By Linda A Smith Samantha Healy Vardaman Melissa A Snow

40Shared Hope Internationala way of preventing collusion for escape or disobedience. This method establishes hierarchy and ensuresconstant competition with each other for rewards and promotions to the girls who produce the mostmoney and follow the “rules of the game.” It also keeps the victims divided and ensures that they remainfocused on pleasing the trafficker/pimp rather than creating an escape strategy.“Nicole, I love you and I love my son, and if I was able to be there, I would never allow for you or him tosuffer or be without your needs and wants in life.” 121— Excerpt from a letter to a victim from her convicted traffickerOne self-proclaimed pimp and author of yet another guide on pimping explained how to apply therecognized Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the situation of pimping. The author/pimp provides detailson implementing each stage of the Hierarchy of Needs for the manipulation and control of a personin prostitution. 122 Referred to as “the Pyramid,” this approach systematically addresses foundationalhuman needs such as safety, security, love, and belonging. The concept discusses how past sexual abuse,family dysfunction, societal judgment, and systemic failure leave gaps into which traffickers/pimps insertthemselves as providers. By offering a false sense of security, respect, and love, a trafficker can establish atrauma bond that will keep the victim vulnerable, completely subject to the trafficker, and the source ofprofits through her exploitation.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs121Prostituted Children in the United States: Identifying and Responding to America’s Trafficked Youth, Seg. 3. Prod. Shared HopeInternational and Onanon Productions. DVD. Washington, D.C.: Shared Hope International, 2008.122Martin, R. J., “How to be a Pimp Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs to Make the Most Money.” Associated Content.October 26, 2006. www.associatedcontent.com/article/75184/how_to_be_a_pimp_using_maslows_hierarchy. html?cat=7. Accessedon January 20, 2009.