CESE Online Global Summit: Activist-survivor Nissi Hamilton lists 6 types of traffickers to watch out for
Nissi Hamilton, CEO of A Survivor's Voice of Victory, is a political activist, Navy veteran, sexual abuse counselor, and a survivor of human trafficking. Hailing from Houston, Hamilton was trafficked in her own neighborhood when she was just 14 years old. She was homeless and lived in a box behind Walmart when she was coerced into servitude by a "Romeo pimp" -- someone who draws a victim into slavery with a perceived relationship. During the annual Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Summit conducted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation this year, Hamilton spoke in a session titled 'Human Trafficking 101' to highlight the different types of "fishmongers" aka pimps and insights into the human trafficking behavior.
In her talk, Hamilton highlights that human trafficking is a "type of prostitution that is facilitated by a third party." She says that traffickers are perpetrating what they have learned about sex and promoting the very thing that they are suffering from, adding that society must protect what children think they know about sex. She also says, "Your pimp controls who you sleep with... he owns you. Your finances are his finances. Whatever money you make belongs to him."
Hamilton then goes on to compare the slaveholders of the 15th century to the pimp in today's culture, saying, "A slaveholder would examine a slave or a bondwoman for her fertility to measure the projected value of a slave for the duration of her lifespan." She also adds that when a trafficker is pimping out a girl who is much younger than he is, he is called a "symp" -- one who cares too much about a young woman and shows "unnecessary behavioral problems."
When a trafficker is a Black man and the trafficked person is a white woman, Hamilton terms him as a "popcorn pimp" -- one who makes his victims feel like they owe him something, that the world put all the weight on him and "people need to rescue him and do whatever it is they need to do to make sure his life turns out immaculately all the time." Hamilton adds that the popcorn pimp makes his victims suffer mental abuse a lot.
Another type of pimp that Hamilton defines is the "social media pimp", one who grooms and pimps his victims through the internet. Hamilton notes that the social media pimp does not have a distinct age -- the average age is about 30 years old. Hamilton adds that the social media pimp is very fluent online -- she stresses that mothers need to watch out for those who are extremely helpful, trustworthy, and nice, saying, "He knows how to throw out certain deflectors so that all the attention isn't on him. He's talking to not just one 15-year-old or not just one 12-year-old, he's talking to several of them at one time and he's getting what he wants online." She adds that they are tech-savvy, great communicators, and extremely dangerous.
Hamilton then elaborates on the "familiar pimp" -- when the trafficker is a family member -- and mentions that her mother experienced this type of trafficking. She says, "Familiar pimps are typically extremely covert because their moves are very subtle. You don't associate them as a criminal... or with anything that would seem like they would endanger your child."
Another pimp that Hamilton defines is the "polyamorous pimp" aka a "poly pimp" when the trafficker is pimping men. She says that the typical victim would be a married man who has a "side piece" at the same time -- the poly pimp gets paid to keep the husband's secret.
Additionally, Hamilton names the "chameleon pimp" who is "all things to all people." She says that this type of pimp is high, emotional, dramatic, and erratic, saying, "He causes confusion just so that he can fix it, he is extremely charismatic and is typically a high profile person." She adds that the chameleon pimp is narcissistic and has a "godlike complex."
If you or someone you know may be a victim of trafficking, call the national human trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233-733.
