotype of the “perfect victim”.

Inconvenient Truth #1

You can’t protect what you don’t want to see.

Inconvenient Truth #2

DEI is not the problem. Silence is the problem.

Inconvenient Truth #3

Sex trafficking isn’t always international. Sometimes it’s three bus stops from your house.

Inconvenient Truth #4

LGBTQ+ victims are not “special cases.” They are the favorite targets of traffickers.

Inconvenient Truth #5

Your empathy shouldn’t depend on how much the victim is like you.

Inconvenient Truth #6

Every time the media ignores an “inconvenient” victim, a trafficker says thank you.

“Did you know that…”

A 2020 study found that LGBTQ+ youth are 7.4 times more likely to be trafficked than their heterosexual peers.
But today in the U.S., you can no longer say out loud if a victim was LGBTQ+. By law.

Inconvenient Truth #7

The ideal victim is not real. But it decides who is saved and who is not.

Inconvenient Truth #8

The system is not broken. It is designed that way.

Updated Sex Trafficking Data and Statistics

1. Sex trafficking is predominantly domestic

Source: Polaris Project – “2023 US National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics”
79.3 % of identified victims in the United States in 2022 were US citizens .
Sex trafficking isn’t just a “foreigner” problem – it happens next door .

2. 40-45% of sex trafficking victims are minors

Source: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) – Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022
Children represent between 40% and 50% of victims detected globally, with a higher incidence in forms of sexual exploitation.

3. LGBTQ+ people are severely overrepresented

Source: Urban Institute (USA) – “Surviving the Streets of New York” Report
Homeless LGBTQ+ youth are 7.4 times more likely to be victims of sex trafficking than their heterosexual peers.

4. Most of the victims knew the trafficker

Source: National Human Trafficking Hotline (USA)
In over 63% of cases , the recruiter was a family member, romantic partner, or friend .
The “white van kidnapping” narrative is often misleading .

5. The “perfect” victim gets more media attention

Source: SAGE Journals – Media Framing of Missing Persons Cases in the United States White, young, and female
victims receive 10 times more media coverage than Black, male, or LGBTQ+ people.

6. DEI under attack hinders data collection

Source: Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Freedom Network USA Several government-funded
U.S. programs have removed ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity from victim profiles, making it impossible to conduct accurate research or develop targeted strategies.

Summary Table – Key Facts About Sex Trafficking

Official sources (for quotes, links in the post or in-depth box)

• Polaris Project
• UNODC – Global Report on Trafficking
• Urban Institute – LGBTQ+ Youth Trafficking Study
• National Human Trafficking Hotline
• SAGE Journals – Media Coverage Study
• Human Rights Campaign

Questions That Bother You (But Make You Think)

You don’t change your mind by reading answers.
You change by looking the right questions in the face.

❓ How many real victims do we really know?

Those who don’t have a cover face.
Those who don’t end up on the news.
Those who aren’t even sought out by their family.

❓ If your daughter wasn’t “perfect,” would she deserve less empathy?

What if she ran away from home?
What if she made bad choices?
What if she loved people you didn’t approve of?

❓ Can you really say it doesn’t concern you?

That doesn’t happen in your city , your school, your neighborhood?
That you wouldn’t use the services of a trafficked person , perhaps without even knowing it?
That you wouldn’t judge the victims , even if only unconsciously?

❓ How many times have you shared a news story…

…because the victim looked like you?

❓ What if the invisible neighbor was your brother?

Your cousin? Your son?

⚠️ If these questions made you feel uncomfortable, that’s normal.

The uncomfortable truth isn’t meant to make you feel good.
It’s meant to change your perspective.

Conclusion: Selective Empathy = Systemic Injustice

If we don’t recognize who the victims really are , what they look like, where they come from, what traumas they have experienced and why they were affected, we will never be able to truly fight sex trafficking .
The victims are not always white, beautiful, pure and photogenic. They are often dirty, traumatized, angry, marginalized and socially awkward .

Justice cannot be based on selective sympathy .

Final quote

“Injustice begins when we stop seeing the human face behind the crime.”
— Anonymous

Do you want to take action?

• Get informed.
• Talk openly about the problem.
• Support organizations that serve all victims, not just the “ideal” ones .
• Don’t turn a blind eye for political or social convenience.

❓ FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Ideal Victim, DEI and Sex Trafficking

What is an “ideal victim” according to criminology?

The concept of the ideal victim was introduced by Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie in 1986. It refers to a type of victim that society perceives as totally innocent, weak, morally blameless, and attacked by a perpetrator who is clearly stronger and more evil. This type of victim elicits greater public empathy and media coverage.

Why do some victims receive more media attention than others?

Because the public, the media, and institutions tend to respond emotionally to narratives that align with cultural stereotypes. Victims who do not conform to these models—by race, sexual identity, personal history, or lifestyle—are often ignored or even blamed.

What impact does anti-DEI policy have on combating sex trafficking?

The new guidelines that prohibit mentioning the race, gender identity or sexual orientation of victims in official reports and in the media drastically reduce the possibility of analyzing the phenomenon in a realistic and scientific way . This limits prevention, investigation and the creation of targeted support for the most vulnerable victims.

Are LGBTQ+ victims really more at risk?

Yes. According to a 2020 study, LGBTQ+ youth are 7.4 times more likely to become victims of sex trafficking than their heterosexual peers. Many are kicked out of their homes , end up on the streets, and become easy prey for traffickers.

Does sex trafficking only happen internationally?

Absolutely not. Sex trafficking is often local , with victims moving between cities, counties, or even within the same community. In many cases, traffickers are family members, acquaintances, or members of the victims’ social and religious networks .

Isn’t talking about race and gender identity discriminatory?

No, not if done for analytical and protective purposes. Identifying the most vulnerable categories helps to build effective strategies for contrast , prevention and support. Deleting this information does not protect anyone – on the contrary, it makes the victims who most need help invisible.