•  
  •  
 

Biography

Glenn Miles, PhD, is an independent researcher and consultant specialising in child protection and human trafficking research. He has worked in Cambodia for over 15 years with various faith-based and secular organisations.

Lim Vanntheary ([email protected]) ORCID 0000-0001-9919-2601 holds a double bachelor’s degree in Sociology and English Education, as well as a Master of Development Studies, all from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Beginning work on the Butterfly Longitudinal Research in 2011 as part of Butterfly’s original research team, from 2015-2019, Vanntheary led the Research Project as Project Manager and Researcher. she is currently a Project Assistant at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

Nhanh Channtha ([email protected]) ORCID 0000-0002-5757-9151 was the Assistant Project Manager for the Butterfly Research Project 2014 - 2019. She conducted interviews, data analysis, and disseminated findings. She has co-authored numerous publications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and a Master’s degree in Holistic Child Development from MBTS, Malaysia. Currently, she is working with Mission Alliance, Cambodia, focused on children’s education and protection.

Abstract

Sex trafficking causes profound trauma requiring comprehensive healing. While spirituality is central in many survivors’ lives, it remains under-researched. In Cambodia, Christian organisations provide most aftercare despite 93-97% Buddhist population, creating complex religious dynamics. This study examined how spirituality affects trauma recovery, the factors that support or hinder spiritual practice, and how religious identity is negotiated over time. Butterfly Longitudinal Research project followed 128 sex trafficking survivors (80% female, 20% male, ages 6-30 at baseline) in Christian-founded aftercare programs throughout Cambodia, beginning 2010. A mixed-methods longitudinal design employed structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews 2-3 times annually over 10 years, achieving 70% retention (n=90). Analysis draws from 85 interviews in 2017, focusing on faith impact, supplemented by 2011-2017 data. The authors systematically coded qualitative data for themes. Christian identification decreased 41% (80 to 47 participants) while Buddhist identification increased 27% (26 to 33) from 2011 to 2017; the remaining participants identified with another faith or with no religious affiliation (22 of 128 in 2011; 10 of 90 in 2017 — see revised Table 1). Both traditions provided protective factors: among Christians, 23 reported emotional regulation benefits, 19 hope provision, 18 reduced shame, 4 suicide prevention; among Buddhists, 18 reported help overcoming problems, 14 relief/refreshment, 12 illness healing. Barriers included family opposition (n=27), geographic isolation (n=19), and discrimination (n=8). Spirituality—Buddhist or Christian—functions as a significant protective factor when integrated into trauma-informed care, respecting autonomy. The 41% reversion from Christianity reveals sophisticated navigation of competing demands rather than spiritual failure. Findings demonstrate spirituality expands choice-making capacity through shame reduction, hope provision, emotional regulation, and community connection, challenging both religious triumphalism and secular dismissiveness.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS